Press release

The head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser, today attended the fifth anniversary memorial service for those who lost their lives in the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011.

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the World Health Organization today issued an appeal for national disaster management agencies to develop their preparedness and response capacities to include health emergencies alongside earthquakes, floods and storms as a top priority.

The head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser, today extended his condolences to Fiji on the loss of life from Cyclone Winston and commended the government for its efforts to reduce mortality and the numbers of people affected by the strongest cyclone ever to hit the Pacific country.

The hottest year on record, 2015, has confirmed that weather and climate-related disasters now dominate disaster trends linked to natural hazards, according to a new analysis presented today.

The first UNISDR Science and Technology Conference closed today with agreement among 700 scientists and disaster risk experts to launch a new Science and Technology Partnership comprising over 65 agencies, networks and organizations.

On the eve of the first-ever gathering of scientists to discuss disaster risk management, the head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Dr. Robert Glasser, today said: “Government leaders and decision makers should give greater attention to the science on disaster risk and climate change to reduce exposure to extreme disaster events and to promote sustainable development.

In an exceptional move, the Philippine Congress today passed a resolution recognising and commending the former head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Ms. Margareta Wahlström, for her outstanding work on advocacy for disaster risk reduction over the last seven years.

Dr. Robert Glasser, an experienced leader and thinker on development issues, took up his new role this week as head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). He was appointed as Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, succeeding Ms. Margareta Wahlström who completed two terms at the end of 2015.

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.

A new report issued today by the UN, “The Human Cost of Weather Related Disasters”, shows that over the last twenty years, 90% of major disasters have been caused by 6,457 recorded floods, storms, heatwaves, droughts and other weather-related events.