Press release

With the addition of Aguas da Prata, Brazil, 2,000 cities worldwide are now enrolled in the Global Campaign “Making Cities Resilient: My City is getting Ready!" promoted by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). About 25% of the cities are located in the Americas, and approximately 11% (226) of all cities are situated in Brazil...

To celebrate its global alliance with TV broadcasters and the role they played in the past ten years to advance the disaster risk reduction agenda, the UN office for Disaster Risk Reduction is teaming up with the Asian Broadcasting Union (ABU) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and launching its first Disaster Risk Reduction Documentary Award.

Figures released today show that for the fourth consecutive year, direct economic losses from major reported disasters have exceeded $100 billion. It has happened on seven occasions since 2004 including the last four years: 2010 ($138 bn), 2011 ($371 bn), 2012 ($138 bn) and 2013 ($116 bn). Some 315 disasters killed 22,000 people in 2013 and affected 95 million.

Efforts to ensure political commitment to a new global agreement on reducing disaster losses have received a major boost as representatives from 40 European countries agreed to a series of sweeping recommendations designed to build resilience to disasters. Europe experienced over 40 major disaster events last year affecting millions. Major flood and hailstorm events generated $25 billion in economic losses.

25 June 2014, LONDON – The International Insurance Society today hosted a “Financial and Private Sector Disaster Resilience Global Summit” for 500 insurance and business leaders to discuss how to integrate the business sector and financial system within the new global framework on disaster risk reduction which will succeed the current Hyogo Framework for Action in March, 2015.

Several hundred government and civil society representatives from over 30 countries will gather this week in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil to review progress in the Americas on reducing exposure to disaster risk.

Following on a statement by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that “economic losses are out of control and can only be reduced in partnership with the private sector,” the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) today launched the R!SE Initiative to mainstream disaster risk management into corporate planning and investment decision-making.

Africa today became the first world region to make a comprehensive set of recommendations for a new UN global agreement on reducing disaster risk, recognizing that most disasters in Africa are water-related and that efforts are needed to prevent conflict as part of overall efforts to build resilience to disasters.

A record attendance is expected for this week’s 5th Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction which opens today in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. Some 700 politicians, disaster managers and civil society representatives from across Africa are registered to attend on May 13-17 and will review the continent’s progress in disaster risk management.

5 May 2014, ABU DHABI/GENEVA - New technologies that enable communities to visualize disaster risk and take action, are to be made available for cities worldwide as a result of collaboration between Esri and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).