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Sendai Framework 7th anniversary: Disasters do not ne....
GENEVA, 18 March 2022 – Disasters are rapidly increasing around the globe and the world is not on track to meet its commitments as set out in the 2015 Sendai Framework by 2030.
2022-03-26 00:20:05
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European Union-UNDRR project helps to improve Turkmen....
The UNDRR, with the financial support of the European Union convened an expert-level meeting with 16 members of the Interagency Working Group for Disaster Risk Reduction at the UN House.
2022-03-26 00:15:26
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Costa Rica is making firm progress in its knowledge o....
The application in Costa Rica of the Global Risk Assessment Framework has been vital for constructing the foundations of governance with a systemic focus for reducing risks in this country.
2022-03-26 00:09:41
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Italy and partners handover Situation Room to African....
On 28 February 2022, the official handover ceremony for the Africa Multi-hazard Early Warning and Early Action System (AMHEWAS) Situation Room for Disaster Risk Reduction took place.
2022-03-26 00:02:49
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Fale-pili: Australia and Tuvalu build disaster-resili....
Young students from the island nation of Tuvalu are now able to go to school without the constant fear that the next tropical cyclone would destroy their classrooms.
2022-03-25 23:57:01
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International Recovery Forum highlights investing in ....
On 19 January, the International Recovery Forum 2022 concluded with a strong call to prioritize preparedness for recovery and invest in resilience before a disaster strikes.
2022-03-25 23:49:55
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Water management key to climate adaptation - new UNDR....
Managing water resources can play a key role in reducing the death and destruction from future disasters, says a new UNDRR podcast released to celebrate World Water Day on March 22.
2022-03-25 23:45:32
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National consultation workshop: Mid-Term Review (MTR)....
The UNDRR Regional Office for the Arab States organized a two-day National consultation workshop: Mid-Term Review of the implementation of the Sendai Framework in Tunisia.
2022-03-25 23:41:11
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National Workshop on “Building Back Better Post COVID....
The results of the regional review of the Arab countries, which was held in September 2020, concluded the urgent need for technical support to enhance the capabilities of Arab governments.
2022-03-25 23:36:39
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National Workshop on Sendai Framework Monitor and Dis....
Under the patronage of the Minister of Water and Environment in Yemen, the UNDRR Regional Office for the Arab States organized a National workshop on Sendai Framework Monitor.
2022-03-25 23:29:02
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Sendai Framework stocktaking: Stakeholder inputs
The Sendai Framework was the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda and provides concrete actions to protect development gains from the risk of disaster.
2022-03-25 23:23:19
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2022 Sasakawa Award nominations are open
Nominations for the United Nations Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction, under the theme “Building resilience through a multi-hazard approach" are open.
2022-03-25 23:16:46
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UNDRR Technical Forum on Sendai Framework Monitoring:....
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction organized a Technical Forum on Sendai Framework Monitoring.
2022-03-25 23:04:45
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Four European cities announced as global Making Citie....
Barcelona, Greater Manchester, Helsingborg and Milan have been unveiled as the first four European cities recognised as “Resilience Hubs”.
2022-02-16 17:30:09
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Jamaica's Prime Minister opens regional DRR meeting
The Americas and the Caribbean region opened a conference aimed at strengthening the resilience of communities and the environment to resist and recover from disasters of all types.
2022-02-16 17:18:26
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Second Consultation on the National Disaster Risk Red....
UNDRR ROAS and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management in Somalia launched the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Somalia.
2022-02-16 17:11:24
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UNDRR ROAS Co-organized a Webinar on Beirut Port Expl....
UNDRR ROAS co-organized a webinar in follow-up to the 2020 Beirut port explosion tackling lessons learned, experiences, and good practices in managing risks of ammonium nitrate.
2022-02-16 17:07:34
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UNDRR ROAS Making Cities Resilient 2030 Webinar: Empo....
UNDRR ROAS and the Ministry of Local Affairs and Environment in the Republic of Tunisia organized a national webinar under the title “Resilient Cities: Introduction to the Making Cities Resilient 2030.”
2022-02-16 17:03:22
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UNDRR Launches the Women’s Leadership in Disaster Ris....
UNDR RROAS launched the “Women’s Leadership in Disaster Risk Reduction: Examples from the Arab States,” the first of its kind in the Arab States region.
2022-02-16 16:58:31
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Incheon City is the first Resilience Hub in Asia-Paci....
On 23 November, Incheon Metropolitan City became the first city in the Asia-Pacific region to be recognized as a Resilience Hub under the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative.
2022-02-16 16:54:35
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Israel partners with the MCR2030 initiative to bolste....
The State of Israel has joined the MCR2030 initiative. MCR2030 is UNDRR’s flagship program, building on the achievement of the Making Cities Resilient Campaign that began in 2010.
2022-02-16 16:47:56
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Central Asian Heads of Emergency Agencies agree Regio....
The Heads of Emergency Authorities of Central Asian States adopted a Strategy for Development of Cooperation Between Central Asian Countries in Disaster Risk Reduction for 2022-2030.
2022-02-16 16:43:23
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Kenya opens the Eighth Africa Regional Platform for D....
On 17 November 2021, the Government of Republic of Kenya officially opened the 8th Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction as the host country.
2022-02-16 16:36:48
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SRSG Mizutori's remarks at COP-26 side event: Les mig....
Africa has often been called a “continent on the move” and this is especially true for West Africa, which is one of the most mobile regions in the world.
2022-02-16 16:32:34
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Covid-19 recovery should not be wasted
The Covid pandemic recovery provides a chance to implement green and sustainable economic and social policies, a key international conference on disaster prevention was told.
2022-02-16 16:27:00
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Message of the Secretary-General for the World Tsunam....
On World Tsunami Awareness Day, we call on countries, international bodies, and civil society to increase understanding about the threat and share innovative approaches to reduce risks.
2022-02-16 16:22:39
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Ministerial push for resilience in the Americas and C....
Ministers and senior officials from the Americas and the Caribbean pledged to make their countries more resistant to hazards and renewed their vow to achieve the goals of the Sendai Framework.
2022-01-21 18:02:32
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UNDRR Regional Office for the Arab States Launched Na....
Under the Disaster Risk Reduction Capacity Building Project in Somalia, UNDRR ROAS launched a National Consultation on ‘Establishing a National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2021-11-22 14:55:50
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2021 Risk Award recognizes Vietnamese women fighting ....
A mangrove restoration project in Vietnam which combines building the resilience of a disaster-prone coastal community with risk-themed theatre was announced as the winner of the 2021 Risk Award.
2021-11-22 14:48:18
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Floods in Europe underline need for increased investm....
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, today extended her condolences to all those affected by the current severe floods across Europe.
2021-11-22 14:44:09
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UNDRR ROAS Participates in the First National Platfor....
The Regional Science and Technology Advisory Centre and the National Council for Civil Defense in Sudan organized the first National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Sudan.
2021-11-22 14:39:07
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New regional module for the Sendai Framework Monitor ....
On 29 July 2021, UNDRR Regional Office for Africa and the African Union Commission co-hosted the Sendai Framework Monitor Regional Module orientation to introduce a new feature in the SFM.
2021-11-17 16:05:17
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UNDRR Regional Office for the Arab States Organizes a....
Under the umbrella of the Disaster Risk Reduction Programme in Somalia, the UNDRR ROAS organized a National Training Workshop on the Sendai Framework Monitor.
2021-11-17 16:01:51
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Africa embarks on strengthening its early warning cap....
Situation Room officers from the African Union Commission, IGAD Climate Prediction & Applications Centre took part in a two-week training focusing on the myDEWETRA platform.
2021-11-17 15:58:46
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ADPC and UNDRR Sign a Statement of Cooperation to Pro....
The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center and UNDRR have signed a Statement of Cooperation to strengthen the implementation of the Sendai Framework.
2021-11-17 15:52:50
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UNDRR announces annual award to celebrate women reduc....
The Women’s International Network on Disasters Risk Reduction will award two cash prizes to highlight the work of women who are changing the field of disaster risk reduction.
2021-11-17 15:44:28
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UNDRR ROECA Chief met HE Ambassador of Portugal to di....
Mr. Octavian Bivol, UNDRR ROECA Chief, met with HE Rui Manuppella Tereno, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Portugal to Belgium.
2021-11-17 15:36:53
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Experts from Tajikistan trained on the “DesInventar-S....
On 20-21 May, experts from Tajikistan stepped up action on disaster resilience through training on the “DesInventar-Sendai” – a disaster information management software.
2021-08-04 17:11:26
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UNDRR Regional Office for the Arab States leads on DR....
The DRR Capacity Building Programme in Somalia is funded by the Government of Italy and comes to revise.
2021-08-04 17:06:40
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The Kyrgyz Republic’s stakeholders step up to discuss....
Bishkek – On 26th May, key members and stakeholders on disaster risk reduction participated in the national workshop to strengthen disaster risk reduction (DRR) governance....
2021-08-04 16:58:03
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UNDRR Participation at the FIABCI Real Estate Days: T....
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction joined the FIABCI Real Estate Days, which was organized virtually under the theme “Digital Transformation and the Legacy....
2021-08-04 16:51:19
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Looming hurricane season raises displacement risk
After Hurricanes Iota and Eta ripped through Central America in 2020, many were forced to flee with little more than the wet clothes on their backs, leaving their houses destroyed and even bodies....
2021-07-07 15:38:20
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Kyrgyz Republic strengthens systems approach to Disas....
Bishkek – On 25th May, stakeholders on disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the Kyrgyz Republic took part in the consultative workshop titled “Use of System Approach for Strengthening DRR....
2021-07-07 15:31:30
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Caribbean business swoops in with support for St. Vin....
After ash from La Soufriere volcanic eruption blanketed St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), businesses from across the Caribbean have rushed to lend support to the stricken country.
2021-06-21 10:54:21
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Exploratory Roundtable Discussion on Infrastructure R....
The UNDRR Regional Office for the Arab States (ROAS) and the Private Sector Alliance in the United Arab Emirates (ARISE UAE) brought together Real estate Developers and Regulators....
2021-06-17 17:53:30
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ROAMC: Experts in risk reduction in the Americas agre....
More than 300 people from Latin America and the Caribbean came together virtually to address the progress in disaster preparation in the region.
2021-05-08 15:34:10
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GIZ partnership offers opportunity to promote a syste....
A new agreement between UNDRR and the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) will focus on understanding systemic and cascading risks in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic through....
2021-05-08 15:23:59
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ROAMC RAR launch: Reducing Risk is the Key to a Resil....
The COVID-19 pandemic, its impact and causality, has provided an opportunity to reflect on risk management and its importance in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
2021-04-07 17:42:03
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The COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity to adopt a sy....
The COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity to adopt a systemic approach to disaster risk in the Caribbean, says UNDRR and ECLAC report.
2021-03-24 12:51:18
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Challenges in Cumulative Risks
The threats of volcanic eruptions in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and in Martinique once again bring to light the need for prevention and inter-sectoral cooperation to reduce the risk of disasters.
2021-03-11 17:37:14
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School safety is the starting point: Regional Review ....
The COVID-19 pandemic has made evident how fragile our different systems are. The school sector has become one of the worst affected sectors all over the world.
2021-03-11 17:41:26
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ANNOUNCEMENT: Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on ....
COVID-19 recovery continues to be a key priority for many countries across the Asia-Pacific region.
2021-03-11 17:45:05
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COVID-19: "immunity is not the privilege of the few b....
Mami Mizutori, today called for increased support to developing countries struggling to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021-03-09 16:57:13
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ASEAN achieves a milestone towards regional disaster ....
The year 2020 was a difficult year for Southeast Asia which, in addition to dealing with the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, faced several disasters caused by extreme weather events.
2021-03-09 16:51:19
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Resilient buildings offer protection and boost recove....
Resilient infrastructure protects people during disasters and enables communities to recover quickly in the immediate aftermath of a crisis.
2021-03-09 16:46:29
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Chisinau takes steps to strengthen urban resilience
The COVID-19 crisis in Chisinau, the capital city of the Republic of Moldova, underlined the weaknesses in disaster preparedness and response, including the low resilience of the health sector.
2021-03-05 15:37:35
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Supporting cities in advancing a holistic and systemi....
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction engages with the capital cities of Central Asia with the aim to support local governments to reduce risks.
2021-03-05 15:34:10
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The City of Portici Joins the MCR 2030 Initiative
Local Governments are at the forefront of disaster risk reduction. When disasters strike, local authorities need to react as the first line of response and relief.
2021-03-05 15:29:08
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COVID-19 exposes "deep-rooted vulnerabilities" in pub....
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed “deep-rooted vulnerabilities” in public health infrastructure and supply chains.
2021-03-02 10:46:04
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Protection in the Pacific in a time of pandemic
The immense challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have not stopped efforts to protect the health and rights of women and girls in remote areas in Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
2021-03-02 10:53:29
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Sendai Framework National Focal Points From Europe an....
Sendai Framework National Focal Points from 39 Europe and Central Asia member states met this week to discuss strategic priorities for 2021.
2021-03-02 10:41:07
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Fiji raises disaster awareness to save more lives
Suva –Fiji launched its annual National Disaster Awareness Campaign focusing on better community preparedness as the country continues to strengthen its disaster risk governance.
2021-02-25 10:39:20
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Role of local governance in responding to COVID-19 in....
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been most acutely felt at the local level. That is also where response and recovery efforts have been most critical.
2021-02-25 10:31:06
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Local Level Resilience and Pandemic Risk Workshop
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction held a virtual workshop on Local Level Resilience and Pandemic Risk.
2021-02-25 10:25:21
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General Assembly puts the Sendai Framework at the cen....
As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, Member States of the United Nations have agreed to put the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction at the centre of recovery and....
2021-02-20 18:20:45
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Strengthening and learning from China’s work in Disas....
