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Writeshops successfully mentor young researchers

Yuwan Malakar has good reason to be focused and driven these days. The 30-year old environmental management major from Nepal has just had his first paper on climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) published in one of the highly respected online journals of the Policy Studies Organization. 		19 Apr 2012 News briefs

Uncertain rainy season for Horn of Africa

The March to May rainfall season in the Greater Horn of Africa is likely to result in "near normal to below normal rainfall" over much of the region, according to a statement today from the 30th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF30). 		29 Feb 2012 News briefs

New drought threat in the Horn of Africa

Government representatives, climatologists, agricultural experts, disaster risk managers and others gather in Kigali, Rwanda, for three days next week to share information on the possibility of a third consecutive year of drought in the Horn of Africa. 		24 Feb 2012 Press release

Cyclone hits as evaluation team visits Madagascar

For the second year in a row, Valentine's Day on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar has been marked by the arrival of a tropical cyclone. Cyclone Giovanna made landfall on the east coast shortly after midnight, bringing torrential rain and reported wind speeds of up to 231 km per hour. 		14 Feb 2012 News briefs

Horn of Africa crisis results in effort to improve action on early warnings

In advance of critical rainfall forecasts for the Horn of Africa, the UN office for disaster risk reduction, UNISDR, today announced a partnership with the WMO-supported African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD) to ensure rapid dissemination of weather updates to disaster managers. 		13 Feb 2012 Press release

Durban decision imminent on Green Climate Fund

Ten years after the first Funds were established to support adaptation activities in developing countries, the world, and Africa in particular, is waiting to see if a deal can be brokered this weekend at the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban which would amount to a quantum leap in the finance available to reduce disaster risk in countries bearing the brunt of climate change. 		9 Dec 2011 News briefs

No climate fund, No poverty reduction?

The President of the African Development Bank, Donald Kaberuka, told a major forum at the COP17 talks in Durban yesterday that ”failing to fund climate change is failing to fund poverty reduction.” 		8 Dec 2011 News briefs

Mexico City brings some good news to COP17

While good news remains in short supply from the main climate change talks here in Durban, there is a growing sense that local government is taking the lead on mitigation and adaptation without waiting for their central governments to direct their efforts. 		8 Dec 2011 News briefs

Turn the science into action on climate change says UNISDR Chief

UNISDR Chief, Margareta Wahlström, told an exclusive gathering of 35 eminent scientists and politicians from around the world at the COP 17 in Durban that "there is a huge need to translate the best science on climate change into practical action." 		7 Dec 2011 News briefs

Risk reduction must be priority in COP17 talks says IPU

Parliamentarians from around the world gathered in Durban, South Africa, yesterday to press for progress in the COP17 climate change negotiations and called on the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) "to prioritize disaster risk reduction and capacity building as cross-cutting issues and to give them the utmost attention." 		6 Dec 2011 News briefs

Adaptation Charter – good start to the week

The Durban Climate Change Adaptation Charter for Local Government adopted yesterday was hailed by UNISDR Chief, Margareta Wahlstrom, as "the best possible start to a critical week in the life of this planet when we so urgently need real leadership on mitigation and adaptation." 		5 Dec 2011 News briefs

UNISDR welcomes local government focus on climate adaptation

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, today welcomed the Durban Climate Change Adaptation Charter for Local Government agreed yesterday by Mayors from around the world as "the best possible start to a critical week in the life of this planet when we so urgently need real leadership on mitigation and adaptation. 		5 Dec 2011 Press release

DRR and climate change adaptation key to reducing extreme weather events

Linking disaster risk and climate change is key to reducing the impacts of extreme weather events that have increasingly been on the rise, according to a high level debate today at the Climate Change talks in COP-17 in Durban. The discussions were part of a UNISDR side-event showcasing experiences on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction (DRR). 		3 Dec 2011 News briefs

Invest today for a safer tomorrow says President Zuma

South African President, Jacob Zuma, borrowed the UNISDR slogan "invest today for a safer tomorrow" when he spoke today at the opening of the Durban Local Government Convention which aims to develop an Adaptation Charter this weekend which will feed into the high-level segment of the UNFCCC-COP17 climate change negotiations. 		2 Dec 2011 News briefs

ICLEI takes the lead on climate change

Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) is the driving force behind a major effort to have the voices of cities and local governments heard at the UNFCC-COP17 climate negotiations in Durban. 		2 Dec 2011 News briefs

IPCC puts risk reduction at centre of climate debate

The Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has put disaster risk reduction at the centre of the climate change debate with the weekend publication of its Summary for Policymakers of the Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (IPCC SREX). 		21 Nov 2011 News briefs

