UNDRR News

The Swiss city of Geneva has been scrambling to stave off flooding as heavy rain pours down into mountain streams and swells rivers. Its success in meeting the crisis head-on underscores the importance of long-term planning to reduce disaster risk.

The Canadian Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness of Canada has launched the first call for proposals within the CAD$ 200 million (approx. US$ 165 million) National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP), as part of the Government’s commitment to build safer and more resilient communities.

The World Health Organization has welcomed the fact that the new Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) puts health at the centre of disaster risk management.

Models of local-level disaster risk reduction and management, the Jordanian cities of Aqaba and Petra are leading an initiative for five fellow municipalities which have stepped up their own efforts to build resilience.

The Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, today expressed her condolences to the government and people of Nepal on the loss of life, injuries and devastation caused by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake at the weekend.

Nepal was scrambling on Sunday to save the lives of people trapped in the rubble following the country's devastating earthquake, as the death toll mounted to 2,000, and the population of affected areas remained outdoors as aftershocks continued to rock the country.

One of Asia's poorest and most disaster-prone countries, Nepal is reeling from a massive earthquake outside the capital Kathmandu which has claimed hundreds of lives.

Municipalities are taking the lead in Jordan to help build resilience to disasters, in the wake of recurrent winter storms that have seen heavy snow, rainfall and high winds cause power cuts, road closures and flooded homes.

Inventors aiming to reduce the risk of disasters have flocked to Geneva to pitch a whole range of cutting-edge ideas, from earthquake-resistant buildings to lamps that make evacuations easier.

A 16th century Samurai has left a powerful legacy on the floodplain as well as the battlefield in one of Japan’s most beautiful yet hazardous regions.