Since June, China has been battling severe flooding caused by unprecedented rainfall, especially in basin areas of the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers.
2021-02-20 18:18:12
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Helping the ‘Bangkok Principles’ take root...
BANGKOK – In 2016, Thailand helped formulate the “Bangkok Principles” which seek to integrate health into disaster risk reduction.
2021-02-20 18:15:16
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COVID-19 and the climate emergency tell us all we nee....
"Disaster risk governance" was announced today as the theme of this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on 13 October in a year when a great number of people have died....
2020-09-27 16:50:31
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National chapters from the U-INSPIRE Alliance start t....
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the global roadmap to reduce disaster losses and strengthening the processes for doing so by 2030, highlights the pivotal role of stakehold....
2020-09-27 16:43:12
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Building resilience through youth leadership
The young people who participated in the “Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Youth Forum”showed great interest in becoming even more involved in the design ....
2020-09-16 17:58:55
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Haiti approves a new Risk and Disaster Management Pla....
In an important step towards creating a more resilient region and better prepared to face disasters, the Government of the Republic of Haiti approved the National Risk and Disaster....
2020-09-16 17:50:52
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Central Asia plans to implement the“DesInventar-Senda....
The United Nations office for Disaster Risk Reduction organized the first online introductory workshop for the countries of Central Asia on the “DesInventar-Sendai” system software.
2020-08-26 17:19:51
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Invest more in predicting the future to be better pre....
Investing more in technology is essential to better forecast the impact of environmental, technological and biological hazards and help prevent disasters, said regional experts.
2020-08-20 10:50:05
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Japan calls for “adaptive recovery” in response to cl....
Following Japan’s declaration in June that climate change is a “climate crisis,” Japan’s Minister of the Environment, Mr. Shinjiro Koizumi, and the Minister...
2020-08-14 18:38:25
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Understanding hazards first step in addressing them, ....
More than 800 scientists and experts contributed to a new report which defines and classifies hazards which was launched this week in support of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2020-08-14 18:31:37
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The pandemic is global, but the risk is local
A webinar on “Community-based disaster risk reduction approaches in the context of COVID-19 in Africa” was co-organized by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Regional Office...
2020-07-30 17:39:53
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From COVID-19 crisis comes opportunity to rethink ris....
The new coronavirus, COVID-19, was declared a “public health emergency of international concern” by the World Health Organization (WHO) at the end of January and has since laid bare all the vulnerabilities at the heart of human development.
2020-07-09 11:51:12
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Scaling up social protection can build resilience to ....
The Asia-Pacific region can benefit from scaling-up investment in social protection to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, maintain social cohesion and reduce overall vulnerabilities.
2020-06-12 20:52:40
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Opinion: The known and the unknown economic and socia....
Pandemics not only have health effects, but also social and economic ones. They affect the economy, social coexistence and the fundamental trust in national institutions. Under certain circumstances, this can also lead to the destabilization of individual countries or entire regions.
2020-06-04 20:54:59
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COVID-19 risks complicating Caribbean hurricane seaso....
The chance of a deadly Caribbean hurricane clashing with the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic remains slim but many countries are bracing for a two-tier crisis as they grapple with complicated logistics, limited resources and scant supplies.
2020-05-28 18:41:48
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COVID-19 is huge challenge for business resilience
The COVID-19 pandemic has tipped the world into recession and the world’s most disaster-prone region Asia and the Pacific is really feeling the economic pain. Tourism is a good barometer of that pain as small and medium sized enterprises make up 90% of the tourism industry in the region.
2020-05-24 18:38:54
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Webinar: Youth Engagement in Disaster Risk Reduction ....
UNDRR aims to cultivate the next generation of leaders, and to ensure they are looped into decision-making conversations about their future by educating and equipping them with skills and knowledge related to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).
2020-05-21 12:51:08
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Extreme weather events in a time of COVID-19
Some of the world’s most disaster-prone nations are gearing up for their greatest challenge in the coming months when cyclones and floods can be expected to force the evacuation of millions of people while COVID-19 remains a widespread menace.
2020-05-16 16:42:14
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Joined-up regional strategy key to cutting pandemic r....
The COVID-19 pandemic is creating complex economic and social challenges for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean which should cooperate more closely to reduce risk, said speakers at an inaugural event.
2020-05-08 18:34:58
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Calls for inclusion of migrants and displaced in COVI....
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing enormous hardship for millions of migrants and displaced who need to be included in both response and economic mitigation measures being put in place across Asia and the Pacific, the world’s most disaster-affected region.
2020-04-23 06:48:54
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Scenario planning vital in pandemic response
Critical asset management was hailed today as the “forgotten hero” of disaster management in a wide-ranging online discussion of urban resilience which reached an audience of 1,200 health specialists, policymakers and disaster managers from 124 countries and territories.
2020-04-19 00:58:52
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UN agency calls for inclusion of domestic violence ri....
Women and girls are more affected by disasters generally because of the gender inequality evident in society at large. They die and are injured in greater numbers particularly in extreme weather events. This unfortunate reality has taken a new twist in the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020-04-19 00:55:28
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COVID-19 makes domestic violence a disaster....
Domestic violence against women and children is now a major concern as lockdowns and isolation measures restrict freedom of movement and make it essential that disaster management plans include hotlines for victims.
2020-04-15 02:25:44
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COVID-19: Battling stigma and discrimination against ....
There is concern in the world’s most disaster-affected region, Asia-Pacific, about the risk of discrimination and stigma against older persons and any dilution of their needs in response plans as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to accelerate.
2020-04-15 02:23:26
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Covid-19 and multi-sector coordination: the challenge....
The Covid-19 pandemic crisis has shaken the entire world. Not only in terms of health do we require exponentially increasing resources to guarantee a minimum of attention and care, but state apparatuses have begun to operate as blocks.
2020-04-11 06:02:43
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Cities Aim to Adopt Holistic Strategies for Disaster ....
Cities from Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia have initiated efforts to adopt holistic strategies for disaster risk reduction at local level, following resilience assessments carried out with UNDRR support.
2020-04-11 05:59:14
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Disaster expert shares COVID-19 lessons from China
A serious shortage of medical resources was one of the main challenges which China had to overcome to stabilize the COVID19 outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei, where a mortality rate of 4.7% was recorded compared with 0.9% in the country’s 30 other provinces.
2020-04-07 02:05:10
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How South Korea is suppressing COVID-19
Trace, test and treat. That sums up the strategy pursued by the Republic of Korea since it detected its first case of COVID-19 on January 20 and its first death on February 20, without imposing a lockdown.
2020-04-07 02:03:17
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VII Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in ....
While we regret this decision, we consider it appropriate to guarantee the safety of all in the current context as well as to ensure that our valued stakeholders will receive clarity on the scheduling status of this important signature event.
2020-04-07 01:59:18
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Fifth Anniversary of the Sendai Framework: Progress a....
Those seated at the main table expressed joy and satisfaction on a cool midday in Sendai, Japan, when 187 member countries of the United Nations came together to adopt a new guiding framework for disaster risk reduction.
2020-04-05 02:52:09
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Sendai Framework disaster loss data released to mark ....
A UN effort to improve reporting on disaster losses by UN member States has been made public today to mark the 5th anniversary of the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction at a UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan, on March 18, 2015.
2020-04-05 02:47:28
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Mix up financing to better protect Caribbean, say exp....
Menaced by increasingly violent hurricanes, Caribbean countries face an enormous bill to better protect themselves disasters and need to weave a web of financing options to help insulate against shocks, said speakers at a regional conference.
2020-03-30 13:29:28
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Caribbean needs to better warn and insulate women aga....
Alert systems designed to warn Caribbean communities of approaching hazards should be better tailored to reach women who are most likely to be impacted, said delegates at last December's Comprehensive Disasters Management conference held in Saint Maarten.
2020-03-25 17:34:23
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UNDRR urges disaster management agencies to....
Ms. Mizutori who also heads the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), urged national disaster management agencies to continue with the development of their preparedness and response capacities to include health emergencies as a top priority.
2020-03-19 17:13:39
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Empowering local communities for early action
Most disaster losses arise from small-scale emergencies that go unnoticed by national governments and the media, and which have to be managed by affected communities themselves without national or international assistance.
2020-03-19 17:10:16
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Opinion: What We Can Learn From the 2019 Earthquake i....
On the 26th of November 2019, Albania was struck by a strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake. The earthquake caused extensive damage in 11 municipalities, including the two most populous, urbanized and developed, Tirana and Durres.
2020-03-12 13:44:55
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An interview with Mr. Maksimiljan Dhima, former....
Following the November 2019 earthquake in Albania, which killed 51 people, injured more than 900, and left 17,000 people displaced, the UNDRR Regional Office for Europe reached out to the former Sendai Framework Focal point for Albania, Mr. Maksimiljan Dhima.
2020-03-05 14:00:54
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UNDP and UNDRR to step up action on climate and disas....
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) signed a joint partnership agreement this Friday, 21 February, to step up collaboration on three priority areas.
2020-02-23 07:33:51
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UAE has potential to lead the way towards a disaster-....
WUF10 is currently running in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi - the first Middle East city to host the Forum. "With its technological innovation and rapid development, the UAE has the potential to lead the way towards a disaster-resilient society."
2020-02-23 07:30:49
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NCEMA Director-General receives UNDRR official
During the meeting, both sides discussed the UAE’s efforts to reduce the risks posed by disasters and crises and limit their effects. Mituzori also praised the UAE’s efforts, highlighting its pioneering role in the region.
2020-02-23 03:58:35
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Inclusive communities are safer communities
Disasters strike with impunity but it is the old and young, people with disabilities, women and girls and other marginalised groups who are disproportionally affected.
2020-02-23 03:47:47
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After the cyclones: African cities rally for resilien....
Six cyclone-affected cities in southern Africa are joining together to develop the so-called Fortitude Initiative to build their resilience to the climate emergency.
2020-02-23 03:45:04
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Tashkent Commits to Assess it's Resilience to Disaste....
The city of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and UNDRR have embarked on a partnership to assess the resilience of the capital city and to develop a comprehensive plan of action to reduce risk.
2020-02-17 04:18:52
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Urban planning is key to resilience
UNDRR today launched a new Words into Action guide to coincide with the on-going debate about the shape of the successor to the successful Making Cities Resilient Campaign (MCR) which comes to an end this year.
2020-02-15 07:42:13
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Resilient Cities: governments must engage
UNDRR chief, Mami Mizutori, today called on politicians to invest more in prevention as she outlined her vision for the successor to the Making Cities Resilient (MCR) Campaign at the World Urban Forum. Ms.Mizutori also commented on the need to strengthen institutional memory and peer learning.
2020-02-15 07:40:13
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MCR2030 unveiled at World Urban Forum
"Think big, think bold. The opportunity is there. If you want it to shrink it will shrink. If you want it to be bigger it will be bigger… Let us build this campaign to have a lasting impact globally."
2020-02-13 07:09:19
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When local science shapes national policy
Two recommendations of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction have been put into practice with the adoption of a new law in France: the necessity of including science in the policy-making process, and the importance of the local level insights and advice.
2020-02-13 07:06:16
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Quality of preparedness determines quality of respons....
The latest Words into Action guide, Enhancing Preparedness for Effective Response, was officially launched yesterday at the Humanitarian Networks Partnership Week along with a companion volume, Design and Conduct of Simulation Exercises, SIM-EX.
2020-02-11 05:26:35
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UNDRR to Assess DRR Strategies to Support Implementat....
Belarus and Moldova are the first countries to undergo an independent multi-stakeholder assessment coordinated by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) to ensure that national disaster risk reduction strategies are inclusive, robust.
2020-02-11 05:21:51
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Safe and Smart City: Incheon is recognized as a Role ....
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has designated Incheon Metropolitan City as a Role Model of a Safe and Smart City of the Making Cities Resilient campaign. An honour only a few cities have achieved.
2020-02-11 05:19:03
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Disasters displace more people than conflict and viol....
As climate change intensifies, extreme weather events, such as floods, storms, bushfires and heatwaves are forcing millions from their homes each year. In 2018, disasters displaced 17.2 million people from their homes, 90 per cent fled weather and climate-related hazards.
2020-02-05 05:13:07
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Addressing disaster risk can help prevent crises in A....
The Laos dam collapse, the massive flooding in Iran last year, and the quarter of a million people displaced by drought in Afghanistan. These might seem like isolated events, but they all have one thing in common; they are disasters that could have been prevented.
2020-02-05 05:10:25
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Caribbean throws spotlight on "forgotten" tsunami thr....
From blowing conch shells to ringing church bells and sending mobile phone alerts, Caribbean countries are looking at high and low-tech ways to alert citizens to run for safety in the face of tsunamis which could wreak havoc on unprepared communities.
2020-02-03 06:13:44
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Push for more disaster-resilient buildings kicks off ....
Destruction of buildings is behind much of the death, injury and economic loss incurred in disaster events, according to a new initiative launched today to motivate the owners and operators of industrial and commercial buildings to improve how they anticipate and manage disaster risk.
2020-02-03 06:10:35
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ECOWAS backs DRR for journalists
ECOWAS has been making efforts to improve its technical capacity to support countries in better understanding of risk and integrating DRR in national development planning but engaging vulnerable communities remains a challenge.
2019-12-20 05:02:28
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Bangladesh: from cyclones to multi-hazard
A new record for evacuations was set in Bangladesh a month ago when the government Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) evacuated 2.1 million people before Cyclone Bulbul made landfall on the Sundarbans coast.
2019-12-14 07:17:49
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Reducing disaster risk for Rohingya refugees
The 900,000 Rohingya who have fled the pogroms launched against them in Myanmar now live in 34 densely populated camps at risk of floods, landslides and cyclones in neighbouring Bangladesh.
2019-12-14 07:14:50
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Integrating disaster risk reduction into humanitarian....
