Albania

As the world celebrates World Humanitarian Day, UNISDR, the strategic arm of the United Nations working on disaster risk reduction, recognizes the valuable contribution of humanitarian workers who risk their lives everyday to help others, whilst emphasizing their crucial role in reducing disaster risk.

More than 200 participants, including 38 parliamentarians, mayors and vice mayors, from 33 countries adopted the Chengdu Declaration of Action, a five-point strategy to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing cities today.

As the United Nations today commemorates the 17th International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples under the theme of "Indigenous designs: celebrating stories and cultures, crafting our own future", it is perhaps timely to flag the positive contributions such cultures are able to make to DDR and CCA.

So far this year, the economic losses from very severe natural hazards totals some USD265 billion. According to reinsurance giant Munich RE, 2011 is the highest-ever loss year on record, despite the fact the first half of the year has only just been completed.

As Europe and North America move into the summer season, the risk of wildfires will increase. While these natural hazards may not get the attention of earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones, their destructive potential is considerable and reducing the risks they present should be a priority.

Disasters are not natural; hazards are, says a new UNISDR media book launched at the Third Session of the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction by Tim Sebastian of BBC Hard Talk.

Four cities and two organizations have been shortlisted for the Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction, worth $50,000, with winners to be announced 10 days from now at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, on 12 May.

Report for the period 2009-2011:

The main objective of this report is to identify key trends in terms of progress made and challenges faced, at both national and regional levels, through the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) in

UNISDR welcomes the report of the Multilateral Aid Review (MAR) of the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) as an innovative and critical contribution to strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of international cooperation frameworks for the delivery of aid. The analysis of strengths and weaknesses of the multilateral system is very interesting and reiterates familiar issues, particularly on the perceived weaknesses; some of which require solutions that are not always possible for organizations in isolation.

A new report from the United Nations confirms what governments already hear but are slow to believe: that disciplined public sector involvement in “disaster risk reduction” can significantly reduce setbacks brought by hundreds of droughts, earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes and other hazards that befall the world each year, on average.