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IPCC and UNISDR welcome new report as historic contribution to understanding disaster risk

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, today issued the following statement welcoming the approval in Kampala, Uganda, by the IPCC member States of the Summary for Policy Makers of the Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX). 		18 Nov 2011 Press release

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

Disaster resilience key to green economy

A strong push from the UN Environment Programme for green investments to protect key sectors of the economy from crises and shocks has earned praise from private companies keen to reduce disaster risk. 		16 Nov 2011 News briefs

UNISDR champion receives "Asian Leaders Award" for climate change advocacy

UNISDR champion Senator Loren Legarda received the Asian Leader Award for Environment Policy, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation last week. The award was given by publishing company Seagull Philippines, which held its 1st Seagull Philippines Asian Leaders Awards ceremony for Excellence, Best Values and Social Responsibility, at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City last Friday. 		16 Nov 2011 News briefs

Carbon intensity of world economy on the rise

The latest edition of the Low Carbon Economy Index finds that the world economy is going backwards rather than forwards in efforts to limit global warming to 2º Celsius as agreed during the Cancun round of climate change talks last year. 		11 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

Current efforts to mitigate climate change fall short of reaching vital goal, UN warns

International efforts to mitigate climate change are insufficient to meet the goal of keeping global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a United Nations report warned, just a month before a major conference on the issue is held in Durban, South Africa. 		25 Oct 2011 News briefs

Many children dying and jobs being lost in Asian floods says UNISDR

The floods which have affected eight million people across South East Asia, and which now threaten Bangkok, have underlined shortcomings in disaster risk reduction with many children drowning because they cannot swim, and thousands of workers now unemployed because of poorly located manufacturing plants, the Head of the UN’s Bangkok Office for Disaster Reduction, UNISDR, Jerry Velasquez said today. 		21 Oct 2011 Press release

Floods reveal risk reduction gaps in Thailand

The annual monsoon season in South East Asia continues to wreak havoc on lives and economies across many parts of the region with Thailand reportedly suffering from the worst floods in 50 years. 		17 Oct 2011 News briefs

Action as Water Runs Out in Tuvalu

Amidst growing concerns about drought crises in some of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of the Pacific, the Government of Tuvalu today began a three-week nationwide needs assessment of water, agriculture and health facilities. 		10 Oct 2011 News briefs

Pakistan President tells UNISDR he will champion disaster risk reduction

UN Disaster Risk Reduction Chief, Margareta Wahlström, met today for the first time with Pakistan’s President, Asif Ali Zadari, to discuss how Pakistan responds to “the new normal” in dealing with floods which have inundated the country for two successive years. 		7 Oct 2011 Press release

UNISDR champion calls for 'holistic' approach to flood risk as typhoons batter Philippines

UNISDR champion, Senator Loren Legarda of the Philippines, has called for an integrated flood warning and response system as 3.2 million people struggle with the impact of back-to-back typhoons which have triggered widespread floods across the country. 		6 Oct 2011 News briefs

UNISDR head calls for 'quantum leap' in approach to recurring floods in Pakistan

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, arrives on a three-day visit to Pakistan tomorrow (October 6) during which she will meet with President Asif Ali Zadari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, the National Disaster Management Authority, Meteorological Department officials and aid donors, to discuss future risk reduction measures as the country tries to cope with floods which have displaced an estimated 5.4 million people. 		5 Oct 2011 Press release

UNISDR backs charter to end extreme hunger

The head of the United Nation’s disaster risk reduction office, UNISDR, Margareta Wahlström, today strongly backed the NGO initiative “Never Again: A Charter to End Extreme Hunger.” 		27 Sep 2011 Press release

China and Africa Step Up Cooperation on Drought Risk Reduction

Over 40 officials from China, Africa and the United Nations are taking part in a three-day “Sino-African High-Level Seminar on Drought Risk Reduction” which is calling for drought risk reduction to be on the agenda of the next year’s Sino-African Summit for Development Cooperation. 		26 Sep 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

UN General Assembly opens with focus on disasters and prevention

At the opening of the General Debate of the 66th session of the UN General Assembly yesterday, incoming Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser identified disaster prevention as one of the key issues that will “help frame our work this session”. 		22 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

"Climate change and migration: the latest evidence" - Eurasylum monthly policy interview with Margareta Wahlstrom

Each month Eurasylum conducts a short interview of a leading player in international migration and asylum affairs, within a range of policy, academic and practitioners’ areas of expertise. This month they interviewed Margareta Wahlstrom on climate change and migration. 		8 Sep 2011 Statements & speeches

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

World cities come up with a five-point action plan to work together for sustainable development and disaster risk reduction

More than 200 participants, including 38 parliamentarians, mayors and vice mayors, from 33 countries adopted the Chengdu Declaration of Action, a five-point strategy to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing cities today. 		15 Aug 2011 News briefs

Philippines Government, UNISDR to Launch 2011 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction in Manila, 26 July 2011

The Government of the Philippines and the United Nations secretariat for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) will launch the latest United Nation’s Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR11) this Tuesday, 26 July, from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m., at the Sen. Padilla Room, the Senate of the Philippines, Manila. 		22 Jul 2011 News briefs

Philippines Parliamentarians Call for Mainstreaming DRR, Climate Change Adaptation in National Budget Legislation

Sixteen Parliamentarians from the Philippine House of Representatives yesterday adopted "the Incheon Resolution of the Philippine Parliamentarians on Effective Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation" which calls for their mainstreaming in the national budget legislation. 		18 Jul 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

Message from the Special Representative of the Secretary-General For Disaster Risk Reduction On World Population Day

The United Nations secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) joins the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in observing World Population Day 2011 – The World at 7 Billion. We welcome the campaign 7 Billion Actions which will spur commitment and spark actions vis-à-vis the opportunities and challenges presented by a world of seven billion people. 		11 Jul 2011 Statements & speeches

ECOSOC 2011 Statement by Margareta Wahlström, Special Representative of the Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction

Disasters have a proven negative impact on education and the efforts of governments to achieve MDG 2. 		7 Jul 2011 Statements & speeches
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