In many crisis settings, emergency response has been seen to be in a holding pattern, responding year on-year to the same needs without promoting lasting positive change in people’s lives.
2019-12-14 07:12:47
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Helping small businesses in Asia-Pacific go beyond su....
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction organized a consultative workshop to identify pathways.
2019-12-14 07:10:25
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The climate trail to Dhaka's slums
There are probably few slum dwellers from Bangladesh at COP25 -the annual climate conference - in Madrid but women in one of Dhaka’s teeming slums spoke today of the upheaval that the impact of extreme weather and the climate emergency is having on their lives.
2019-12-14 07:06:41
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UNDRR Director takes up new challenge
“DRR is a matter of life and death,” Kirsi said as she reflected this week on a busy three years as Director of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and on the eve of her departure to take on the role of Chief of Staff at one of the UN’s largest and most well-known agencies, Unicef.
2019-12-08 07:32:33
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Promoting a ‘one ASEAN’ approach to risk-informed dev....
Southeast Asia is also one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions of the world. Partially situated on the infamous ‘ring of fire,’ it faces risks from tsunamis and earthquakes, in addition to climate-related hazards such as floods, cyclones and droughts.
2019-11-30 08:27:00
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Kampala and Incheon meet at first city-to-city exchan....
Ten officials from Kampala Capital City Authority’s (KCCA) various departments recently visited Incheon Metropolitan City to learn more from the city’s experience on disaster risk reduction and climate change policies and good practices.
2019-11-28 03:10:14
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Bangladesh declares climate change a “planetary emerg....
Bangladesh on Wednesday declared climate change to be a “planetary emergency” and called on the world to work “on a war footing” to combat it and reduce its impacts. The impacts of climate change are already being felt in the Asia-Pacific region.
2019-11-26 02:11:53
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Review of progress on Sendai targets
More than 75 participants from 358 countries met in Bonn, Germany last week to review the progress to date on the implementation and use of the Sendai Framework Monitor. The Sendai Framework was adopted in Japan in 2015.
2019-11-14 19:36:28
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Building Resilience across Generations: World Tsunami....
More than 150 government representatives, members of academia and young participants from the 2019 Japan World Tsunami Awareness Day High School Summit commemorated World Tsunami Awareness Day on 5 November at the United Nations Headquarters.
2019-11-10 19:42:17
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School for tsunami risk draws crowds
The earthquake and tsunami which occurred in Chile in February, 2010, helped save the lives of 320 people in Japan when it was struck the following year by the strongest recorded earthquake and tsunami ever to hit the country.
2019-11-08 12:23:46
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Sendai responds to tsunami alerts
Tsunami warning sirens sounded across the Sendai coastal plain this morning sending thousands of people to some 40 designated evacuation sites as Japan marked World Tsunami Awareness Day with many such drills.
2019-11-07 13:26:51
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Pollution creates 'black tsunami' risk
This World Tsunami Awareness Day, November 5, is an opportunity to raise awareness of the huge health risk that so-called “black tsunamis” pose to survivors who swallow their toxic waters. Always be prepared for unexpected tsunamis. Choose life over your possessions and valuables.
2019-11-05 13:19:07
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European civil protection aligns with Sendai
European countries have moved a step closer to aligning their civil protection agendas with implementation of the global plan to reduce disaster losses, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2019-10-20 18:24:07
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UN Secretary-General backs action on DRR
From the South Pacific to Mozambique to the Caribbean and beyond, I have seen the devastating and life-changing impact of the climate emergency on vulnerable communities. We all must now focus on increased ambitions.
2019-10-20 18:21:28
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Thailand: Infrastructure resilience at the cornerston....
As one of the first countries in the region to mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Government of Thailand took advantage of the occasion to highlight how it is working with partners to build the resilience of its infrastructure.
2019-10-20 18:17:56
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Critical Infrastructure including schools, health fac....
Climate change is contributing to increasing damage to critical infrastructure around the globe, according to a twelve-year survey of damages caused by small- and medium-scale disasters conducted by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2019-10-14 11:09:58
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When good infrastructure attracts risk
It’s a classic case of the need for systems thinking. Because of the metro line the value of land has increased and there has been a lot of development where soil conditions should not allow it. We cannot look at the asset in isolation.
2019-10-10 18:41:03
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Women and a tale of two cyclones
Pre-emptive evacuation of a million people before Cyclone Fani made landfall on the coast of Odisha, ensured that deaths from the category 5 storm were kept at a reported 72. Warnings were well disseminated and most people in harm’s way managed to get to a safe place.
2019-10-10 18:37:43
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Safe Schools top agenda in Mozambique
At the best of times, children in Mozambique struggle to attend school up to the age of 13 when poverty often blocks a move to high school. At the worst of times, they sit in hot tents or in cyclone or flood shattered buildings with the roof and windows gone.
2019-10-02 16:28:49
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Member states declare support for Coalition for Disas....
The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure has the potential to be a lifeline for countries vulnerable to disasters and could help them achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Climate Agreement, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2019-09-27 02:51:57
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UNDRR welcomes India's launch of the global Coalition....
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, welcomed the launch of the global Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York.
2019-09-25 07:20:09
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If you ask us for ideas, act on them - Youth call out....
Passion and urgency may not be two of the most common words associated with events at the United Nations headquarters in New York but that is certainly what delegates and speakers brought when they convened at the Youth Climate Summit.
2019-09-25 07:17:55
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Africa and Europe share DRR experiences
Disaster risk managers from Africa have been participating in a five-day study tour in Europe this week organised by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and CIMA Research Foundation, a non-profit research organization founded by the Italian Civil Protection Department.
2019-09-22 22:03:28
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UN urges 'Build To Last' - climate emergency demands ....
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, today called for greater ambition in the construction industry to ensure that key infrastructure is resilient to the impacts of extreme weather events.
2019-09-19 01:36:01
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Resilient infrastructure needed in Mozambique
Reducing disaster losses in Mozambique were top of the agenda in Maputo today as the Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, undertook shuttle advocacy across the capital. Her first port of call was to launch a two-day review.
2019-09-12 20:52:37
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Mozambique embraces Sendai Framework
Mozambique was congratulated today on aligning its Master Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction with the global plan for reducing disaster losses, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Mami Mizutori said it was encouraging to see such commitment to reducing long-term vulnerability.
2019-09-12 20:48:13
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Silo-Breakers: Asia and the Pacific calls for integra....
Integrated approaches that synergize climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction are key to building resilience. This was the resounding takeaway message at the Asia-Pacific Climate Week, which concluded on 6 September 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand.
2019-09-08 20:32:33
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Hurricane Dorian crystallizes existential threat pose....
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, today expressed her condolences to the Government and people of The Bahamas following the reported loss of life as a result of Hurricane Dorian.
2019-09-04 22:00:08
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Thailand seeks to better understand its disaster-rela....
In the face of climate change and growing urbanization, Thailand is taking key steps to strengthen its resilience, including through a better understanding of disaster-related economic losses.
2019-08-28 13:41:57
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New urban resilience programme for Central Asia
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is to implement a €3.7 million project to strengthen urban resilience in five capital cities across Central Asia and support implementation of the global plan to reduce disaster losses, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2019-08-22 13:31:05
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Laos invests in disaster risk reduction to thwart fut....
To accomplish this, the Lao Government and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction jointly organized a national workshop that brought together development partners and government agencies to lay the foundation for the country’s first national disaster risk reduction strategy.
2019-08-09 19:05:09
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Italy hosts Arab cities
Representatives from ten local municipalities in Tunisia and Mauritania are taking part in the “City-to-City Technical Exchange Workshop on Urban and Territorial Resilience” hosted by the province of Potenza, Italy.
2019-07-18 10:23:23
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Accelerating disaster risk reduction in South Asia to....
The region is also one of the most disaster-prone in the world, facing a diverse set of hazards due to its ecological and geographic diversity.
2019-07-15 07:47:32
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Jamaica ready to host 2020 Regional Platform
Jamaica will host the region’s highest forum for reviewing progress on reducing disaster losses in Latin America and the Caribbean in July 2020 as the year’s Atlantic Hurricane Season gets underway.
2019-07-12 09:29:21
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New tool helps withstand hybrid and cascading risk sc....
Hybrid risks can occur in combination with many man-made threats, including chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear, interacting in an environment of extreme weather and climate events.
2019-07-12 09:26:24
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Voluntary Commitments Report 2019 recognises contribu....
The Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitment (SFVC) first Synthesis and Analysis Report was launched in Geneva during the recent Global Platform. Voluntary Commitments (VCs) are made by multiple stakeholders (private sector, local governments, civil society organizations, academia, media, etc.) in support of the implementation of the Sendai Framework, the global roadmap for reducing disaster loses by 2030.
2019-07-01 18:47:34
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Indonesia and UN to work closely on disaster preventi....
Following the deaths or disappearances of over 4,600 people last year in 2,426 recorded disaster events, Indonesia is stepping up efforts to improve disaster risk management.
2019-06-21 18:55:12
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Risk affects business performance
“If investors do not address disaster risk properly, their business performance will be directly affected,” stressed Sandra Wu, Board Member of UN Global Compact. “They have to understand that if they do not incorporate risk-informed investments, they will lose their business.”
2019-06-19 13:54:45
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Call to raise level of ambition on Sendai
The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction closed today with a warning that not enough countries are yet putting in place national and local strategies to prevent future disasters and reduce the existing level of disaster losses.
2019-06-17 14:26:52
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Coastal resilience RISK Award goes to Bangladesh
The prestigious RISK Award went today to a project which pioneers floating houses in Bangladesh; houses so designed that a family of six can survive floods and still produce their own food including vegetables, chickens and fish.
2019-06-14 14:06:42
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Women's leadership key to reducing disaster mortality
The large-scale drop in disaster mortality in Bangladesh in recent times was due to a deliberate policy of promoting women's leadership in all sectors, a Special Session on Women Leadership was told yesterday at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2019-06-12 14:06:43
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Expect the unexpected and prepare for it
A series of High Level Dialogues kicked off at the Global Platform yesterday with a discussion on progress made in implementing the global plan to reduce disaster losses, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2019-06-11 16:42:07
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UN recognises excellence in protecting vulnerable com....
The Department of Civil Defence of Campinas, Brazil, the Mahila Housing Sewa Trust, India, and Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India, are the three laureates of the 2019 United Nations Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction. They have been recognised for initiatives which protect vulnerable communities from disaster risk.
2019-06-10 15:37:28
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GAR 2019: "our very survival is in doubt"
The world faces new, emerging, and much larger threats than ever before, linked to climate change, environmental degradation, and the growing potential for one disaster to produce or exacerbate another, says a new report from the United Nations.
2019-06-07 11:39:00
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Time is running out for a world at risk
The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction opened in Geneva today with the focus on raising levels of ambition when it comes to reducing disaster risk in a world where vulnerability and exposure is dramatically on the rise.
2019-06-06 13:35:45
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Small islands need more women leaders in DRR
Visionary leadership and good governance are the cornerstones of resilient and sustainable development in small island developing states (SIDS).In particular, government representatives and partners on the frontline of escalating climate and disaster risk identified the need to for much more women’s leadership at all levels and across all sectors of climate and disaster resilience.
2019-06-05 09:15:43
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The Acid Governance Test for early warnings
The 2nd Multi Hazard Early Warning Conference closed today with a strong focus on the role that governance must play in ensuring the effectiveness of early warnings and underlined the importance of collaboration when making the switch from single hazard to multi-hazard warnings.
2019-06-03 11:50:06
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Inclusion matters in build up to the Global Platform
Inclusion matters. The phrase turned into a hashtag today as the theme of inclusion constantly raised its head in the 4th World Reconstruction Conference, the 2nd Multi-Hazard Early Warning Conference and the Science and Policy Forum which all got underway today as part of the build up to the opening of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction on Wednesday.
2019-05-30 13:16:56
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World media unite for DRR at Global Platform
Heads of media and UN agencies met today in Geneva to discuss how public service media and worldwide print and radio media outlets can contribute to reducing disaster risk, saving lives and fulfilling their mandate to further the public good.
2019-05-27 16:19:35
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Science goes local for DRR
A rich discussion on how to better integrate science into disaster risk reduction policy highlighted the importance of creating knowledge that is reflective of the “truth on the ground” and directly benefits local communities.
2019-05-24 16:56:37
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Youth are key to a resilient Pacific
The inaugural Pacific Resilience Meeting has closed with a call to pursue two critical pathways towards resilient and sustainable development in an era of increasing impact from climate change.
2019-05-22 16:46:07
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UN and Norwegian Pension Company Forge Partn....
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and KLP, Norway's largest pension company, announced today a partnership to geo-tag financial investments against vulnerability to disaster and climate risk.
2019-05-21 20:56:41
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Nepal's corruption-free reconstruction effort
One of the world’s largest ever post-earthquake reconstruction projects is corruption-free and will complete its work of rebuilding and retrofitting 824,000 homes by the end of next year – six years after the 7.8 Gorkha earthquake which levelled a million homes in Nepal.
2019-05-20 20:16:30
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Fani's hard lesson on resilient infrastructure
Considered one of the worst storms to hit eastern India since 1999, Cyclone Fani left behind a trail of destruction and as of 6 May took the lives of around 38 people in the state of Odisha, according to media reports. Odisha, however, is no stranger to cyclones. In 1999, a super cyclone killed 9,885 people according to the official death toll. This marked decrease in deaths is the result of 20 years of investments in disaster risk reduction and preparedness.
2019-05-17 20:30:14
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Nepal's safe school lesson
Four years after an earthquake that could have killed thousands of schoolchildren ,a concerted effort is underway to ensure that every school in Nepal has introduced a basic earthquake safety programme.
2019-05-14 16:41:18
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Joint UN effort bolsters Iran’s ability to reduce its....
