United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - UNDRR

What's new

Firefighters amongst a brush fire
Update

Officially reported data by national governments through the Sendai Framework Monitor show significant progress in reducing disaster mortality, strengthening disaster risk reduction strategies and expanding multi-hazard early warning systems.

UNDRR Bonn Office
Ukrainian participants holding the certificates with the facilitators at the UNDRR office
Update

6 Ukrainian representatives and urban practitioners completed a 2-day Training of Trainers on the Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities, held on 10–11 September at the UNDRR Global Education and Training Institute (GETI) in Incheon, Republic of Korea.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Office in Incheon for Northeast Asia and Global Education and Training Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Europe & Central Asia
Opening session
Update

It provided a platform to take stock of Syria’s existing early warning capacities, identify institutional, technical and operational gaps, strengthen coordination between national and local actors, and align ongoing initiatives.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Syrian Arab Republic - government
Group photo from NELs Consultation/UNDRR
Update

The consultation reaffirmed growing climate risks and deep concerns among Indigenous Peoples. Around 45 participants from Indigenous communities across 11 countries shared experiences of the non-economic losses affecting their communities.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Santiago Network
Harmful information in disasters: Risk communication for safer decisions (Guidance note) thumbnail
Documents and publications

This guidance note outlines practical approaches to strengthening information integrity within risk communication–before, during, and after disasters. Preparing for and managing information risks is an integral part of disaster risk reduction efforts.

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

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.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Photo of the side event in the UN headquarters in New York
Update

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.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - New York UNHQ Liaison Office
Group photo of participants in the Africa Early Warnings Forum, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Press release

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.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Africa
Sendai City, Japan
Update

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.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Asia and Pacific
内閣府 Cabinet Office (Japan)
Nepal flood image
Statements and messages

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

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Earthquake damage in Colombia
Statements and messages

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

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Workshop panel of four persons
Update

Journalists, editors, disaster management authorities and regional partners gathered in N'Djamena from 27–29 July for a regional workshop aimed at strengthening climate reporting and media resilience across one of Africa's most vulnerable regions.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Africa
cover
Update

This month's issue covers new resources to strengthen early warning systems, growing global momentum on urban resilience, and partnerships advancing disaster risk reduction across the Americas, Africa, the Arab region and Asia-Pacific, and more inside.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Photo of land of earth with water bodies
Update

Representatives of civil society organizations from across the Mediterranean convened in Brussels to contribute to the implementation of the Pact for the Mediterranean.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Arab States
Las decisiones de hoy marcarán los impactos de El Niño
Update

Preparedness should not be understood as an expense, but as the investment that allows life, production and essential services to carry on when the climate turns adverse.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean
Early Warning system in Barbados
Opportunities

The Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Pillar Leads, UNDRR, WMO, ITU and IFRC, invite your feedback on the impact of the initiative to date, the gaps that remain in early warning systems, and the way forward for global cooperation to support them

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Grenada Advances Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems Through First National Consultative Workshop
Update

The outcomes will contribute to the development of Grenada's national MHEWS Gap Analysis and Implementation Roadmap, providing a strategic framework to guide future investments and coordinated action towards Early Warnings for All initiative.

European Union
The Climate Risk & Early Warning Systems Initiative (CREWS)
Grenada - government
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency
The Cool Off in Culture campaign
Op Ed

The heatwaves of today are the coolest heatwaves we are likely to experience for the rest of our lives. SRSG Kamal Kishore reflects on how cultural institutions can play a central role in extreme heat action – and in disaster risk reduction more broadly.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Participants at SB64
Update

The complexity and scale of climate change create a unique challenge. However, through risk-informed action and working in an integrated way, these challenges can be better understood and addressed in a tailored manner.

UNDRR Bonn Office
picture overviewing Morocco
Update

Morocco advances national early warning systems to protect communities from natural hazards

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Arab States
Search-and-rescue teams work through the rubble of a collapsed building in El Paraíso, southwest Caracas
Statements and messages

Statement on Venezuela earthquakes by Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Vietnamese woman wears the traditional conical hat, known as Non La, used to shield the face from the hot sun, during an extreme heat wave.
Update

While populations in continental regions are predominantly exposed to seasonal cumulative excess heat, many populations in tropical and subtropical climates are chronically exposed to high temperatures and high humidity.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Vessels queuing to enter the Panama Canal
Op Ed

In more than a century of operation, the authorities that manage the Panama Canal have accumulated some valuable lessons in risk governance that are relevant to other major infrastructure systems – and to disaster risk reduction more broadly.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Resilience Starts at Home theme image
Update

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) today announced that the theme for the 2026 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), observed on 13 October, will be “Resilience Starts at Home.”

