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Displaying 15 of about 15 resultsGENEVA, 25 June 2013 - The Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Margareta Wahlström, today predicted that the year 2013 will be a turning point in how governments around the world view the threat of floods in a new age of extreme weather events.
She said: "India, Nepal, Canada and many countries in Europe have experienced huge lo…
GENEVA, 12 November 2013 - The Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, today extended her condolences to the Philippines government and people on the heavy loss of life and extensive damage to critical infrastructure, homes and workplaces caused by the devastating Category 5 Cyclone Haiyan or Yolanda as it is known in the…
This monthly newsletter highlights UNISDR activities around the world. This issue reports on: (i) the release of the IPCC special report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX); (ii) the 6th Latin-American Congress of Cities and Local Authorities addressing the issues of community resilience and…
BANGKOK, 21 October 2011 – The floods which have affected eight million people across South East Asia, and which now threaten Bangkok, have underlined shortcomings in disaster risk reduction with many children drowning because they cannot swim, and thousands of workers now unemployed because of poorly located manufacturing plants, the Head of the UN’s B…
Geneva, 4 January 2011 – Byblos, with its ancient port dating back 5,000 years, is dotted by Phoenician, Roman and medieval ruins along the waterfront that municipal authorities now fear are in danger from sea storms.
“Heavy waves hit the heart of the harbour directly, damaging it,” explained Lisa Abou Khaled, from the United Nations Development Progra…
GENEVA, 18 August 2015 – UNISDR has added new momentum to the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, a 15-year international plan to curb deaths and economic damage caused by natural and man-made hazards.
The 'Words into Action' process, launched today, will gather experts from around the globe to shape by the end of 2016 a…
The Arab region joins the rest of the world in facing an increase in natural hazards. The region is characterized by its harsh environment and has limited resilience to natural hazards events, which results in an increase in the number of natural disasters in the region. These disasters result from a group of factors including the increase in population…
LAGOS, 23 September: In a further sign that Africa is mobilizing for its voice to be heard at the COP17 negotiations in Durban, the Mayors of major cities and chairmen of local governments across West Africa met this week in Lagos, Nigeria, to endorse and sign the African Mayors Climate Change Declaration.
Tunji Bello, Lagos State Commissioner for the…
BANGKOK, 10 April 2012 - Threatened by increasing and lethal seasonal floods, the 500-year old Malaysian port city of Melaka is making considerable efforts to reduce the disaster risks that it currently faces from such climate related catastrophic events.
Located along the Straits of Malacca, one of the world's busiest shipping routes, the city of Mela…
GENEVA, 5 March 2012 - The UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, and HE Yoichi Otabe, the Japanese Ambassador to the International Organizations in Geneva, announced today the start of consultations on a new international blueprint for reducing disaster losses in advance of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction…
GENEVA, 5 October 2012 - On 13 October, the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) will be an occasion to pay tribute to millions of girls and women around the world who are on the frontline making their communities and societies resilient to the impacts of disasters and the effects of climate change.
Driven by the theme Women and Girls: the […
GENEVA, 1 May 2012 - "Cities and Flooding: A Guide to Integrated Urban Flood Risk Management for the 21st Century" has just been published by the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery.
UNISDR was at the Geneva launch and got a short interview with one of the guide's lead authors, Abhas K. Jha, who leads the World Bank p…
Geneva, 3 January 2012 – As the Thai capital, Bangkok, recovers from the worst flooding in a century, many are concerned that the disaster may be a sign of things to come amid a changing climate.
“With climate change it is likely that there will be more natural disasters and extreme weather events; this is not unique to Thailand and can be expected al…
GENEVA, 17 October 2011 - The annual monsoon season in South East Asia continues to wreak havoc on lives and economies across many parts of the region with Thailand reportedly suffering from the worst floods in 50 years.
Media and government reports have also provided similar stories of destruction and human suffering across many areas in Cambodia, La…
This collection of good practices shows how building the capacity of local institutions is key to sustaining disaster risk reduction, and demonstrates the immediate impact of local and national political commitments that institutionalise disaster risk reduction. It also showcases collaboration between local and national governments, civil society organi…