Recent floods in Iran have destroyed infrastructure, flooded farms, and displaced almost 300,000 people. Officials have estimated damages to be around US$2.5 billion. The disaster is a setback to the efforts being undertaken by the government and partners in enhancing disaster resilience in the country.
2019-05-10 10:05:06
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Kathmandu "not most-at-risk" for earthquakes
Despite the three tremors felt across the Kathmandu Valley mid-week as Nepal prepared to mark the 4th anniversary yesterday of the deadly Gorkha earthquake, scientists say that Kathmandu is not the country's most-at-risk location for earthquakes.
2019-05-07 11:32:15
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Nepal earthquake recovery enters 5th year
An estimated 612,000 families are living in transitional shelter four years after the devastating earthquake which struck Nepal on April 25, 2015, killing 9,000 people, injuring 22,000 and destroying or damaging almost one million houses.
2019-05-05 14:01:03
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First Arab DRR Science Conference planned
Efforts are underway to hold a first Arab Science and Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction Conference in Beirut later this year.This follows a meeting between the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, and the Secretary-General of Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research, Prof. Mouin Hamze.
2019-04-29 06:16:06
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Early warning systems and "the last metre"
To save lives, countries must customize how messages from their early warning systems reach at-risk populations.This was the key takeaway from the Asia Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development side event on improving the “downstream” aspects of early warning systems.
2019-04-25 04:39:49
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Cambodia steps up fight against climate change
Considered one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the effects of climate change, the Royal Government of Cambodia is taking major steps to improve its resilience and reduce its disaster risk with support from the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2019-04-21 07:12:19
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Brisbane to host the 2020 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Co....
Australia will host the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, 23 to 26 June 2020 in Brisbane, in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.Asia-Pacific is the most disaster-prone region in the world and includes seven of the ten countries with the highest number of disaster-related deaths in 2018. The region is facing growing disaster risk fuelled by rapid and unplanned urbanisation, climate change and growing inequality. Australia is also confronting disruption and devastation caused by drought, bushfires, cyclones and, most recently, flooding.
2019-04-17 01:10:28
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Coalition for Resilient Infrastructure takes off
Agreement was reached today among experts and representatives from 33 countries to establish a Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) against the backdrop of the destruction of the Mozambique port city of Beira, home to 500,000 people.
2019-04-13 05:21:00
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Now is the time to do bold things...
Ambition on building resilient infrastructure needs to match the scale of the problem. That was the message to participants attending the opening today of the 2nd International Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
2019-04-11 02:40:53
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Campaign cities share resilience experience and chall....
Competing priorities, changes in political leadership and insufficient capacities.These are just some of the challenges facing cities around the world as they prepare their disaster risk reduction plans and enhance resilience to future shocks.
2019-04-05 08:40:54
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Cyclone Idai highlights urgent need to ensure resilie....
The UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, today extended her condolences to the peoples and governments of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe on the tragic loss of life resulting from Cyclone Idai at the weekend.
2019-03-29 15:00:44
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India launches private sector alliance to reduce disa....
India today saw the launch of a UN-backed initiative to harness the power of the private sector to reduce the country’s exposure to disasters and the huge economic losses that come with them.The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, said the new group ARISE India would “turn the private sector’s attention to the importance of action before a disaster strikes and to take advantage of opportunities that emerge to build back better after a disaster hits.”
2019-03-26 10:39:00
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Appeal for attention to drought risk
Hunger, chronic poverty and the effects of climate change demand that we step up our efforts to reduce disaster risk and drought risk in particular.That was the message delivered today in an official statement to the UN Environment Assembly by the UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori.
2019-03-22 19:38:55
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Kenyan city offers resilience "training ground"
The Kenyan city of Kisumu, long praised for its work on disaster risk reduction, has offered to be a training ground for other cities in Kenya and neighboring countries.The offer was extended yesterday by Kisumu City Manager, Doris Ombara, during a “resilience tour” of the city and county by the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, as she marked one year in office.
2019-03-19 20:33:27
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Israel prepares to face tsunamis
More than 130 000 children have taken part in the first national tsunami simulation ever done with schools in Israel.Jointly organized by Israel's National Steering Committee for Earthquake Preparedness and the Ministry of Education, the tsunami simulation involved schools located on the 271 kms of Israel coastlines considered as the areas most exposed to tsunami risk if an earthquake were to happen in the Meditarrean Sea.
2019-03-18 20:16:03
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Deadline for Submitting Voluntary Commitments ap....
Among the first group of organizations to submit their commitments and have them published are the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL), the Mongolian Red Cross Society (MRCS), the Global Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (G-STAG), SPIN Global (ResponderCQ), the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities Civil Contingencies and Resilience Unit (AGMA CCRU), and ACT Alliance. These organizations have diverse backgrounds such as the private sector, local government, non-governmental and scientific organizations.
2019-03-13 15:43:51
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Disasters are threat to human rights
The Human Rights Council was told yesterday that “nothing lays bare inequality and discrimination like a disaster.”The Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, added: “The failure to acknowledge human rights creates marginalized and vulnerable groups that face discrimination and exclusion. These vulnerable populations are far more likely to suffer disproportionately from disasters.”
2019-03-06 11:25:03
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Time for mining to deliver on zero casualty policy
The decision by Vale, the world’s largest manufacturer of iron ore, to decommission ten of its tailings dams in Brazil is welcome, but it will seem too little, and too late, for those who have lost loved ones and seen their environments destroyed by the failures of such structures.
2019-02-19 18:46:11
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Organizations log voluntary commitments online in new....
Organizations working on Disaster Risk Reduction have started to log their voluntary commitments in support of the Sendai Framework - the global roadmap for reducing disaster losses by 2030 - in a new online platform https://sendaicommitments.unisdr.org/
2019-02-09 18:41:34
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2018:Extreme weather events affected 60m people
Earthquakes and tsunamis accounted for the majority of the 10,373 lives lost in disasters last year while extreme weather events accounted for most of 61.7 million people affected by natural hazards, according to analysis of 281 events recorded by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) in its EM-DAT (International Disaster Database).
2019-01-26 03:06:43
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Thailand limits death toll from Pabuk
Early warning and early action helped ensure that tropical storm Pabuk, which struck the southern region of Thailand last week from 3 to 5 January, passed with limited loss of life. The storm, however, caused high economic losses and considerable damage to critical infrastructure, including schools and hospitals.
2019-01-12 05:37:45
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Online system records voluntary commitments to Sendai....
A new initiative by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction will log voluntary commitments by partners working on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the global roadmap for reducing disaster losses by 2030.
2018-12-26 09:33:58
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Technical meeting supports Sendai implementation
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNISDR, has held a technical forum to support monitoring of the Sendai Framework for Risk Reduction, the global plan for reducing disaster loss.
2018-12-25 10:43:44
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Tsunami Museums meet in Japan
The world must overcome “its desire to forget’ was the message from a leading Japanese advocate for tsunami risk awareness at the 2nd World Tsunami Museum Conference.Member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Teru Fukui, spoke of Japan’s national resilience movement, and extending the movement to the rest of the world.
2018-12-24 13:42:32
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Planning for a Resilient Future in Asia and the Pacif....
The Asia Pacific region needs to accelerate progress on increasing the number of national and local disaster risk reduction strategies if they are to reach the first target of the Sendai Framework by 2020. This was a key conclusion of a two-day workshop in Bangkok, Thailand, convened by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).
2018-12-21 14:37:13
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Partnerships key for reducing disaster risk
Resilient sustainable development is only possible through an all-of-society approach.This was the sentiment that echoed through the Second Arab Partnership Meeting for Disaster Risk Reduction held in Lebanon.The two-day meeting brought together more than 35 stakeholders and partners from across the Arab region representing children and youth, elderly, local communities, academia, science and technology practitioners, international and regional organizations, and the United Nations.
2018-12-19 10:38:03
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Call for greater ambition in managing disaster risk f....
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, today welcomed the outcome of the COP24 climate change conference and the continued commitment of UN Member States to implement the Paris Agreement.
2018-12-18 16:43:54
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Bringing DRR to the local-level in Asia and the Pacif....
As disaster losses increase throughout Asia and the Pacific, countries in the region need to accelerate action to reduce disaster risks and achieve the goals of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. This was a key message at the ISDR-Asia Partnership Forum, a two-day gathering of 100 delegates from 20 governments, intergovernmental organizations, stakeholder groups, the United Nations and international organizations, organized by UNISDR Asia Pacific Office.
2018-12-17 20:10:04
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Philippines: private sector leads on DRR
The Philippines is emerging as a role model for engaging the private sector in building resilience to disasters under the leadership of Hans Sy, the executive chairman of SM Prime Holdings Inc.
2018-12-12 19:28:37
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UN highlights urgent need to tackle man-made and tech....
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction today launched the Implementation Guide for Man-made and Technical Hazards in response to the growing number and magnitude of man-made disasters worldwide.
2018-12-10 17:23:51
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Partnership mechanism supports Sendai Framework
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has launched a new mechanism for engaging with partners in implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2018-12-09 17:48:30
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Major award for GEM's work on earthquake risk
Earthquakes and tsunamis kill more people than any other natural hazard and an Italian based initiative to reduce seismic risk was recognized last night with a major award at the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2018-11-29 14:32:34
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Rome Declaraton on DRR adopted
The Rome Declaration was adopted today by representatives of 55 countries at the close of the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction.The Declaration was read out by Italy’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Emanuela Claudia Del Re, at the closing ceremony and spells out the challenges and opportunities facing the region as it seeks to reduce disaster risk and disaster losses.
2018-11-28 15:28:07
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Italy's PM: DRR 'fundamental for all governments'
The Prime Minister of Italy, Giuseppe Conte, today declared that “disaster risk reduction is fundamental for all governments” as he gave his keynote address at the opening of the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2018-11-27 10:57:37
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Mexico launches public-private network for DRR
Companies and businesses in Mexico have created a national Network of the Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies (ARISE) and agreed to work together to build a more resilient Mexico against disasters.
2018-11-26 13:20:22
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Europe's concern over emerging risks
Concerns were expressed today by European government representatives at a range of emerging risks threatening the region including pandemics, cyber-attacks, nuclear accidents and the escalating consequences of climate change.
2018-11-23 14:16:17
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Science Expo 2018: Science and DRR
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) is using its convening power to strengthen, empower and mobilize young scientists to contribute to advancing disaster risk reduction in Asia and the Pacific.
2018-11-22 15:49:56
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Progress under spotlight at Resilience Week
Barcelona Resilience Week, a week of events and debates dedicated to sharing and advancing resilience best practice, has kicked off with speakers highlighting a shift in thinking in recent years about how to approach the question of resilience.
2018-11-15 18:17:10
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City resilience efforts to step up
Members of the Making Cities Resilient Campaign have pledged to step up their efforts on collaboration and knowledge sharing to support more cities in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the global roadmap for reducing disaster loss.
2018-11-14 17:55:40
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Germany gives € 5 million for Sendai Framework....
The German Government has announced strong support for the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the global plan to reduce disaster losses, including €5 million for implementation over the next three years.Mr. Norbert Barthle, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), made the announcement during a meeting in Berlin last month with the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Ms. Mami Mizutori.
2018-11-12 18:22:30
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#TsunamiDay2018 call to "invest in people"
There were repeated calls for greater attention to the needs of those most vulnerable in disaster situations, at a high-level event yesterday to mark the 3rd edition of World Tsunami Awareness Day.
2018-11-09 17:42:49
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Students want more DRR education
Students attending a World Tsunami Awareness Day Event in New York have called for more educational programmes on disaster risk reduction from an early age.
2018-11-07 15:28:59
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Students from 48 countries mark #TsunamiDay2018
This year’s High School Students Summit for World Tsunami Awareness Day attracted 379 students from 48 countries to Japan, a country renowned for its disaster risk management and expertise on tsunami risk.
2018-11-06 21:10:35
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UN Secretary-General's Message for World Tsuna....
Tsunamis are rare but devastating. I saw this first-hand during my recent visit to Sulawesi, Indonesia, shortly after the earthquake and tsunami of 1 October. More than 2,000 people died and thousands more were harmed or displaced.
2018-11-05 20:38:57
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Tsunamis account for $280 billion in economic los....
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) today called attention to the significant loss of life and economic losses associated with tsunamis, notably for countries bordering the Indian and Pacific Oceans, over the last twenty years.
2018-11-03 16:50:12
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Earth observation data essential to DRR
Earth observation and geospatial data has “huge potential to put risks into context and to make a strong case for disaster risk reduction.”This was the message delivered yesterday by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, at the GEO-XV Plenary which was part of GEO Week 2018.
2018-11-01 10:40:53
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Put local communities at heart of DRR
Put local communities at the heart of their disaster risk reduction plans and action. This was the call from the Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Andreano Erwin at an event.
2018-10-29 19:36:31
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Tsunamis: 'complacency is the real danger'
A meeting to raise tsunami awareness opened with one minute’s silence yesterday in memory of the 2,000 confirmed dead and 680 officially missing in the tsunami and earthquake which struck Indonesia on September 28.
2018-10-26 20:59:25
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Insurance, investment solutions for reducing disaster....
The economic losses caused by disasters could be reduced if the public and private sectors cooperate better on novel finance, insurance and investment strategies, according to trade and disaster risk reduction experts at a multi-agency meeting.
2018-10-26 20:54:09
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Boosting regional Sendai monitoring
A number of partners have expressed the need for a common platform for reporting regional progress through the online Sendai Framework monitoring system.
2018-10-25 19:37:44
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Journalists recognised for African DRR coverage
Over 100 stories on disaster risk were submitted from 16 countries for the first Africa Media Awards and the winners were announced on International Day for Disaster Reduction at the Africa-Arab Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction.
2018-10-25 19:34:53
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Africa, Arab States to deliver on Sendai
The first joint Africa-Arab States Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction closed this weekend with a commitment by over 60 UN member States to step up action on reducing disaster losses and work together in the face of common challenges.
