UNDRR News

GENEVA, 15 July 2014 – Local communities are already leading the way in adopting a holistic approach to development, the Preparatory Committee of the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction heard today...

Future progress to reduce disaster risk rests, in large part, on expanded and stronger public-private sector partnerships, the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee of the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction heard today.

The lack of privacy for women in emergency shelters – managed by men - following the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami was cited today as an example of how gender issues can be overlooked in disaster risk management as civil society took centre stage at preparatory talks in Geneva on the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction scheduled for Sendai, Japan, in March 2015...

GENEVA, 14 July 2014 - Indicators for the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction need to show what is happening locally as well as globally, the Preparatory Committee of the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction heard today...

The private sector and farmers took the stage today at preparatory talks on a new global framework for disaster risk reduction which are open to major groups from civil society as well as governments.

Preparations for the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction gathered momentum today as more than 600 government representatives and experts from around the world convened in Geneva for the First Session of an Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee.

A new review of disaster losses from 1970 to 2012 released today sets the stage for next week’s intergovernmental discussions on a new global framework for disaster risk reduction hosted in Geneva by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).

This week’s European Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction has made a series of recommendations for the Post-2015 Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction in advance of next week’s Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meetings in Geneva which will produce the first draft.

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.

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.