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Clearing of rubble in Syria through a donor funded project.
Feature

Syria became one of the earliest countries to implement UNDRR's DELTA Resilience system, which will help it better understand and reduce the disaster risks it faces as it recovers from years of war.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Handshake between HK Yu, ADB Vice-President and Kamal Kishore, Head of UNDRR.
Update

ADB and UNDRR signed a Cooperation Arrangement to deepen joint efforts to strengthen disaster risk reduction in Asia-Pacific.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Suriname advances toward a national early warning system that protects everyone, in time
Update

More than sixty national experts and international partners convened in Paramaribo on 5 and 6 May 2026, bringing all relevant actors together for the first time within the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) framework.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean
Suriname - government
Serene mountain lake surrounded by lush forests and vibrant greenery reflecting under a cloudy blue sky.
Update

UNDRR partnered with the UN University Institute for Environment and Human Security and the UN Environment Programme to develop a framework for assessing climate change and disaster-related losses of biodiversity and ecosystems services.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Raising El Niño awareness in Vanuatu
Op Ed

Signs are pointing to a potentially powerful El Niño event — but there is no need for panic. It is an opportunity to stress-test our disaster risk governance systems, and to strengthen protection for the most vulnerable communities.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Picture of planet with stars
Update

Representatives from across the Euro-Mediterranean region gathered for the UfM Civil Protection Meeting to advance regional cooperation on disaster risk management and support the 2030 UfM Action Plan on Civil Protection and Disaster Risk Management.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Arab States
Antique building view at Dambrovita river in Old Town Bucharest city, Romania.
Update

The next Europe & Central Asia Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction will take place in Romania from the 25th to 27th of May 2027

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Europe & Central Asia
Resilience in Action: Strengthening Local Capacity in Guyana
Update

Working alongside national institutions, local authorities, and a wide range of stakeholders, the process focuses on assessing capacities, identifying gaps, and supporting the development of local governance plans for DRR and resilience.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean
Civil Defense Commission
Guyana - government
WIN DRR Awards finalists 2025
Opportunities

The nominations for the 2026 Women’s International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (WIN DRR) Leadership Awards are now open.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Asia and Pacific
Participants attend the risk knowledge workshop in Burundi, held in February 2026. The focus of this photo is on a table of participants who are engaged in conversation
Update

To address Burundi's challenge of insufficient disaster data on gender, and disability in relation to vulnerability and exposure, UNDRR gave support to improve SFM reporting, and to enhance the use of inclusive risk knowledge in early warning systems.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Africa
UNDRR Annual Report 2025 thumbnail
Documents and publications

The UNDRR Annual Report 2025 presents several important achievements that UNDRR marked in the year 2025

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Men discussing BCP development
Feature

Sendai-based Meishin Transport Co., Ltd. offers a clear example of how a local food logistics and general cargo provider is building resilience to safeguard critical supply chains.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
仙台市(宮城県) Sendai City
Press release

Digital technologies have revolutionized how we live, connect, and work, yet our growing reliance on these systems has created risks that often go unnoticed.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Sciences Po
Statue of Uzbekistan
Press release

The International Day in Memory of the Victims of Earthquakes on 29 April was championed by Uzbekistan, which hosted a major global commemoration event in Tashkent with more than 200 representatives from over 22 countries.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Europe & Central Asia
Barcelona SME Resilience Forum
Press release

the Barcelona SME Resilience Forum brought together public authorities, business leaders, and experts from across Europe to strengthen the resilience of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises against disasters, climate impacts, and systemic shocks.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Europe & Central Asia
Barcelona City Council
Barcelona Chamber of Commerce
Sad Afghan male after the Herat earthquake in Afghanistan
Press release

As the world prepares to mark the first commemoration of the International Day in Memory of the Victims of Earthquakes on 29 April, the UN is calling on governments, cities, schools & workplaces to take part in the global campaign “Drop. Cover. Hold On.”

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Portrait of Everyone is Awesome LEGO Pride Month Set
Update

UNDRR has formally added an LGBTIQ+ Persons constituency to its Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism to strengthen inclusive disaster risk reduction policy and participation.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Sendai Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism (SEM)
Picture with certificate
Press release

Astana has been recognized as the first Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) Resilience Hub in Central Asia.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Europe & Central Asia
Secretary-General UN
Statements and messages

With intention and forethought, we can build safer towns and cities, however hard the ground shakes.