2018-10-22 13:54:41
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UN Secretary-General's Message for International....
This year’s International Day for Disaster Reduction falls shortly after a devastating earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia showed yet again the urgency of resilience and risk-awareness.
2018-10-20 15:50:36
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Disasters reveal gender gap
Women often suffer greatly in disaster situations but are also first-line responders, a debate on the eve of International Day for Disaster Reduction, was told today by an expert from UN Women.
2018-10-19 17:45:22
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Practitioners guide on water-related disasters launch....
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.
2018-10-18 17:35:47
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When disasters and conflict collide
The increasing overlap between disaster and conflict situations came under scrutiny today at a lively special session of the Africa-Arab States Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction.The current threat of a cyclone off the coast of Yemen, home to the world’s worst humanitarian emergency, was cited during the Special Session on DRR in a Fragile and Conflict Context.
2018-10-18 15:14:16
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UNISDR calls for risk-informed investment
Mami Mizutori, Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), has called on ministers of finance around the world to incentivize the private sector to commit to risk-informed investment and practice.Mrs Mizutori, who is also the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on this topic, made the comments while speaking at a meeting of the finance ministers of Commonwealth countries which took place in Bali, Indonesia, just two weeks after a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit the island of Sulawesi.
2018-10-17 14:53:34
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Tsunami risk rising in tourist hotspots
Tsunami risk may be low in the African and Arab States but it is increasing as more and more infrastructure is located and built along the Mediterranean coast,small islands and other tourist hot spots.That is the consensus among seismic experts meeting at the Africa-Arab States Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction which is underway in Tunis, Tunisia.
2018-10-16 15:25:15
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UN 20-year review: earthquakes and tsunamis kill more....
The last twenty years have seen a dramatic rise of 251% in direct economic losses from climate-related disasters, according to a report released today by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction in advance of International Day for Disaster Reduction on October 13.
2018-10-15 19:43:11
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First Africa-Arab DRR platform opens
The focus at the opening today of the first-ever joint Africa-Arab Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction was on moving to action on reducing disaster risk and disaster losses across the two regions.
2018-10-12 17:13:21
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Italy to host European discussions on disaster losses
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) today announced that Italy will host 55 European countries in a high-level meeting which will take place from 21-23 November in Rome. The Prime Minister of Italy, Mr. Giuseppe Conte, said: “Exacerbated by climate change, disasters caused by natural and man-made hazards represent a fundamental challenge in protecting the development growth attained by our nations and communities. From this perspective, this year’s European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction will be held under the theme of ‘Securing Europe’s Prosperity – Reducing Risks of Disasters.'"
2018-10-10 18:49:51
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UNISDR calls for greater attention to disaster risk i....
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, today extended her condolences to the people and Government of Indonesia on the tragic loss of life and the injuries incurred as a result of the 7.5 earthquake and tsunami which struck Sulawesi on Friday.
2018-10-09 20:33:46
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European Cities Pioneer DRR Peer Review
A unique city-to-city, disaster risk reduction peer review tool for cities in Europe and beyond has been finalized today.
The USCORE tool, the first of its kind, was developed under UNISDR's Making Cities Resilient campaign and funded by the European Commission. The two-year project to design the tool was a strongly collaborative work programme across Europe engaging the municipalities of Greater Manchester, Amadora and Viggiano, the University of Manchester, UNISDR, the UK Department of Communities and Local Government, the Portuguese National Authority of Civil Protection and the Associazione di Protezione Civile Gruppo Lucano.
2018-10-08 20:59:33
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Sendai Framework Monitor training starts
Efforts to improve collection of data on disaster losses are being stepped up by UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). To date, 61 countries have started using the SFM.
2018-09-30 13:28:14
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Kenya boosts risk reduction capacity
The Government of Kenya has initiated a reform programme to improve the country's capacity to reduce disaster risks and mitigate the socioeconomic and fiscal impact of disasters.
2018-09-26 13:23:28
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Resilience investment “opportunity” for private secto....
Mami Mizutori, the Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, has highlighted the opportunity and benefit to businesses of investing in disaster risk mitigation.
2018-09-24 18:20:39
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Africa city leaders promote inclusive resilience
City leaders in Africa have shared some of the successes of inclusive disaster risk reduction strategies, particularly focusing on community engagement and action at the local level.
2018-09-21 20:22:13
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Mass evacuations save lives in extreme weather
This year will probably go down as one of the hottest years on record and is turning out to be another remarkable year for extreme weather events.Record temperatures, heatwaves, storms, floods, drought and heavy rainfall have been evident across the globe. Following earlier catastrophes this year, notably wildfires in north America and Europe, widespread flooding in India, flooding and landslides in Japan, we are now experiencing floods and storms which are disrupting the lives of millions across the Americas, Africa and Asia.
2018-09-19 13:36:00
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2019 Risk Award to celebrate coastal resilience
Nominations are now open for the 2019 Risk Award to be awarded to an individual or organization for outstanding recognized action that contributes to building the resilience of costal nations and communities which are particularly exposed to extreme storms, erosion, sea level rise and environmental changes.
2018-09-13 11:07:34
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Science, technology combine to support Sendai
Scientists, academics, and disaster risk reduction experts from the Arab States have pledged to support their governments in developing national disaster risk reduction strategies based on scientific data and evidence.The Arab Science and Technology Advisory group – a regional subgroup of UNISDR’s global Advisory group – put together a clear action plan to support the implementation of disaster risk reduction across the region in a move that is hoped to accelerate achievement of target “e” of the Sendai Framework, the global roadmap for reducing disaster loss.
2018-09-12 10:15:21
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Angola steps up for risk-informed growth
Angola has committed to include disaster risk reduction in all investment decisions and development plans at a meeting in Luanda.Speaking on behalf of H.E. Angelo de Barros Veiga Tavares, Minister of Interior and Coordinator for the National Commission Civil Protection (NCCP), H.E. Secretary of State, Hermenegildo José Félix, reaffirmed Angola’s strong commitment in institutionalizing disaster risk reduction and climate change at the national, regional and local levels.
2018-09-07 14:12:50
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Puerto Rico "could have been better prepared" for hur....
According to reports, Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo Rosselló, has said that the island could have been better prepared for Hurricane Maria, which hit almost one year ago.
2018-09-06 13:56:13
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Sendai Phase 2 launched; risk strategy monitoring boo....
The second phase of the online monitoring system for the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 – the global roadmap for reducing losses as a result of disasters – is now live and available to member states.
2018-09-05 16:22:15
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Disaster risk-informed strategies for sustainable dev....
Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan are in advanced stages of disaster risk reduction strategy development and contributing significantly to the achievement of Target E of the Sendai Framework; to increase the number of countries with national and local disaster reduction plans.
2018-09-03 20:04:03
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Elevated temperatures clocked in earth "check-up"
Scientists have confirmed that 2017 was the third warmest year on record, after 2016 and 2015, in the State of the Climate Report, which examines temperature, precipitation and weather events throughout the world.
2018-08-31 04:38:35
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Urban resilience expert to chair ARISE
The business professional who pioneered the Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities has been elected as the new co-chair of ARISE, the UNISDR private sector partnership.
2018-08-29 05:55:50
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Mauritania acts on urban resilience
Five cities from Mauritania have completed disaster risk resilience assessments and have started drafting people-centred city action plans in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction – the global plan for reducing losses from disasters.
2018-08-27 01:07:25
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UN urges greater focus on fire risk following Greek w....
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, today expressed her condolences to Greece for the tragic loss of life in this week’s fires.Ms. Mizutori said: “This is a truly heartbreaking tragedy and I offer my sincere condolences to the Greek government and people at this difficult time as the search continues for the missing.”
2018-08-25 01:25:33
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UN says reducing economic losses from disasters has t....
The soaring rise in economic losses from extreme weather events fueled by climate change will be the focus of this year’s International Day for Disaster Reduction on October 13.
2018-08-23 01:10:20
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Sendai Framework Monitor endorsed at HLPF
The Sendai Framework Monitor received a ringing endorsement at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) for Sustainable Development which concluded this week.The online tool, launched in March by UNISDR, benchmarks progress on reducing disaster losses and meeting the seven targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the global plan adopted in 2015 by UN Member States.
2018-08-21 04:40:30
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Vulnerable development still profitable
Making resilience profitable is key to ensuring that private sector investments contribute to more resilient development, according to a leading figure in US industry.Speaking at a panel discussion co-hosted by the Permanent Missions of Armenia, Colombia, Mongolia, Switzerland and UNISDR, the former CEO of Titan America, Mr Aris Papadopoulos said: “Our economic system still rewards vulnerable assets,” he said. “What do we need to do to reward resilient development instead?”
2018-08-19 01:24:02
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Magnitude of Japan rains and floods sign of growing c....
The UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mami Mizutori, today extended her condolences to the Government and people of Japan on the large loss of life suffered in recent days following rain and landslides.
2018-08-17 06:04:11
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Australia to host 2020 Asian Ministerial Conference
Australia will host the Asia Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) for the first time in 2020 and anticipates a focus on the Pacific and the work of Australia’s recently announced National Resilience Taskforce.
2018-08-15 07:20:23
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Disaster displacement "chronic" in Asia
Government ministers and civil servants from across Asia and the Pacific are back at their desks this week with a fresh mandate to accelerate action on reducing disaster losses and disaster displacement as extreme weather continues across the region.
2018-08-13 06:26:33
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Lights, camera...climate change
Climate change and its influence on extreme temperatures captured the attention at the closing ceremony of the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) last Friday.Extreme heat and extreme cold were the subjects of the two winning entries in the UNISDR Video Competition. The competition theme was “Preventing Disaster Risk: Protecting Sustainable Development”.
2018-08-12 23:46:50
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Asia honours its local champions
Five local leaders from across Asia and the Pacific have been recognised for their inspirational work in driving disaster risk reduction in their communities.They were presented with awards at an event last night organised by the Asian Local Leaders Forum for Disaster Resilience (ALL4DR) at the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2018-08-11 06:31:32
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Ulaanbaatar Declaration calls for greater accountabil....
The Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction closed today withparticipating governments issuing the Ulaanbaatar Declaration which calls for greater accountability for disaster losses in Asia, the world’s most disaster-prone region.
2018-08-09 06:05:49
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Social protection reduces disaster risk for poor
The role that safety nets and social protection programmes can play in reducing disaster risk features prominently on the agenda of the 2018 Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) this week.A panel comprised of development and humanitarian actors, with senior representatives of the disaster management authorities from Mongolia and Pakistan, put forward a convincing case for greater investment in social protection policies and programmes.
2018-08-07 07:15:54
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Animals need DRR too
You know what to expect if you live in a place called Dhemaji which translates as “playground of floods.”Dalimiya lives there in northern Assam, India, which is hit every year by floods and the main concern of her family is how to protect their cattle and geese on which they depend for a living.
2018-08-05 08:47:15
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Urgent need for disaster resilient infrastructure
It is estimated that $1.7 trillion will be required annually to meet demand for new infrastructure in Asia over the next twelve years including $200 billion to ensure that new infrastructure is resilient to disasters and climate-related events.
2018-08-03 07:28:07
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AMCDRR focus on disaster displacement
The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, brought the issue of forced displacement as a result of disasters to the fore on the opening day of the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.“Last year, extreme weather events were largely responsible for displacing almost 19 million people around the world. Asia is the most disaster prone region in the world and accounted for almost half this number,” he told the Conference in a video message yesterday from UN HQ in New York.
2018-08-01 19:56:52
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Tsunamis teach importance of inclusion
Vulnerable people are an untapped resource of wisdom, capacity and commitment to tsunami, and overall disaster resilience.This was the resounding conclusion of a Special Session ‘Leave no one behind: Promoting inclusion in tsunami risk management’ at the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction today.
2018-07-31 15:23:46
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Mongolia opens Asian Ministerial Conference....
The Government of Mongolia today opened the three-day Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction which is being attended by 2,500 participants, including representatives from over 50 countries and 1,500 organizations in the capital, Ulaanbaatar.
2018-07-30 11:41:35
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Asia shows leadership on DRR
A ten year-old school girl almost stole the show. In plain, simple language Maralgoo recited how it makes her sad when she sees people dying or losing their homes in disasters on TV but feels happy when she sees rescuers at work.
2018-07-27 18:57:28
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Afghanistan embraces Sendai Framework
War ravaged Afghanistan is making a nationwide effort to reduce its disaster losses from natural hazards despite conflict.Consultations are continuing to put together a National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction representing all of civil society before the end of the year.The initiative was revealed today by representatives from the country’s Ministry for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs, attending the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction which officially gets underway tomorrow.
2018-07-26 20:03:02
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Bangladesh joins cities campaign en masse
Over 1,000 cities in Asia Pacific have now signed up to UNISDR’s Making Cities Resilient campaign following a historic commitment made by all 329 municipalities of Bangladesh to join the campaign.“Mongolia including all its cities and provinces, was the first Asian country to fully join the campaign and this is a major step by the Government of Bangladesh, who clearly recognise the importance of reducing disaster risk in its cities”, said Loretta Hieber Girardet, Chief of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) in Asia Pacific, speaking from the 2018 Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR 2018) taking place in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar.
2018-07-25 20:58:27
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Mongolia brings disaster risk centre stage
Despite decades of rapid socio-economic development, Asia Pacific remains the most disaster-prone region in the world. In 2017 alone, more than 6,500 people lost their lives following more than 200 disasters that affected 66.7 million people.
2018-07-24 20:50:23
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Yerevan Declaration: Strengthen ties on disaster....
Delegates at the 2018 Sub-Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction for Central Asian and South Caucasus have adopted the Yerevan Declaration calling for increased regional cooperation.
2018-07-23 18:18:27
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Is your home built to last?
Our homes are in the highest category when it comes to economic disaster loss, according to a new documentary which premiered last night in London and is set for general release this summer.