IPCC negotiates in climate challenged Uganda

Sporadic light rain fell this morning on the vastness of Uganda’s Lake Victoria as Alex Bakunda MP, chairman of the Ugandan Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, chatted with local fisherman, Babalanda Yusuf, about the difficulty of making a living from fishing in Africa’s largest body of fresh water. 		17 Nov 2011 News briefs

Southern Africa launches Disaster Risk Reduction Platform

When unexpectedly heavy floods displaced more than a million people in southern Africa in 2007, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) began to meet annually to prepare for future occurrences, culminating in the creation of the SADC Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction this month. 		31 Oct 2011 News briefs

Cape Town: What it takes to be a role model city

On 12 October, following the launch of its Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC), Cape Town joined 14 other cities around the world who have been awarded ‘Role Model City’ status by UNISDR, the UN office for disaster risk reduction. 		19 Oct 2011 News briefs

Children's Charter for DRR: South Africa budgets for safe schools

South Africa’s Western Cape Provincial Government announced this week that it was increasing the budget allocation for safe schools from Rand 19 million to Rand 21 million and is taking steps to incorporate disaster risk reduction into the school curriculum. 		14 Oct 2011 News briefs

West Africa Mayors look to Durban for climate change breakthrough

In a further sign that Africa is mobilizing for its voice to be heard at the COP17 negotiations in Durban, the Mayors of major cities and chairmen of local governments across West Africa met this week in Lagos, Nigeria, to endorse and sign the African Mayors Climate Change Declaration. 		23 Sep 2011 News briefs

African States seek a common position for Durban

Last Friday over 50 African Ministers of the Environment attending the Fourth Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) adopted a declaration endorsing an ‘African Common Position’ as the basis for negotiations by African States at the next round of UN Climate Change negotiations (COP17) to be held in Durban, South Africa starting 17 November. 		19 Sep 2011 News briefs

Climate Green Fund Dominates Bamako Discussions - The Road to Durban

The Cancun-agreed Green Climate Fund which aims to provide US$100 billion per annum by 2020 to assist developing countries in financing adaptation, was a hot topic for discussion at today’s Fourth Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN). 		15 Sep 2011 News briefs

African ministerial conference wrestles with key environmental issues ahead of RIO+20

It is almost 20 years since the historic United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, alerted Governments and citizens to critical human development issues and made specific demands of countries. Among the issues fuelling the discourse then, was the global sounding off on the depletion of world’s irreplaceable environmental resources. 		14 Sep 2011 News briefs

African Heads of State call for reform of emergency response and 'long-term solutions' to Horn of Africa crisis

At a time when over one billion dollars has been mobilized to provide humanitarian aid to 13 million people in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa, leaders have issued a strong call to “reform the system of emergency humanitarian response in the region, aiming to enhance resilience and promote long-term solutions.” 		13 Sep 2011 News briefs

Uganda Environment Minister launches special session on DRR during 29th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum

The Minister of State for Environment, Hon. Flavia Munaaba, launched a special joint session on disaster risk reduction during the Twenty-Ninth Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF29). The aim of the special session is to move towards a “paradigm” shift when addressing climate change and risks for sustainable development in the Region. 		2 Sep 2011 Press release

Bridging the gap between climate scientists and disaster risk reduction experts, during Fifteenth Southern Africa Region Climate Outlook Forum

The Southern Africa Development Community Disaster Risk Reduction Unit, GFDRR and UNISDR are conducting a disaster risk reduction stakeholders training workshop from 27-28 August 2011. 		27 Aug 2011 News briefs

Gabon’s National Platform holds inaugural workshop, solutions for future disasters must go beyond humanitarian response

A three-day workshop took place in Libreville from 25-27 July to officially launch the activities of Gabon’s National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. There was a clear vision from the participants of the workshop that humanitarian response could not solve the problem of disasters. 		2 Aug 2011 News briefs

East African countries join 'Making cities resilient' campaign - AU calls for integration of disaster risk reduction into national planning

The rallying call of the UNISDR led ‘Making cities resilient campaign’ to city authorities to build resilient, sustainable urban communities to reduce disaster risks, has just added the East African cities of Bujumbura in Burundi, as well Arusha and Moshi in the Republic of Tanzania to its ever expanding list... 		14 Jul 2011 Press release

East Africa Region to Tackle Disaster Risk Reduction, Common Strategy, Solutions to Address Urban Sustainability Sought

The Africa Union Commission will hold a regional workshop for the East Africa region to accelerate action in the implementation of the Africa Regional Strategy on disaster risk reduction and its Programme of Action to reduce the vulnerabilities of EAC Member States to natural hazards. 		12 Jul 2011 Press release
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