Press release

“The talks that will take place next week in Buenos Aires on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, will be an important step forward,” says Sálvano Briceño, Director of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

Omar Dario Cardona received the award for his global efforts on disaster reduction. Omar Dario Cardona is a Colombian earthquake engineer known internationally for his pioneering approaches to vulnerability reduction and risk management. He has just been selected by a jury composed of representatives of the five continents as the 2004 winner of the United Nations Sasakawa Award for Disaster Reduction.

The natural hazards that are badly affecting countries as diverse as China, Bangladesh, France and the United Kingdom demonstrate that countries usually well prepared to prevent disasters are suffering huge losses in lives and livelihood. This illustrates

The Inter-Agency Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction will be launching its 2004 version of “Living with Risk: A global review of disaster reduction initiatives ” on 14 July in New York. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian

On the occasion of the ninth meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Disaster Reduction and the first session of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom 1) to the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR), UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian

On the occasion of World Water Day, 22 March 2004, the UN will launch the inter-agency effort “Guidelines for reducing flood losses” in Geneva, New York, Bangkok and Harare. “Guidelines for reducing flood losses” are a result of a series of consultations

On 26 December 2003 an earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale destroyed the historic city of Bam, Iran, killing, according to the latest figures over 30’000 people. The international community has responded generously to the needs of the population

The United Nations General Assembly today adopted a resolution announcing the convening of a World Conference on Disaster Reduction, hosted by the Government of Japan at Kobe, Hyogo from 18 to 22 January 2005.

Ms. Esther Tadzong of the Global Centre for Compliance, Hazard and Disaster Management in Cameroon is the 2003 UN Sasakawa Laureate for Disaster Reduction for her efforts in raising awareness and promoting community involvement in preparing for imminent disasters.

The International Day for Disaster Reduction will be celebrated on Wednesday 8 October at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, with the official opening of the photographic exhibition ‘WATER: Floods in Central Europe’. The exhibition - organised jointly with