2018-07-19 21:44:15
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Armenia hosts DRR discussions
Representatives from six countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus are meeting for two days in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, to discuss progress in implementing the global plan for reducing disaster losses, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
2018-07-18 20:36:28
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Jamaica welcomes 'glorious opportunity'
Jamaica’s hosting of the next Americas disaster risk reduction conference is a “glorious opportunity” to raise awareness of the challenges facing the small island developing states of the Caribbean, said Desmond McKenzie, Minister of Local Government and Community Development.
2018-07-17 20:30:18
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Tourism industry in Americas, Caribbean prepares....
Tsunamis may be rare in the Americas but they do happen as the region is highly seismic prone. A dozen earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have occurred in the Caribbean near Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Hispaniola in the past 500 years generating more than 75 tsunamis.
2018-07-16 20:47:35
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Americas makes resilience a priority
Ministers and senior officials from the Americas and the Caribbean are urging progress on monitoring the region’s roadmap for resilience to disasters..In a declaration at the close of the three-day Vl Regional Platform on Disaster Reduction in the Americas, they said members should integrate disaster risk reduction in all areas of activity to promote a “less vulnerable region” and more resilient communities.
2018-07-12 12:19:06
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Jamaica to host 2020 DRR meeeting
An Americas and Caribbean conference on disaster risk reduction closed with ministers reiterating support for a regional plan to accelerate action against natural and man-made hazards that take a heavy toll each year.
2018-07-11 14:23:22
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Climate displacement: "an untold story"
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Ms. Federica Mogherini, convened government ministers, senior UN officials and leading experts to address the growing security risks from climate change.At a high level event “Climate, Peace and Security: The Time for Action”, participants gave testimony to the increasing climate security threats they are witnessing and identified concrete actions to take forward.
2018-07-10 21:40:17
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Sendai can "unleash" science on disaster risk....
The Sendai Framework is an opportunity to “unleash” science in the service of reducing the risks posed by natural disasters that take so many lives each year, a conference on disaster reduction heard.Implementation of the global plan for disaster reduction, which was launched in 2015, and the contribution that academics and scientists can make to attaining its goals are important themes of the Vl Regional Platform on Disaster Reduction in the Americas being held in Colombia.
2018-07-09 13:45:33
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Caribbean rises to resilience challenge
The deadly 2017 hurricanes in the Caribbean posed huge challenges but they also offer opportunities to build better disaster preparedness and response systems, a conference heard.With the region now bracing for the 2018 season, key lessons that emerged from the havoc wrought by hurricanes Irma and Maria, category 5 storms in 2017, include the need for enhanced response capacity for fast-moving, multiple and catastrophic events, and to tackle environmental and development questions, such as building standards and codes for land use and management.
2018-07-05 15:30:48
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DRR before and after Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch, which in 1998 cut a swathe of destruction across Central America, marked a “before and after” for the region’s approach to disaster risk reduction, an international conference heard.
2018-07-04 13:49:42
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Cities share plans to reduce disaster loss
Representatives of five cities in the Americas met this week in Colombia at the Sixth Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction to discuss progress against the Sendai Framework, the global plan to reduce disaster losses by 2030.
2018-07-03 12:31:37
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Colombia President opens disaster risk meeting
Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos urged the Americas to work closely together to manage the risks the region’s countries face from disasters such as hurricanes, floods and earthquakes, and to build resilience in local communities most exposed to them.
2018-07-02 16:18:14
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Colombia cites progress on risk management
Colombia, one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to natural hazards, has made great progress in implementing disaster risk reduction policies, although much remains to be done, President Juan Manuel Santos said today.
2018-06-29 17:54:16
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UNISDR head calls for more inclusion in DRR
Effective disaster risk management requires an “inclusive, all-of-society approach” that reflects the views of those who suffer most from such events, the head of the UNISDR told a regional conference on disaster risk reduction.
2018-06-28 20:48:19
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Americas works to improve disaster statistics
Representatives of eight national institutes of statistics in the Americas continue to meet today in Cartagena, Colombia, to discuss better ways to work together to collect data and statistics to monitor progress on reducing disaster losses as outlined in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2018-06-25 20:36:04
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Americas DRR Platform focus on inclusion
Tichico Joel Cobian Mena was a geologist for 26 years in Santiago de Cuba when he became blind in 2005 after a long and painful ocular disease. He is now retired but he has put both his knowledge and handicap at the service of the 10,000 disabled people who have been identified among the most vulnerable groups if his region was hit by an earthquake.
2018-06-22 20:10:00
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CREWS initiative expands coverage
An international initiative to improve early warning systems against extreme weather and support climate change adaptation is gaining momentum to protect more people in more places. Financing has been extended to cover the Caribbean a
2018-06-20 20:10:33
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Putting science to work for resilience
Experts from across multiple sectors and global regions met this week in Geneva over two days to brainstorm ideas for an open user platform that will help communities and decision makers more easily apply their understanding of risk to generate better targeted solutions for resilience.
2018-06-16 19:03:39
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UNISDR assesses progress on Sendai Framework
The Annual Report of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNISDR, highlights significant progress in the training of member states in monitoring implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the global plan for reducing disaster losses.
2018-06-12 13:32:12
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Tanzania earthquake prompts safe schools initiative
In September 2016, an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 struck Nsunga in Kagera region, northwestern Tanzania, killing at least 19 people and injuring 253 others. A group of 15 boys from Ihungo Secondary School in Bukoba district were among the dead. Over 800 buildings were destroyed.
2018-06-08 16:34:32
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Poland joins Resilient Cities Campaign
UNISDR’s Making Cities Resilient Campaign in Europe has received a major boost as Poland becomes a participant for the first time.The Provincial Government of Kujawsko-Pomorskie in the north of the country has led the way and it comprises over 50 towns and cities that will now have the opportunity to sign up individually to participate in the Campaign which has 3,800 members around the world. The city of Rypin and district of Powiat Tucholski in the region also joined the Campaign in their own right.
2018-06-05 12:30:19
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UNISDR head visits tsunami schools
Two schools with tragically different experiences of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami were at the centre of Ms. Mami Mizutori’s first visit to her native Japan since she took on the role of UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction in March.
2018-05-25 20:41:51
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Americas to meet on disaster risk reduction
Over a thousand representatives of governments, civil society and the private sector are to meet in Cartagena, Colombia, June 20-22, to discuss the increasing impact of extreme weather events and climate change across the region.
2018-05-23 19:32:50
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Armenia to host regional conference on disaster losse....
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) today announced that Armenia will host countries from Central Asia and the South Caucasus in June to discuss scaling up efforts to reduce disaster losses.
2018-05-21 20:15:31
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Disasters reveal Asia-Pacific's rising inequality
Political leaders and senior government officials recommitted themselves to tackling rising inequality across Asia and the Pacific and to improving disaster-related statistics in the region at a high-level UN Policy forum in Bangkok this week.
2018-05-18 15:53:22
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China’s “transformed approach” to disaster risk
China has transformed its approach to reducing disaster risk following the devastating Sichuan earthquake ten years ago, with citizens including school children more protected and prepared than ever. The 7.9 magnitude quake hit the county of Wenchuan on 12th May 2008, leaving nearly 90,000 dead or missing, hundreds of thousands injured and millions affected.
2018-05-14 15:38:51
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Lessons of cyclone Nargis still need to be applied
In May 2008, less than four years after the Indian Ocean tsunami resulted in the loss of 230,000 lives, the world witnessed another disaster which provided a tragic illustration of the price people and nations pay in the absence of effective early warning systems being in place.
2018-05-08 12:09:23
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Action needed on water and disasters
Urgent action is needed to address water-related disasters which accounted for 90% of the 1,000 most severe disasters that have occurred since 1990, according to the final outcome document – Making Every Drop Count - of the High Level Panel on Water, issued in March to kick off the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development.
2018-05-07 14:15:39
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Asia-Pacific gears up for major DRR gathering
Efforts to eradicate poverty in the Asia-Pacific region are being impeded by the high volume of disaster events across the region where the lives of millions are disrupted every year by floods, storms, drought and earthquakes.
2018-05-04 19:18:40
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Rwanda advances with Sendai Framework
Rwanda has mainstreamed disaster risk reduction (DRR) across all sectors and put in place strong regulations and contingency plans to address all natural and man-made hazards affecting the country.The country was among the first countries in the world to start using the Sendai Framework Monitor when it was launched in March.
2018-05-03 19:51:43
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European scientists convene on disaster risk
A new European Science and Technology Advisory Group convened this week in Sofia, Bulgaria, to focus on improving disaster risk knowledge in 55 countries across Europe and Central Asia.UNISDR and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre have established the group to tackle new emerging challenges.
2018-04-28 19:22:17
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WTO opens dialogue on trade and disasters
The World Trade Organization today called for greater dialogue on the impacts of the growing number of disasters on world trade and the role trade can play in building resilience to disasters.It also announced that its Aid For Trade section will undertake a mapping exercise to capture the experience of disaster-affected members and release a report early next year.
2018-04-27 17:16:08
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Mongolian journalists learn disaster risk
Journalists from Mongolia have shown their commitment to reducing disaster risk through participating in a unique training course, highlighting reporters’ vital role in bolstering community resilience.
2018-04-24 17:23:12
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Malawi to start disaster loss data base
Malawi today became the latest country in Africa to complete training on establishing a national disaster loss data base, considered an essential prerequisite for being able to report on progress on reducing disaster losses and improving disaster risk management.Opening the workshop on Wednesday in Lilongwe, Principal Secretary for Administration in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), Mr. Cliff Chiunda, said the workshop is expected to develop a database for tracking disaster damages and losses in Malawi.
2018-04-11 08:38:24
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UN welcomes Bhutan to Making Cities Resilient Campaig....
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) today welcomed Thimphu, the capital of earthquake-prone Bhutan, as the newest member of the Making Cities Resilient Campaign.
Ms. Loretta Hieber-Girardet, UNISDR’s Chief for the Asia-Pacific region, said: “Bhutan is famous for measuring Gross National Happiness which can only increase further following the decision of the Mayor of Thimphu, Mr. Kinlay Dorjee, to join the Campaign. His commitment to deliver on the Campaign’s checklist to prevent future disasters and reduce the city’s disaster risk is good news for the people of Thimphu.”
2018-04-09 11:38:36
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Bhutan joins UNISDR Cities Campaign
Bhutan’s famous Gross National Happiness index has been given a boost with the announcement that its capital, Thimphu, has joined UNISDR’s Making Cities Resilient Campaign.Mr. Kinlay Dorjee, Mayor of Thimphu, became the 702nd local leader in Asia to sign up to the Campaign when he attended last week’s Fifth Asia-Pacific Forum on “Sustainable Development: Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies.”
2018-04-07 20:47:18
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Pacific islands launch Sendai Framework Monitor
Six weeks after it was hit by a Category 4 cyclone, Tonga is now trained in the use of the new online tool for measuring disaster losses, the Sendai Framework Monitor.Rolling out the Sendai Framework Monitor is part of Pacific-wide efforts to implement the global plan for reducing disaster losses, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
2018-04-01 02:28:03
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UN Member States urged to adopt early warning checkli....
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) today welcomed the creation of a Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems Checklist as a major contribution to saving lives in an age of increasing exposure to extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change.The UN Special
2018-03-30 00:35:56
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Caribbean hurricane season under review
A comprehensive review on how early warning systems performed in the Caribbean during the record-breaking 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season will highlight in particular how men and women were affected differently by events.
2018-03-28 02:59:41
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Work starts on a new Global Assessment Report
A new Advisory Board convened yesterday to discuss the direction and content of the 2019 edition of the Global Assessment Report for Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR19), the UN flagship publication which first appeared in 2009.
2018-03-26 08:53:11
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New guide on resilience at local level
A new guide designed to support local governments in their efforts to prevent disasters and reduce disaster losses is now available in draft form for public review before it will be finalized and launched in three months’ time.
2018-03-24 00:11:42
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Sendai Framework anniversary: reporting underway
Three years after the adoption of a global plan to reduce disaster losses 148 countries have now committed to report systematically on their disaster losses including deaths, numbers of people affected, economic losses and damage to critical infrastructure including public utilities.
2018-03-22 07:47:46
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Capacity development strategy for Sendai Framework
Over 100 experts today agreed on the key elements of a Global Capacity Development Strategy to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the global plan to reduce disaster losses adopted in March 2015.
2018-03-20 06:06:53
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Sendai Framework Monitor launch in Arab States
That refrain echoed through Cairo, the capital city of Egypt as a 3-day training event kicked off this week bringing together representatives from 11 Arab States committed to implementing the global plan for reducing disaster losses, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2018-03-18 02:26:20
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"Business as usual" vital to recovery - ARISE Japan
A study of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami has emphasized the importance of economic recovery to the well-being of communities in the post-disaster phase.
2018-03-16 01:33:38
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Sendai Monitor launch in Central Asia/ South Caucasus
Six countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus are the latest to commit to using the Sendai Framework Monitor, the online tool launched on March 1, to improve disaster loss data collection in order to better inform national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction.
2018-03-14 02:29:42
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Sendai Framework Monitor takes off
One week after the launch of the new online tool, 50 countries have logged on with the intention of using the Sendai Framework Monitor to report on their disaster losses and efforts to increase national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction.
2018-03-12 01:06:04
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International Women's Day: Call for better data on im....
Marking International Women’s Day on March 8, UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Ms. Mami Mizutori made an appeal today for UN Member States to provide better data on the impacts of disasters on women and girls.
2018-03-10 00:40:17
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EU examines DRR and finance
Disaster risk reduction is on the agenda as the EU moves towards greater integration of capital markets and a more risk-informed approach to capital investments in a world where disasters are now estimated to cost the global economy US$520 billion annually.
