News Archive

Experts and Policy Makers Gather to Discuss Critical Actions for Climate Change Adaption

Global experts and policy makers working on disaster risk reduction begin discussions today at the 2009 Stockholm Policy Forum on Climate-Smart Disaster Risk Reduction. The Forum aims to address the issue of reducing risks associated with weather-related hazards, a key component of climate change adaptation. The Forum will also identify promising practices and critical actions for post-Copenhagen implementation of adaptation.

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Rachel Shebesh appointed African Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction

Rachel Shebesh, Member of Parliament of the Republic of Kenya and Chair of the African Parliamentarian Initiative for Climate Risk Reduction, was appointed today as the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction champion for disaster risk reduction in Africa during the launch of the Black and Green, Ready to Lead campaign that took place at the Pan-African Parliament in Johannesburg, South Africa.

New Legislation in the Philippines places Disaster Risk Reduction as the first line of defense against climate change risks

African Parliamentarians agree on concrete actions to reduce the impact of climatic disasters

International Day for Disaster Reduction: Disaster Risk Reduction initiative for Nepal launched

Katmandu - A new disaster risk reduction initiative for Nepal was launched by a consortium of partners that comprises the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, other United Nations organizations, the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank to mark the 2009 International Day for Disaster Reduction.

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International Day for Disaster Reduction: new initiatives launched in London

2009 International Day for Disaster Reduction in Kenya

The biannual campaign for ‘Hospitals safe from Disasters’ was widely promoted in Nairobi Kenya as part of the celebration of the 2009 International Day for Disaster Reduction. The event took place in the August 7th Memorial Park of Nairobi, the former site of the US Embassy that was bombed in 1998 which is also a public place to develop awareness. The event was organized by the Kenya Ministry of Special Programmes, Kenya Red Cross, St. John Ambulance, Medics 24 and hospitals in coordination with the Memorial Park administration, UNISDR, UNOCHA and WHO. Among the participants were civil society, universities, practitioners and public were present.

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Maldives celebrates International Day for Disaster Reduction

School children from the Maldives will be visiting one of their native islands, Dhuvaafaru today for an awareness raising activity within the context of the International Disaster Risk Reduction Day. Dhuvaafaru was among the several islands severely affected by the 2008 tsunami.

2009 International Day for Disaster Reduction - 14 October

New National Platforms in Europe

National Platforms for Advancing Disaster Risk Reduction at National Level Workshop, 31 August-02 September 2009, Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina)

Typhoon Ondoy - Realities on the ground deserve priority for action

As the death toll rises in the Philippines, after Typhoon Ondoy struck the country and left the main capital Manila in havoc, poor drainage systems and garbage disposal problems appear to have aggravated the impacts of the disaster.

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The Summit on Climate Change acknowledges disaster risk reduction

Disaster risk reduction was highlighted during the one-day Summit on many occasions. The outcome of the Summit, captured in the Chair’s Summary, emphasized clearly that adaptation must be given higher priority and in this context called for greater synergy with disaster risk reduction.

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UN Secretary-General to convene summit on climate change - disaster risk reduction on the agenda

UNISDR at World Climate Conference 3 (WCC-3)

Hospitals Safe from Disasters in ECO countries, 2008-2009 Global Campaign

Launch of the 2009 ISDR Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction: Risk and poverty in a changing climate

World Climate Conference - 3

World Humanitarian Day

Landslide Impacts Can Be Reduced

Asia's first urban risk reduction training and education facility opens in Republic of Korea

Geneva - the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) and the Government of the Republic of Korea are opening Asia's first ISDR Education and Training Institute for Urban Risk Reduction in Incheon, Republic of Korea.

The new premises will be inaugurated today (11 August 2009) by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, who has a special interest in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, Margareta Wahlström, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Seong Ryong Choi, the Admininstrator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Ahn Sang-Soo, the Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City. More than 200 participants are expected to attend the opening ceremony among them many high level Korean government representatives.

International Conference on ‘Building a Local Government Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction’, 11-13 August, Incheon, Republic of Korea

Disaster Prevention Workshop, 27-29 July 2009, Stockholm (Sweden)

Second session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction

The second session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction was held from 16 to 19 June in Geneva, Switzerland and attracted approximately 152 governments, 137 organizations, and 1688 delegates. Africa alone accounted for more than 160 participants with a government delegation of over 40 countries including high-ranking government and political leaders.

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First Euro-Mediterranean forum on Civil Protection issues 21-22 July 2009, Rome (Italy)

UNISDR side event at ECOSOC 2009 - Briefing on the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction

17 July 2009, Palais des Nations 1.15-2.45 pm Room XXII

The side event will brief on the outcomes of the Second Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in June 2009. It will build on the Chair’s Summary of the Global Platform and highlight the lessons, findings and recommendations from global and regional reports and the conclusions from the five high-level panels, each of which is being represented by the Panelists.

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IPCC Special Report 'Managing the risks of extreme events and disasters': Nominate an author until 27 Jul 2009

G8 Summit ‘promises much’ on Disaster Risk Reduction

BBC World Debate ‘Prevent or React’

Side Event on South Eastern Europe and Disaster Risk Reduction, 17 June 2009, Global Platform, Geneva (Switzerland)