UNDRR News

The latest news from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the lead UN agency for the coordination of disaster risk reduction (DRR).

From left: Ms. Mami Mizutori, head of UNISDR, Ms. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, former President of Mauritius, and Dr. Han Seung-soo, Chair, High-level Experts and Leaders Panel on Water and Disasters (HELP)
Update
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.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Purusotam Shakya is committed to making Kathmandu more resilient to future earthquakes (photo: UNISDR)
Update
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”.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Asia and Pacific
Head of UNISDR, Robert Glasser, speaking today at opening of international workshop on disaster resilient infrastructure in New Delhi. Photo UNISDR
Update
India seeks coalition on resilient infrastructure

NEW DELHI, 15 January, 2018 - 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.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Children playing 'Riskland,' a game which creates awareness about natural hazards and how to prepare. Photo credit: UNDP Sri Lanka
Press release
UN: Mexico earthquake underlines importance of strict building codes to ensure safe schools and buildings

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.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
About 49 million people are directly in Hurricane Irma’s projected path, including more than 10.5 million children. Hurricanes Katia and Jose are also life-threatening.
Press release
UN: Huge Volume of Extreme Weather Events Pose Major Threat to Peace and Security of Vulnerable Communities

The head of UNISDR, Mr. Robert Glasser, today issued a strongly worded statement in response to the unprecedented volume of extreme weather events unfolding around the world this week.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Rescue workers outside a building that was damaged in the recent Leyte earthquake (Photo: Philippines Red Cross)
Update
Disaster prevention champion Legarda calls for resilience in quake zones

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.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Asia and Pacific
The private sector is responsible for the lion's share of investment, meaning that risk-sensitive approaches are critical to prevent disasters
Update
Governments and business should engage to curb risk

Businesses and the authorities need to work hand in hand to prevent natural and human-induced from hazards sparking disasters, a top international conference has heard.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Update
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.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
A residential area of Mexico City, Distrito Federal (Photo: VV Nincic)
Update
Mexico: Lessons from 1985 earthquake

Five years after the devastating 1985 quake which killed more than 10,000 people, Mexico equipped itself with one of the world’s most effective early warning systems for earthquakes.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean
The Turkish megalopolis of Istanbul sits on top of an active fault line, making earthquake risk reduction a critical issue (Photo: Christopher L./Flickr)
Update
Turkey tackles earthquake risk

The lamp in the classroom begins to sway. The desks start to shake. If you’ve never faced an earthquake, Turkey’s AFAD national disaster management authority can give you a taste.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Europe & Central Asia

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