UNDRR News

In the midst of one of the worst droughts to affect Central America in decades, the expanded Panama Canal is a model for how to adapt to climate change and reduce disaster risk.

The Americas have reached a new level in their drive to curb disaster risk in one of the most hazard-exposed regions of the world, UNISDR’s head Mr. Robert Glasser has told ministerial talks hosted by Paraguay.

This meeting marks the beginning of a new phase in the region’s growing sophistication when it comes to strengthening disaster risk governance and ensuring that risk informed decision making becomes part of the daily life of government.

The Americas is the second most disaster prone region in the world after Asia. A high level meeting in Paraguay will discuss how to implement the Sendai Framework over the next two days.

Mexico's drought-hit state of Chiapas is moving fast to implement a key target of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction as all 122 of its municipalities commit to have local plans for disaster risk management in place by May 2017.

The President of Mexico, Mr. Enrique Peña Nieto, today outlined his ambition for the country to become a role model in disaster risk reduction as it marks 30 years of the National System for Civil Protection.

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency is introducing a new awards scheme to recognise distinction in reducing disaster risk including the Jeremy Collymore Award for Research in Disaster Response and Disaster Risk Management.

The head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, today welcomed the passing of a resolution yesterday by the UN General Assembly which recognizes November 5 as World Tsunami Awareness Day. The resolution was led by Japan and Chile.

The Americas are paying a high price as one of the worst El Niños on record continues to strengthen. The World Meteorological Organization this week singled out “considerable concern” about the impact of El Niño on the Amazon basin in the context of long-term climate change.

The head of UNDRR, Margareta Wahlström, today described the eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano which claimed 25,000 lives in Colombia on November 13, 1985, as “a major turning point in the history of disaster risk management.”