United Nations - Headquarters
Schoolchildren playing the Stop Disasters game in Barcarena, Brazil, in the lead up to COP30 (October 2025).
Update

2025 marked a year of exceptional growth for the Stop Disasters game.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Kamal Kishore looking at a school building
Statements and messages

On the International Day in Memory of the Victims of Earthquakes, let us honour the victims by committing to building resilience for all.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
A workshop participant presenting a group activity during a workshop on risk communications in Mauritius, March 2026
Update

When early warnings are unclear or mistrusted, communities may ignore them — sometimes with life-threatening consequences. To address this challenge, UNDRR organised a Regional Risk Communication Workshop from 9 to 11 March 2026 in Mauritius.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Africa
women doing road building work
Op Ed

In his three decades of responding to catastrophic events around the world, Kamal Kishore, head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, often observed a curious human tendency to overlook the invisible foundations of our safety.

International Organization for Standardization
Consortium of Alexandria image of people sitting at a conference
Press release

Engineer Ayman Attia, Governor of Alexandria, attended today the launch event of the “Consortium for Alexandria,” which comes within the framework of supporting the Egyptian state’s efforts to enhance resilience to climate change and reduce disaster risks

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Arab States
UNDRR ROECA Chief, Natalia Alonso Cano is speaking at the policy dialogue in Athens
Update

UNDRR advanced partnerships and local resilience action in Greece through multiple meetings and events in Athens, reinforcing collaboration on urban resilience, extreme heat, wildfire risk governance, and community engagement.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Europe & Central Asia
Data centers filled with rows and rows of servers as blinking light indicate constant processing
Update

As climate extremes intensify, one challenge stands out: acting early, before hazards become disasters. At HNPW 2026, UNDRR and partners explored how disaster impact data can drive smarter, anticipatory action.

UNDRR Bonn Office

From October to November, the Asia Pacific, Africa and Europe and Central Asia regional platforms will be held.

These are a key opportunity to tackle trans-boundary issues around disaster prevention and preparedness, provide leadership and direction, and propose relevant solutions to address disaster risk and to build the resilience of communities and nations.

Building on these, the Eighth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2025) will be held in June 2025.

From managing disasters to managing risk and safeguarding development 

We envision a world where disasters no longer threaten the well-being of people and the future of the planet. Sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda cannot be achieved without working towards building resilience.

Implementing the SF - 3
Implementing the Sendai Framework
UNDRR has been tasked to support the implementation, follow-up and review of the Sendai Framework and coordinates action within the UN system around disaster risk reduction to make this happen.
Illustration of people working collaboratively in an office
UNDRR thematic work on DRR
The interactions between climate change trends, ecosystem fragility, disease outbreaks, rapid unplanned urbanization, mass displacement and geopolitical instability, fuelled by the interconnectivity of communications, trade, financial systems and politics, mean that shocks, stresses, and crises reverberate globally.
Gears in the hands of people against the sky.
Engage with UNDRR
Engage with UNDRR by collaborating across sectors to promote resilience and risk-informed decision-making, aligning with global frameworks.

UNDRR is the lead UN agency for the coordination of disaster risk reduction

We help decision makers across the globe better understand and change their attitude to risk.

Key publications

Get involved

Women training for solar engineering in India
Partners and stakeholders
Building resilience and promoting risk-informed decision-making and investment are collective challenges and responsibilities.
Work with us - header
Work with us
View our current vacancies and calls for proposals.

Where we work

Africa-header
Africa
Based in Nairobi, Kenya, we coordinate DRR initiatives in support of 44 Member States in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Panoramic view of Cairo, Egypt
Arab States
Based in Cairo, Egypt, we support the 22 Arab States and communities to build their resilience to disasters.
Image of Thailand
Asia and Pacific
Based in Bangkok, Thailand, we support disaster risk reduction efforts across the Asia-Pacific region.
Europe-header
Europe and Central Asia
Covering 55 countries, we support the development of policies and actions towards a more resilient future.
Bonn - header
Bonn, Germany
We advocate and promote synergies between DRR, climate change and ultimately sustainable development.
Kobe, Japan skyline at the port and tower.
Kobe, Japan
We offer DRR expertise and promote stakeholder engagement, supporting partners around the world to reduce disaster risk and build resilience.
New York - header
New York
UNDRR’s New York Liaison Office (NYLO) provides policy advice and support to Member States and intergovernmental processes.
sunset view of G-Tower
Incheon, Korea
The UNDRR Office for Northeast Asia & Global Education and Training Institute (UNDRR ONEA & GETI).
Suva, Fiji, street
Suva, Fiji
The UNDRR Sub-Regional Office supports disaster risk reduction efforts across the Pacific.

UNDRR events and trainings

Webinar: Advancing the Hazard Information Profiles (HIPs): Building a network to champion the HIPs in the DRR community and beyond
DRR Terminologies
Definitions on disaster risk reduction for a common understanding on the subject for use by the public, authorities and practitioners.

UNDRR on social media