2018-03-08 05:53:27
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Floods test Honiara’s resilience plans
Less than 24 hours after Honiara launched a major review of its disaster resilience planning, heavy rain and flash floods provided an immediate test of the city’s preparedness.Honiara Mayor Andrew Leonard Mua OBE activated the Emergency Operations Centre as water cascaded down from the highlands above the city, flooding storm water drains, creeks and several roads.
2018-03-05 23:16:40
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UN launches effort to collect data on disaster losses
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) today announced the beginning of an historic effort to collect comprehensive data on disaster losses as UN Member States implement the global plan for reducing such losses, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2018-03-04 00:19:00
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Drought and flood risk profiles to be developed for 1....
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has engaged CIMA Research Foundation to generate risk profiles on flood and drought in 16 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The countries that will be involved in the risk assessment are: Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Gambia, Gabon, Cameroon, Ghana, Sao Tome and Principe, and Kenya.
2018-03-02 00:02:55
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Civil protection and finance sector join forces in No....
Norway is launching a new public-private partnership to boost action on disaster prevention and disaster risk reduction in a collaboration between civil protection and the insurance industry.The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) and Finance Norway, the industry association for the finance sector in Norway, signed the agreement in the presence of UNISDR at a major conference this month in Oslo on “Future Challenges - Are We Prepared”.
2018-02-27 16:28:36
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UNISDR launches new collaboration
Disaster risk reduction partners are now considering a proposal to establish a new UNISDR Stakeholder Advisory Group and whole-of-society engagement strategy to support implementation of the global plan to reduce disaster losses, the Sendai
2018-02-24 11:58:58
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Early warning review for Caribbean
Climate change means that coastal communities in the Caribbean need to be self-sufficient for up to three weeks and not just a couple of days if they are to cope with the fall-out from hurricane activity at the level of intensity experienced
2018-02-23 15:18:05
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Fiji to adopt new DRR policy
The enduring wisdom of the Japanese geophysicist Torahiko Terada – a pioneer of earthquake studies almost a century ago – is inspiring a Pacific nation’s effort to strengthen its disaster risk governance.Mr Terada’s famous maxim – ‘The next disaster will strike when the memory of the last one has been forgotten’ – is the very first sentence of Fiji’s National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy 2018-2030.
2018-02-22 12:17:49
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Response Times Key To Reducing Tsunami Deaths
More needs to be done to reduce response times to tsunami alerts and and to improve wave height measurement if progess is to be made on reducing mortality from tsunamis, an international gathering of experts heard this week.
2018-02-18 10:56:59
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Building back better restores hope
Just five months after the September earthquakes which completely destroyed 60,000 homes, more than 30,000 have been rebuilt by affected families provided with cash and technical assistance from the Mexican authorities.
2018-02-17 14:44:22
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Resilience is about being ready
Quito listo means Quito is ready. The host city of Habitat III where the New Urban Agenda was adopted, has to be ready for a broad range of natural hazards, according to Mayor Mauricio Rodas, speaking today at the World Urban Forum.
2018-02-13 11:21:25
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WUF9: Call to join Resilient Cities Campaign
Cities and towns attending the World Urban Forum were urged at the weekend to join UNISDR’s Making Cities Resilient Campaign which now has over 3,800 adherents representing almost one billion people in urban centres around the world.
2018-02-12 11:04:42
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How can we restore hope to the world's slum dwellers?
There is much grief and suffering in Nairobi’s Kijiji slum following a fire which has underlined once more the inadequacy of infrastructure and basic services provided to almost one billion people who live in circumstances of unacceptable deprivation in slums around the world.
2018-02-08 17:51:26
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UN SG announces new Special Representative for Disast....
The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has announced the appointment of Mami Mizutori of Japan as Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction.Mr. Guterres expressed his appreciation of the dedication and excellent leadership provided to the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) by Robert Glasser of Australia, during his two-year mandate which concludes at the end of this month.
2018-02-02 19:28:59
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Rivers and Resilience in Latin America
Rivers run through many cities in Latin America that have joined UNISDR’s Making Cities Resilient Campaign, and management of these rivers brought three of those cities together last month to carry out a reality check.Representatives from the municipalities and civil society organizations of Santo Tomé, Argentina, Santa Ana, El Salvador, and Dosquebradas, Colombia, met in Panama to discuss their year-long efforts to encourage community participation in risk reduction and climate change adaptation efforts.
2018-01-27 23:49:42
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Building Kathmandu Back Better
Every day when Purusotam Shakya steps into his office in the heart of Kathmandu, Nepal’s bustling capital city, three words leap to the front of his mind: “Build Back Better”. Mr. Shakya is the Director of Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s Disaster Management Department, and relishes his key role in the ongoing reconstruction of the city after the devastating April 2015 earthquake.
2018-01-26 00:53:41
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Cities Scale Up Resilience
Twenty cities with a combined population of more than 50 million people today began sharing experience on how to save lives and protect livelihoods in the face of mounting disaster and climate risk. The various senior local government officials identified the critical need for political will supported by planning and careful use of resources as the foundation for resilient urban development.
2018-01-23 23:43:17
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Three Year Hot Streak "Existential Threat to Planet"
The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser, today described the accelerating pace of climate change as “an existential threat to the planet”.
2018-01-21 21:51:25
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India seeks coalition on resilient infrastructure
India’s Home Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh, today expressed India’s desire to lead a global coalition which will work towards reducing damage to critical infrastructure as called for by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2018-01-18 02:02:29
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Asia prioritizes Sendai Target (e)
Governments and stakeholder partners from across Asia have renewed their commitment to a substantial increase in the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020.
2017-12-25 05:52:40
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Sendai Framework Monitoring Process Kicks Off
The Sendai Framework Monitoring Process took off this week as representatives from 85 UN Member States met in Bonn to share their knowledge and learn of the reporting requirements for the monitoring of the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction,
2017-12-22 16:07:34
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Space technologies key to risk reduction
A number of meetings and declarations in recent weeks have emphasized the importance of space technologies in supporting UN Member States to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the global plan to reduce disaster losses by 2030.
2017-12-21 15:57:10
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Putting Disaster Risk Into Adaptation Plans
The motto of the Republic of Marshall Islands - ‘Accomplishment through Joint Effort’ - has proved an inspiration for the country’s disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) communities to integrate their efforts to boost community resilience.
2017-12-19 15:07:46
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UN: Volcanic eruption on Mount Agung underlines neces....
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser, today expressed his concern for the people and Government of Indonesia as the likelihood of a large volcanic eruption on Bali’s Mount Agung continues to become more imminent.
2017-12-18 17:03:49
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Israel raises tsunami awareness
Do not be surprised to see tsunami warning signs if you walk along the beaches of Tel Aviv, they were set up earlier this month to coincide with the World Tsunami Awareness Day on November 5 by the city authorities to alert tourists
2017-12-15 11:40:09
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Portugal joins tsunami warning network
Portugal today joins France, Italy, Greece and Turkey as a National Tsunami Warning Provider in Europe covering the North-East Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea - which was the source of a devastating earthquake and tsunami which destroyed Lisbon in 1755.
2017-12-13 11:37:09
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UNISDR to set up expert group on risk
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has welcomed a recommendation to create an expert working group that will focus on the creation of a global risk assessment framework.
2017-12-12 10:57:48
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Experts meet on global risk framework
Disaster risk reduction experts from around the world today began discussions on a new Global Risk Assessment Framework which can support UN Member States seeking to reduce disaster losses through implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
2017-12-11 10:03:54
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Public Health England reviews Sendai implementation
Public Health England (PHE) has demonstrated its commitment to reducing the numbers of people affected by disasters by publishing a national review of its progress on implementation of the key international agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2017-12-08 15:05:59
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Japan hosts World Tsunami Museum Conference
Directors and representatives from eight museums and organizations around the world, recently came together with government officials in the Japanese city of Ishigaki in Okinawa for the first ever World Tsunami Museum Conference.
2017-12-07 14:37:31
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PreventionWeb marks 10th anniversary with launch....
PreventionWeb, the global knowledge sharing platform on disaster risk reduction (DRR), celebrates today its 10th anniversary. Launched in 2007 to support the work of DRR professionals, the site is managed by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).
2017-12-05 09:05:01
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COP23 focus on early warning systems
Vulnerable communities in Africa, the Pacific and Caribbean are now benefiting from improved early warning systems against extreme weather as part of an international drive to boost resilience and climate change adaptation.
2017-12-04 13:52:39
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Iran to investigate construction in quake zone
The collapse of some state-built homes in Sunday’s earthquake in western Iran was evidence of corruption, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told a cabinet meeting today, according to state media. The 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit western Iran as well as northeast Iraq on 12 November 2017, and has claimed over 450 lives and injured close to 7,700 people.
2017-12-01 01:37:51
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Youth hold tsunami summit in Japan
13 November 2017: Students from 26 countries came together last week for a pioneering event to mark World Tsunami Awareness Day in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture in Japan.The spirit of “Yui Maaru” which means mutual support and bonds between people in the Okinawan dialect, was at the heart of the High School Students Islands Summit for World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD), that gathered 255 high school students from 26 countries around the world on November 7-8.
2017-11-29 06:27:10
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Can COP23 fill the ambition gap?
The Kyoto Protocol was adopted 20 years ago and since then we have seen an explosion of extreme weather events which have cost many lives and made the struggle to end poverty more challenging than it otherwise needs to be.
2017-11-27 01:47:50
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How can small islands survive a tsunami?
Thirty youth ambassadors from five Pacific countries will tomorrow share their ideas on building tsunami resilience with young people from around the world.
The Pacific youngsters will join hundreds of students from Japan and 20 other countries for the High School Students Islands Summit, in Okinawa, to mark the 2017 World Tsunami Awareness Day.
2017-11-23 06:30:31
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Education is key to preparing for tsunamis
There needs to be an urgent shift from managing disasters to managing disaster risk, according to the UN Deputy Secretary- General, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, speaking to a High Level Panel this week in New York.
2017-11-19 04:36:37
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UN Urges States at Risk Not to Ignore Tsunami Threat
Portugal is to formally open a National Tsunami Warning Centre on November 21, which will extend Europe’s capacity to issue tsunami alerts to its citizens. This center will monitor an area where a large earthquake followed by a big tsunami destroyed Lisbon in 1755.
2017-11-18 23:37:08
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Rising to the Tsunami Challenge
Over the last week I have moderated discussions in Geneva and New York in which representatives from tsunami-exposed countries including Chile, Indonesia, Japan and Maldives have shared their recent experiences of this rare but most deadly of disasters.
2017-11-17 06:44:07
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UN Appoints Tsunami Survivor as Global Advocate
A tsunami survivor who has dedicated herself to building and supporting safe schools in disaster zones has been appointed as the UN’s first World Tsunami Awareness Advocate by Mr. Robert Glasser, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2017-11-15 00:41:07
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Tsunami Advocate Focuses On Safe Schools
Czech model and entrepreneur Petra Nemcova was yesterday officially recognized by Robert Glasser, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction as World Tsunami Awareness Advocate in a ceremony held at the Japan Society in New York.
2017-11-13 00:35:25
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Report highlights Seismic Gaps in Tsunami Risk Areas
A review of tsunami hazards over the last 400 years highlights “seismic gaps” or locations in the Pacific region where there may be complacency about the tsunami threat following long periods of seismic inactivity.
2017-11-11 08:12:20
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TSUNAMIDAY2017: Climate and geohazards
Nine years ago, scientists from the UK, Europe and the USA met in London to discuss a new and unexpected way that global warming might be threatening the planet.
2017-11-09 00:56:01
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Tsunami countries share lessons learned
The build up to World Tsunami Awareness Day on November 5 started in earnest today with a high-level gathering of tsunami-affected countries discussing how to reduce tsunami risk
2017-11-05 02:28:13
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Hurricanes spur calls for disaster resilience
Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina J. Mohammed, has called on Member States to do “more at all levels to manage disaster and climate risk and to prepare for future extreme weather events, which are likely to grow in severity and frequency.”
2017-11-02 23:23:30
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DRR addresses causes of fragility
Environmental and energy security require innovative approaches that go beyond national borders, Mr. Michael Linhart, Austrian Deputy Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs said at a high-level discussion in Vienna this week.
2017-11-01 16:02:40
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Africa gets ready for Sendai Monitor
The African Union has announced plans to increase the number of member States with national disaster loss data bases and to put a training programme in place in preparation for the roll-out next year of the Sendai Monitor, the UNISDR-backed mechanism for measuring progress in reducing disaster losses.
2017-10-31 10:55:46
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Fiji calls for action on climate
The Prime Minister of Fiji and the incoming COP23 President, Mr. Vorege Bainone, is hosting a pre-COP23 meeting to galvanise action on climate change and disaster risk.
2017-10-30 13:11:52
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UN Secretary-General: Sendai Framework is essential t....
Millions of lives have been shattered this year by drought, storms, earthquakes, landslides and heatwaves. Last weekend, I witnessed first-hand the dramatic levels of devastation caused by severe hurricanes in the Caribbean.
2017-10-28 19:13:15
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UN Bonn Office to Monitor Global Disaster Losses
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser, today announced that next year will see the start of worldwide monitoring of disaster losses from extreme weather events and earthquakes through the Bonn office of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).
2017-10-27 13:43:50
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Disasters are driving world hunger
“World hunger is on the rise and the estimated number of undernourished people has increased from 777 million in 2015 to 815 million in 2016”, according to Ms. Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett Director, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) - Liaison Office in Geneva.
2017-10-26 13:32:26
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Sudden Onset Disasters To Make 14 Million People....
Research findings released today on International Day for Disaster Reduction forecast a continued rise in homelessness among people in the world’s most disaster prone countries unless significant progress is made in managing disaster risk.
2017-10-25 13:34:42
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American industry launches UN backed network to build....
Private sector representatives from key American companies met yesterday in Miami, Florida, to start a US network of a UN-backed global initiative to create greater understanding of disaster risk in the business community, to safeguard future investments and reduce economic losses from disasters.
