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Displaying 30 of about 623 resultsISTANBUL, Turkey, 23 May 2016 - On the first day of the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), the head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser, warned that risk reduction efforts would struggle to have impact if greenhouse gas emissions are not radically scaled down.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Glasser said: “I am 100% sure that all…
KAMPALA, 17 May 2016 – Authorities in Uganda’s capital city are prioritising infrastructure development, climate-smart capital investment procedures and emissions reduction in order to strengthen the city’s resilience to natural and man-made hazards.
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and development partners have allocated significant funding to re…
GENEVA, 28 April 2016 - One of the world’s most ambitious low-cost housing reconstruction programmes ever to be undertaken in a seismic zone is due to get underway this week following first anniversary of the 25 April Nepal earthquake.
Nepal’s new Reconstruction Authority and its partners are embarking on a programme to provide over 500,000 low-c…
NEW YORK, 31 March, 2016 - An earthquake off the coast of south-west Japan on 5 November, 1854, triggered a large tsunami that left 15,000 homes either damaged or completely destroyed.
A local farmer, Hamaguchi Goryo, noticed the receding waters and immediately recognised this tell-tale sign of tsunami risk. He set fire to his entire year’s harvest of…
23 December 2015, GENEVA –The head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, today welcomed the passing of a resolution yesterday by the UN General Assembly which recognizes November 5 as World Tsunami Awareness Day. The resolution was led by Japan and Chile.
Ms. Wahlström said: “Many disasters would not happen and many lives a…
BRUSSELS, 13 October 2015 – Today, one of Europe’s most vulnerable earthquake zones, the Italian Province of Potenza, was recognized as a champion of disaster risk reduction for the creation of a “Network of Resilience” among 100 municipalities.
“We are proud to be home to the Network for Resilience because each community group has its specificity both…
YAOUNDE, 13 October 2015 – Residents of a flood-prone community in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé are deploying local knowledge to curb the risk of disasters and epidemics by tackling the trash that blocks drainage ditches.
To honour its members' efforts, the 25,000-strong community of Nkolbikok has been named a Champion of Disaster Risk Reduction by UNISD…
YAOUNDE, 7 August 2015 – Recovering from floods that killed dozens of people and displaced thousands in June and July, Cameroon is working to rein in risk in its fast-growing urban centres.
The capital Yaoundé, with 1.8 million people, and 1.9-million-strong maritime metropolis Douala are both highly flood prone. Over the past two months, some 40,000 p…
HARARE, 29 July 2015 – Zimbabwe is working to build its communities’ capacity to understand and reduce disaster risk, in a country often confronted by floods or droughts, but poverty and unemployment can make action a challenge.
“There is a growing realisation that the best way to effectively deal with and prevent disasters is to promote an uptake in d…
Addis Ababa, 15 July 2015 – Local governments are key players in disaster risk reduction and sustainability, and need the financial muscle to tackle threats posed by natural and man-made hazards, according to participants at the Third International Conference on Financing for Development.
“Local governments are part and parcel of the solution,” said Ma…
CAIRO, 18 December 2013 – The worst snow storm in decades affected large parts of the Middle East and tested disaster preparedness and management in the region.
‘Alexa’ affected several states, including Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Syria, causing evacuations, blackouts, damage to thousands of homes, road closures, and livestock losses.
Snow fell in…
TACLOBAN, 9 December 2013 – Sunday marked thirty days since Typhoon Haiyan (known as Yolanda locally) tried to rip the heart out of the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines with winds from hell that sucked the sea along with them to take the lives of thousands and leave millions homeless.
The strength of the Philippine people in the wake of one of…
CAIRO, 27 November 2013 – A major Arab regional consultation on the post-2015 international framework for disaster risk reduction has pinpointed governance and accountability and better local and national coordination as the key issues to strengthen.
The League of Arab States hosted representatives from governments, specialized organizations, UN and in…
NEW YORK, 1 November 2013 – Exactly a year ago, Sandy proved to be the most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, severely impacting lives and economies in seven countries.
For the United States, it was the second-costliest hurricane in its history and affected the entire eastern seaboard, causing an alarming economic bill of up…
GENEVA, October 17 – The death toll in Tuesday’s 7.2 earthquake in the Philippines has risen to 156 with 3.2 million people affected including 47,000 displaced. There have been 1,213 aftershocks recorded including 24 of which were felt.
An assessment released today by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council cites damage or destruct…