UNDRR News

Disasters present a whole host of risks for children, from threats to their health, psychosocial well-being, protection and nutrition, to disruption of education, all with potentially long-lasting consequences. However, students of all ages can participate effectively in school and community safety measures and work with teachers and other adults to minimize risk before, during and after disasters.

Curbing deaths from disasters requires local authorities and other community partners to raise their capacity to manage risks and thereby ensure safe and sustainable development for their citizens. In Mongolia, the government has committed not only to national action but also to fostering cities’ capacity.

Reducing the risks posed by natural and man-made hazards will be critical to keep cities around the globe on a sustainable development track, according to delegates preparing the way for the UN’s Habitat III conference on urbanization.

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has signed a five-year, US$10 million agreement with the Ministry of Public Safety and Security and Incheon Metropolitan City of the Republic of Korea to support education and training for disaster risk reduction.

The child-friendly version of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction is to be translated into Korean following a meeting of children and youth supported by the city of Incheon with the participation of UNISDR.

One hundred and fifty-six Korean municipalities have agreed to promote city-to-city learning to strengthen implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

This year’s International Day for Disaster Reduction highlighted the power of traditional, indigenous and local knowledge to protect people and communities, and the issue has been in the foreground at a conference of more than 3,000 officials and experts in fire risk management.

Korea’s advance towards a national integrated public-safety communications network is being heralded as an example of how disaster risk reduction represents a major business opportunity.

Cyclone Pam’s devastation of Vanuatu provided a real-time example of the relevance of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk as it was adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, in Japan, almost six months ago.

NADI, Fiji, 9 September 2015 – When floods closed Fiji’s main international airport for the only time in its history, economic shockwaves rippled through the tourism-dependent country.