2006

2005
 December 2005
 November 2005
 October 2005
 September 2005
 August 2005
 July 2005
 June 2005
 May 2005
 April 2005
 March 2005
 February 2005
 January 2005
 
2004
2003
 
 
January 2005
 
The ISDR secretariat wishes ISDR Highlights readers the very best for 2005, a year which holds great promise for the advancement of disaster reduction beyond the World Conference on Disaster Reduction to be held this month in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.
The secretariat also takes this opportunity to express its sincere condolences to those affected by the tragic tsunami disaster of 26 December 2004.

ON THE ROAD TO KOBE, HYOGO
World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR), Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, 18-22 January 2005

Daily updates on the WCDR
The WCDR website is being updated on a daily basis, providing important news on WCDR events and logistics information. Stay in touch with what is happening before and during the WCDR by making http://www.unisdr.org/wcdr your homepage, or make a link from your website so that your partners can follow the Conference.

Two extra sessions on tsunamis at WCDR
Following the recent tsunami disaster in Asia, it was decided that two extra sessions will be held at the WCDR. A special session will be held on Thursday 20 January at Kobe in the plenary. High-ranking government officials from affected countries and Japan will be present together with Jan Egeland, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, who will be co-chairing the session. Another technical session organized by the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) will be held on Saturday 22 January, bringing together several tsunami experts to see how effectively mechanisms can be installed to develop existing facilities.
More news on the South Asia tsunami is available at http://www.unisdr.org/eng/media-room/media-room.htm

Change of time: WCDR opening
WCDR participants are requested to note that the opening time on 18 January has now been changed to 10:30am.
To view the WCDR schedule and room allocation, please refer to http://www.unisdr.org/wcdr/daily-programme/thematic-18-tuesday.htm

Thematic segment: Discussion papers now available on-line
A range of sessions will be held under the umbrella of the WCDR Thematic Segment, falling under the following five themes:
1. Governance: Institutional and policy frameworks for risk reduction (UNDP/BCPR, ProVention Consortium Secretariat, UN-HABITAT, UNV)
2. Risk identification, assessment, monitoring and early warning (WMO, UNU, EC/JRC)
3. Knowledge management and education: Building a culture of resilient communities (UNESCO, IFRC; UNICEF)
4. Reducing the underlying factors (UNEP, WHO, UNCRD)
5. Preparedness for effective response (OCHA, WFP)
Discussion papers on each theme are now available at http://www.unisdr.org/wcdr

ECHO/ISDR good practices for resilient communities
The ISDR Secretariat in consultation with experts in disaster reduction and the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) has identified 24 initiatives to be displayed in an “ECHO/ISDR good practices for resilient communities”exhibit at the Public Forum of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction. Under ECHO sponsorship with local partners and NGOs, the exhibit provides an inter-active venue to present posters, and to share and disseminate experiences.
For further information on the exhibit, please refer to http://www.unisdr.org/wcdr/public-forum/good-practices.htm


Disaster statistics
The ISDR website now has a new section which presents a set of selected statistics on disaster occurrence and their impact for the period 1994-2003, which can be also found on a CD-ROM prepared by the ISDR Secretariat as a contribution to the Yokohama Review process (1994-2003). Tables, graphics and maps are based on the data available at the OFDA/CRED International Disasters Database (EM-DAT), provided by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) according to country and thematic aggregations.
The new section on statistics is available at http://www.unisdr.org/disaster-statistics/introduction.htm

Disaster reduction hot topic of discussion at international meetings on climate change and small island developing States
On 10 December 2004 at the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP-10) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) a special side event was co-organized by the ISDR secretariat and the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre entitled: “Disaster reduction and climate change: Opportunities for synergy”. The event provided an opportunity to exchange views on recent initiatives to strengthen the linkages between climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and development initiatives. It also allowed for a discussion on the relevance of climate change at the WCDR.
A summary of the side event is available at http://www.iisd.ca/climate/cop10/enbots/pdf/enbots1505e.pdf
For further information on COP-10, please refer to http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_10/items/2944.php

An international meeting on small island developing States (SIDS) and a follow up for the 10-year review of the Barbados Programme of Action for the sustainable development of SIDS is currently being held in Mauritius (10-14 January 2005). In light of the recent tsunami as well as 2003’s record hurricane season in the Caribbean, natural disasters are expected to be a high priority on the meeting’s agenda.
For further information on the meeting, please refer to http://www.sidsnet.org

Launch of the 2005 nomination process of the UN Sasakawa Award for Disaster Reduction
Nomination booklets are now available for the annual nomination process of the UN Sasakawa for Disaster Reduction. Join us in rewarding individuals and institutions from around the world who contributed, through innovative practices and outstanding initiatives, to reducing the risk and vulnerabilities of communities to natural hazards! Nomination forms are available in English, French and Spanish at http://www.unisdr.org and must be submitted by 29 July 2005.
For further information on the UN Sasakawa Award for Disaster Reduction, please refer to http://www.unisdr.org/eng/sasakawa/sk-about-eng.htm or contact rosec@un.org

Disaaster risk reduction 1994-2004: UN/ISDR CD set
The ISDR secretariat has prepared a set of 3 CDs on risk reduction information covering the period 1994-2004 on the occasion of the WCDR. The CD set contains an extensive collection of documentation including information compiled for the Yokohama review, guidelines, tools, articles, case studies, country profiles and statistics on disaster reduction. All documents are available in full text format, providing a "virtual library" on disaster reduction for a broad audience.For further information on the CD set, please contact Marie-Lou Darricau, darricau@un.org

New UN publication: Know Risk
Tudor Rose and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) have collaborated in a unique public-private partnership to advance their shared commitment to reducing disaster risk through the release of this landmark book. Know Risk is a fully illustrated, 376-page book with over 160 authors relating their work in disaster reduction at international, regional, national, municipal and local levels. Know Risk reflects the progress in this field over the past ten years, highlighting good practices and drawing on the findings of the Yokohama review.
The publication will be launched at the WCDR, with one complimentary copy being provided per delegation. Additional copies will be available for purchase on-site from the UN Publications stand.
To order a copy, please refer to http://www.knowrisk.org or contact UN Publications at unpubli@unog.ch
A flyer on Know Risk is available at http://www.unisdr.org/news/know-risk-flyer.pdf

 

ISDR Highlights is a monthly email update on current news in disaster reduction published by the Inter-Agency Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR).
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