Practitioners guide on water-related disasters launched

2018-10-18 17:35 Source:UNISDR

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Cover page of the latest Words into Action guide, launched in conjunction with UNECE

 

By Jeanette Elsworth

12 October 2018, Astana – The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) have released an innovative guide for applying the principles of resilience to water-related disasters during the eighth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention in Kazakhstan.

The guide, titled: Implementation Guide for Addressing Water-Related Disasters and Transboundary Cooperation: Integrating Disaster Risk Management with Water Management and Climate Change Adaptation, is part of the Words into Action series – a set of guidelines produced through UNISDR in conjunction with partners to demonstrate practical applications of the principles outlined in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

In the joint foreword to the publications, the heads of UNECE and UNISDR, Olga Algayerova and Mami Mizutori respectively, said: “While transboundary cooperation and sectoral cooperation may further complicate the implementation of disaster risk reduction measures, it also offers unique possibilities to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of plans and programmes by advancing synergies arising from cooperation and resulting in more robust risk reduction activities.”

Over the past twenty years, there has been a sustained rise and frequency in the number of climate-related disasters such as floods and droughts. A large part of disaster risk is directly or indirectly linked to water. It is estimated that the global average annual loss from disasters will increase from an annual average of US$ 260 billion in 2015 to US$ 414 billion by 2030. This puts at risk economic growth, poverty reduction, peace, and more generally, the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Editor:Amy