2017-10-24 10:51:32
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Improving our understanding of disaster risk
The United Nations today launched new guidelines to encourage more countries to undertake national disaster risk assessments and to link them closely with policy and investment processes in order to take better preventive action to reduce disaster deaths and the soaring numbers of people displaced every year by floods, storms, drought and earthquakes.
2017-10-23 14:12:46
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IDDR2017: Dominica PM calls for climate action
Following the devastation wrought on his Caribbean island home by Hurricane Maria, the Prime Minister of Dominica, Mr. Roosevelt Skerrit, is calling on the world not “to turn its back” on the problem of climate change and for greater investment in disaster risk reduction.
2017-10-20 17:53:13
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IDDR2017: UN Geneva Seminar Targets Youth
Valentina comes from Nancy and Agathe from Strasbourg. They are completing their final year at university and are among 150 students who are attending a two-day UN Geneva Seminar series on disaster risk reduction that started today.
2017-10-19 17:10:49
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UN SG: Disasters Driving Poverty
A new report by UN Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, on the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction warns that annual average loss from disasters in less developed countries is accounting for more than 20 per cent equivalent of social expenditure.
2017-10-18 19:26:03
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Italy establishes Heritage Resilience Centre
Italy will further strengthen its reputation as a leader on protection of cultural heritage from disasters when it opens a new Heritage Resilience Centre on October 13, International Day for Disaster Reduction.
2017-10-17 20:27:32
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Climate change and disasters “a suicidal development”
Visiting hurricane devastated islands in the Caribbean at the weekend, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres Guterres, stated that “the link between climate change and the devastation we are witnessing is clear, and there is a collective responsibility of the international community to stop this suicidal development.”
2017-10-16 20:26:24
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Tsunami and earthquake risk on agenda at....
Earthquakes and tsunami may be rare events in Switzerland but they can happen. In 563, a mudslide triggered a tsunami in Lac Leman (Geneva's lake) creating waves which reached around 8 meters in Geneva and 13 meters in Lausanne.
2017-10-12 21:06:18
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Pacific commits on inclusion
The 2017 Joint Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Roundtable today committed “to amplify efforts” towards an all-of-society approach that builds disaster and climate resilience across this huge maritime region.
2017-10-11 16:51:55
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Pacific: DRR is everyone’s business
The Pacific region today challenged itself to make disaster risk reduction everybody’s business and convert one of the main calls for action of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction into an everyday reality.
2017-10-10 17:23:49
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Pacific tackles disaster and climate risk
A landmark meeting in the Pacific focused on integrated efforts to protect lives and livelihoods from the negative impact of disaster and climate risk will open tomorrow.
2017-10-09 13:10:30
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Australia to hold Diversity in Disaster Conference
International Day for Disaster Reduction on October 13 will see the launch of a major awareness raising initiative in Australia on the role that gender plays in disasters and how improved understanding can help reduce the numbers of people affected by disasters, the theme of this year’s International Day.
2017-09-29 10:52:43
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UN: Mexico earthquake underlines importance of....
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser, today expressed his sincere condolences to the people and government of Mexico on the tragic loss of life from the September 19 earthquake.
2017-09-22 21:11:53
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Hurricanes expose resilience gap on small islands
Two years ago this month, Tropical Storm Erika, dumped an enormous quantity of rain on the small island of Dominica in the Caribbean.The night-time event took the country by surprise. There were 31 deaths, and, by one estimate, 200 landslides. The main airport was severely damaged.
2017-09-21 17:21:43
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Is leaving home the answer to climate change?
For island nations on the frontline of climate change and a swathe of natural hazards, the issue of whether communities should give up the battle and leave is never far away.Meeting on the eve of the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Cancun, Mexico, representatives of the world’s Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have come together to exchange lessons and spotlight the challenges that they face.
2017-09-20 19:59:42
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UN business group calls for resilience
A UN-backed group of companies working to curb hazard impacts has unveiled a new plan of action on the eve of the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.The UNISDR Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies, or ARISE for short, issued its seven-point plan during a business-focused preparatory meeting ahead of Wednesday’s official opening of the Global Platform.
2017-09-19 19:47:57
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Mexico steps up to unique triple disaster threat
Mexico has been working to improve its early warning systems and disaster risk management for over three decades.There are few countries in the world resilient enough to respond to a hurricane and the strongest earthquake in a century, accompanied by a tsunami threat, all within hours of each other. Such was the challenge that confronted Mexico last week.
2017-09-18 17:22:30
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Early warning where there is no internet
Living on an island in the middle of the ocean with no internet, television or mobile phones is a real-life disaster risk nightmare for one Pacific nation.Yet, the prospect of reaching the last mile – a phrase with true meaning in this part of the world – has inspired the tiny band of disaster risk reduction policymakers and practitioners of Tuvalu to establish an early warning system to protect some of the world’s most isolated communities.
2017-09-14 15:54:55
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Mexico Hosts Record Gathering on Disaster Prevention
The escalation of economic losses from disasters is expected to draw a record attendance of 7,000 people at a biennial UN forum that will bring world leaders and representatives of civil society together to agree ways and means of preventing and mitigating disaster impacts.
2017-09-13 18:21:22
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UN: Huge Volume of Extreme Weather Events Pose Major ....
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser, today expressed his deep concern at the volume of extreme weather events unfolding across the world and the implications for future loss of life and economic damage to the world economy.
2017-09-11 17:03:52
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Tsunami survivor's plea for early warning
A major global initiative to improve the generation and use of early warnings against extreme weather, earthquakes and a cascading range of hazards has been launched with a powerful plea from a tsunami survivor to build more resilient societies.
2017-09-07 11:09:46
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President of Mexico opens Global Platform
The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction was inaugurated today by the President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, as some 6,000 participants descended on the coastal town of Cancun for a series of working meetings to make progress on reducing disaster losses.
2017-09-06 11:43:54
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Nepal nursing project wins Risk Award
A cutting-edge plan to deploy the power of technology to monitor health risks in Nepal has won an international award at the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.Risk Award laureate the Nursing Association of Nepal won the prize for its “EpiNurse” project – short for “Epidemiology Nurse” – which will equip nurses in the Himalayan nation with monitoring and surveillance tools to prevent and control infectious diseases after disasters.
2017-09-05 11:23:48
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Early warning for all
Advances in early warning systems and disaster risk awareness have saved tens of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars.However, care must be taken to ensure that all people and sectors benefit and that the development of such systems does not create new divides between haves and have-nots.
2017-09-05 11:27:58
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Hurricane Harvey underlines need for strong risk gove....
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser today extended his condolences to the people of the US State of Texas for the loss of life in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey which has affected millions along the coastline.
2017-08-30 00:02:56
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UN Sasakawa Award honours efforts to curb disaster de....
Efforts to reduce disaster death tolls in Portugal, Iran, Brazil and Fiji have been honoured by an international award from the United Nations and Japan’s Nippon Foundation.Issued at the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, the biennial Sasakawa Award recognised projects that have made a substantial contribution towards saving lives and reducing global disaster mortality.
2017-08-28 01:27:35
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Strategies key to Sendai progress
The 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction today urged countries and cities to develop clear, aligned, integrated and supported DRR strategies in order to move forward on the Sendai Framework.Such national and local government strategies require dedicated budgetary support with a particular focus at the municipal level to empower and resource DRR at the frontline.
2017-08-28 00:37:08
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UN, Red Cross/Red Crescent join forces to reduce disa....
A major initiative to prevent large numbers of women and girls dying in disasters and to ensure they are included in disaster risk management was launched today at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Cancun, Mexico, by the United Nations and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
2017-08-28 00:34:29
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A new milestone for risk mapping
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction today launched a landmark interactive atlas that exposes the hidden threats posed by natural hazards in national economies and countries’ urban centres.The Global Assessment Report Risk Atlas (GAR Atlas), released at the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, builds on a multi-year effort by a consortium of leading scientific institutions coordinated by UNISDR, and provides a global vision of where and how disaster risk can undermine development.
2017-08-28 00:31:16
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The Cancun High-Level Communiqué
A Leaders’ Forum was held on Wednesday 24 May 2017 in Cancun, Mexico, at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction chaired by H.E. Mr. Enrique Peña Nieto, the President of Mexico with the participation of H.E. Mr. Jovenel Moïse, the President of Haiti, H.E. Mr. Taneti Maamau, the President of Kiribati, H.M. King Mswati III, Head of State of Swaziland, H.E.Mr. Robert Mugabe, the President Zimbabwe, H.E. Mr. Mattlan Zackhras, Minister in-Assistance to the President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, H.E. Mr. Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, the Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, H.E. Ms. Inonge Wina, the Vice President of Zambia, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Vice-President for Sustainable Development of the World Bank, executives of intergovernmental organizations, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, parliamentarians, local government representatives, business and civil society executives and other stakeholders to determine and commit to practical measures for the reduction of economic losses to disasters and the resilience of persons, communities, countries and their assets and livelihoods with a focus on infrastructure and housing.
2017-08-27 23:24:17
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Women must be central in disaster prevention
Countries around the world need to focus on women if they are to achieve the aims of a 15-year agreement to curb hazard impacts, according to delegates at the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2017-08-22 19:25:17
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Governments and business should engage to curb risk
Businesses and the authorities need to work hand in hand to prevent natural and human-induced hazards from sparking disasters, a top international conference has heard.
2017-08-21 22:56:19
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From Ghost Town to Sue Nami: art and disaster prevent....
The sound of a brass band cover of the iconic song Ghost Town and the sharp-tongued advice of human hazard Sue Nami have echoed in the packed halls of the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, thanks to an art installation that aims to entertain and spark debate.
2017-08-21 22:53:35
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Preserving heritage boosts disaster resilience
Cultural heritage and indigenous knowledge are key resources of community and national disaster resilience across the world.However, much of this heritage and knowledge is being lost to both sudden and slow-onset disasters, weakening the resilience capacity of future generations.
2017-08-21 22:49:28
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Reducing risk means harnessing data
Data is a vital raw material if countries are to meet the aims of an international agreement on lowering hazard threats, the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction heard today, as a new monitoring report underscored what needs to be done.
2017-08-16 16:25:54
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Global Platform stresses action on Sendai
The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction closed today with a call for accelerated efforts to ensure all countries systematically account for disaster losses by 2020, the deadline set out in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction for all countries to have strategies in place to reduce disaster losses.
2017-08-16 16:58:51
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Sendai Framework monitoring starts early 2018
Monitoring of progress in achieving agreed global targets for reducing disaster losses will get underway early in 2018, it was confirmed Friday, the closing day of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Cancun, Mexico.
2017-08-16 17:03:39
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Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States....
The Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, whose 79 members include some of the most disaster-prone and climate-vulnerable nations in the world, have prioritised the power of international cooperation to reduce the impact of natural hazards.
2017-08-16 18:13:27
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Inclusive technology … at the Double!
It may look like a gadget to many but this robot is a shining example of inclusive technology for disaster risk reduction.
2017-08-16 16:33:37
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East Africa backs Sendai Framework implementation
Members of parliament from the six-nation East African Community have vowed to step up a drive to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in their region.
2017-08-16 17:19:48
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Vatican supports Sendai Framework implementation
In a special message to the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, Pope Francis has said that the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction for reducing disaster losses, the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, are "all profoundly interrelated and significant for the future of humanity."
2017-08-16 16:30:01
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Making cinemas resilient: Cinemex shows the way
Mexico's Cinemex, one of the world’s largest movie theatre groups, has scaled up a resilience campaign with its country's national disaster prevention authorities.
2017-08-16 17:13:31
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Mongolia’s Deputy PM honoured as Asia ....
The Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, H.E. U. Khurelsukh was today recognized as an Asian Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction at the Global Platform in Mexico.
2017-08-17 10:57:26
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Climate Change Is Key Driver Of Disasters
Until recently it has been well understood that the main drivers of weather-related disasters were increased exposure and vulnerability due to poverty, the breakneck pace of urbanization in low and middle income countries, population growth, the destruction of protective eco-systems and low institutional capacity to manage disaster risk.
2017-08-16 18:41:13
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Disaster resilience is a core business issue
Businesses of all sizes need to ensure that resilience lies at the core of their decision-making processes in order to help the authorities and the wider community reduce the risk of disasters.
2017-08-16 18:30:15
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‘Tsunami literacy’ saves lives
Early warning technology is vital to save lives if a tsunami strikes, but public awareness of how to react is the critical factor, according to experts at an international meeting.
2017-08-16 18:18:04
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Climate change will increase fire risk
Robert Glasser, the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction expressed his deep condolences to the families affected by the devastating fires in Portugal.
2017-08-16 18:07:31
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Disaster prevention champion Legarda calls for resili....
International disaster prevention advocate Senator Loren Legarda has called for a strengthening of the resilience of critical infrastructure, in the wake of a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that hit Leyte in her homeland the Philippines last week.
2017-08-16 18:22:48
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Media call for bigger disaster risk reduction role
International broadcasting federations have vowed to step up their work to spread information about disaster risk reduction to their audiences, thereby giving a critical boost to efforts by governments.
2017-08-16 17:52:20
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Fires in Europe Fuelled by Urbanisation and Climate C....
Rapid urbanisation and climate change are major drivers of the many forest fires which continue to sweep across parts of southern Europe claiming many lives and causing significant economic losses, according to a leading expert.
2017-08-16 18:38:19
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UNISDR Champion Highlights Youth Role
UNISDR’s newest Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction has called upon youth leaders from around the world to make a bigger contribution to global efforts towards sustainable and resilient development.
2017-08-16 18:32:44
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Madagascar sees early warning and preparedness as key....
Struck three months ago by a cyclone that affected 500,000 of its 24 million people, the climate-vulnerable Indian Ocean nation of Madagascar sees early warning and disaster preparedness as fundamental to its future resilience.
2017-08-16 17:59:56