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Displaying 90 of about 365 resultsGENEVA, 21 November 2013 – The small islands of the Pacific continue to lead the world in efforts to unite climate change and disaster risk reduction initiatives under one development agenda.
“Sustainable development for us is a matter of national security,” said Mr David Sheppard, the Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environ…
BANGKOK, 15 March 2012 - Following a recent decision by its Cabinet to buy land in Fiji as 'climate change insurance' for its population, Kiribati President, Anote Tong has called on the international community to address the effects of climate change that could wipe out the entire Pacific archipelago.
While the governments of both the Pacific island n…
Few people outside Italy are aware that six seismologists and a government official are on trial in the small city of L'Aquila. But the story has implications for scientists, engineers, administrators, and legal systems far beyond Italy's borders.
L'Aquila was largely destroyed by earthquakes in 1461 and 1703. The city was rebuilt, eventually grew to m…
Geneva, 19 January - “The animals are dead. The rivers, lagoons and dams are dry. They have to move to neigbouring countries like Tanzania in search of pastures and water. As they move, they suffer from hunger and they want lie down because they’re tired from having to walk long distances”.
These are the words of Jemimah Maitei Kerenge, Maasai filmmake…
Geneva, 11 January 2012 - Estimates of between $350 billion to $380 billion in global economic losses from disasters have made 2011 the most expensive year in history for catastrophes, according to the insurance industry.
The earthquakes in Japan in March and New Zealand in February accounted for the bulk of these losses, according to estimates issued…
By Dhakshy Sooriyakumaran
SUVA, 13 October 2011 - The UNISDR Sub-Regional Office in Suva together with its partners, held a Pacific regional celebration of the International Day for Disaster Reduction to highlight the role of children and youth as active partners in disaster risk reduction.
The event was a joint celebration of World Habitat Day (obser…
Geneva, 10 October - Amidst growing concerns about drought crises in some of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of the Pacific, the Government of Tuvalu today began a three-week nationwide needs assessment of water, agriculture and health facilities.
The most affected areas are the capital city of Funafuti, as well as Nukulaelae and Nanumaga. Th…
Geneva – Strict building codes in Chile, the legacy of a devastating 9.5 magnitude earthquake in 1960, continue to play a large part in protecting people even when an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck 50 near Concepcion on 27 February 2010, says UNISDR.
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake of 12 January, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which struck closer to the surfa…
Australia floods demonstrate rising cost of damage in the face of “new normal”
Geneva, 29 December 2010 -- Floods in Australia again underline the need for all countries – both developed and developing – to plan ahead or face increasing economic losses in the face of a “new normal” marked by unpredictable and extreme weather patterns, says UNISDR.
Tor…
Nuku'alofa, Tonga (November 29, 2023) – The Government of Tonga (MEIDECC), in collaboration with the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and the United Nations Satellite Center (UNOSAT) of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), successfully hoste…
These educational videos are meant to summarize the key actions governments and stakeholders can take to reduce disaster displacement. The videos, available in English (Timor-Leste), Tagalog (the Philippines), and Bahasa Indonesia, are based on the Checklist on Disaster Displacement and are meant to complement the Words into Action Guidelines on Disaste…
CANCUN, Mexico, 22 May 2017 – 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…
GENEVA, 27 April 2017 - Australia estimates that its annual economic losses from disasters will triple to US$17.7 billion by 2050 as it embarks on a new initiative to integrate climate change action and disaster resilience.
The government has also embarked on a data readiness review to assess national preparedness to report on implementation of the…
HONIARA, Solomon Islands, 2 March 2018 – 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,…
SUVA, 20 February 2018 – 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…