UNDRR News

Government and schools were closed today in the Philippines coastal city of Tacloban as thousands of families flocked to evacuation centres ahead of the feared arrival of another “super typhoon” at the weekend.

Global policymakers were today urged to grasp the opportunity of the upcoming Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction #wcdrr as a key moment in collective efforts to build safer and more resilient nations www.wcdrr.org.

The Hyogo Framework for Action has been an important guide to disaster risk managers working to build resilience on one of the world’s most exposed and vulnerable coasts.

The first anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan which took the lives of 6,300 people and resulted in US$ 10 billion in economic losses, was the impetus for a gathering of chief executives, middle managers and government officials to discuss building resilience.

A dream came true for more than 200 families from Bogo city in Cebu yesterday when they received the keys to their new homes, a year after the most powerful typhoon to make landfall in the Philippines destroyed their old houses last November.

Ito Yoshichika is one of many proud citizens of the City of Sendai who are looking forward to telling their remarkable story of recovery when the city plays host to an expected 8,000 participants at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, in March 2015.

Forty city officials from China, Japan and Republic of Korea today joined in a toast “to work towards zero casualties from disasters” as the countdown continues to the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, in Sendai, Japan, next March.

The faculty of Pakistan’s National University of Science and Technology Risalpur campus knew it was time to act when the 2010 floods devastated large swathes of their country directly affecting 20 million people.

India has again emerged as a global example of early warning, early action with the timely evacuation of up to 400,000 people ahead of Cyclone Hudhud.

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) today said India has clearly demonstrated to the world that a “zero casualty” focus in the face of extreme weather events is both feasible and actionable following its second major success in 12 months at minimising the loss of life in the face of a severe cyclone packing winds of up to 200 kms per hour.