UNDRR News

The Head of UNISDR, Margareta Wahlström, arrived yesterday in Chile, where she was received by the President, Michelle Bachelet, prior to a regional consultation on disaster risk reduction with the eleven member countries of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

The Mayor of the Argentinian city, Sante Fe, José Corral, returns to his home city tomorrow from the 7th World Urban Forum (WUF7) as a Champion of UNISDR’s Making Cities Resilient Campaign .

A final season of regional consultations with governments on the Post-2015 agreement on disaster risk reduction got underway this week in Almaty, Kazakhstan, as top disaster management officials from eight countries in Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus came together.

GENEVA, 2 April 2014 – The Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, today praised the prompt action of the Chilean government in issuing a timely tsunami warning in response to last night’s earthquake and the orderly evacuation of thousands of people out of harm’s way.

Following a fourth consecutive year when economic losses from disasters have exceeded $100 billion, UNISDR today announced that it is opening a month-long round of online consultations with the international business community. Businesses around the world are invited to contribute their expertise and thoughts on financial reform, regulation, building codes and incentives to motivate business to locate sensibly and avoid creating new risks and plan for business continuity.

UNISDR today welcomed the outcome of East Africa’s Second Drought Resilience Summit as an important contribution to next month’s Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and preparing for a future in which climate change will amplify existing stress on water availability in Africa.

Disaster experts from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea today agreed to launch joint research aimed at enhancing the compatibility of disaster data and terminology across North-East Asia.

The last time a major flood threatened Ireland’s largest inland town, Clonmel Borough Council distributed 7,000 sandbags. Food packs and accommodation were prepared for evacuees. Traffic diversions were agreed. Vulnerable households were contacted by phone.

Senior disaster management officials and experts from across North-East Asia today endorsed the Hyogo Framework for Action as a consistent and guiding force for national progress in disaster risk reduction.

The Philippines’ city of Makati is striving for a comprehensive disaster risk management plan that strengthens the resilience of both multi-billion dollar businesses and migrant families struggling on a few dollars a day.