UNDRR News

As UN Member States prepare for negotiations on a proposed international convention on the Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters (PPED), the need for disaster prevention is emerging as a significant part of the discussion.

This month from UNDRR: statements from SRSG Kamal Kishore on the Nepal-Tibet disaster, the Colombia earthquake and the impacts of El Niño; the Early Warnings for All Forum in Ethiopia; the IDRLF 2026 in the Republic of Korea; and more inside.

The Africa Early Warnings Forum, held in Addis Ababa, highlighted Africa's progress in expanding early warning systems, but with climate and disaster risks accelerating, the task now is to translate that progress into protection for everyone.

The Government of Japan, in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), will host the 2027 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction from 25 to 29 October 2027 in Sendai City, Japan.

Statement on the disaster in Nepal and China by Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of UNDRR

This summer, a group of them started learning how those decisions work. UNDRR partnered with the Ashley Lashley Foundation as part of the Safe Coast Bim Youth Disaster & Emergency Preparedness Programme 2026.

Languages, the channels used, territorial references, community structures and Indigenous Peoples' own decision-making systems are all fundamental elements. So is recognizing the knowledge that communities already use.

More than 260 young leaders from across the Arab region participated virtually in the Regional Youth Resilience Lab.

Statement on the Colombia Earthquake by Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of UNDRR

Wildfire misinformation spreads fastest in the hours right after a fire breaks out — checking a claim against a credible source before sharing it is the simplest way to slow it down.