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June
2004
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ON
THE ROAD TO KOBE, HYOGO
World Conference on Disaster
Reduction (WCDR), Kobe, Hyogo,
Japan, 18-22 January 2005
WCDR
on-line dialogue: Setting a new international agenda
towards building disaster resilient communities
The ISDR secretariat invites you to participate in an on-line
conference to discuss priority areas for future action to implement
disaster risk reduction for 2005-2015. The dialogue will take
place from 15 June to 15 July, providing an opportunity to provide
inputs for the discussions and outcomes of the WCDR.
Further information on the on-line conference is available at http://www.unisdr.org/WCDR-dialogue/
To register, please refer to http://www.unisdr.org/WCDR-dialogue/registration.htm
African
consultation highlights regional strategy for disaster
reduction
In coordination with the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership
for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the ISDR secretariat organized
a regional consultation in preparation for the WCDR (Johannesburg,
South Africa, 2-3 June). Representatives from 28 African countries
as well as numerous international and regional organizations
discussed progress of disaster reduction in Africa and how to
best facilitate active participation for the region in the WCDR.
Recommendations, presentations and the background paper of the
meeting are available at http://www.unisdr.org/eng/wcdr/meetings/African-regional-consultation-2-3-June-04.htm
Beijing
meeting declares governments' responsibility for
protecting people from disasters
Co-organized by the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs and UN/ISDR
as part of the preparatory process leading to the WCDR, the International
Conference on Disaster Reduction in Beijing, China (25-27 May)
attracted over 100 participants from 18 countries and 6 international
organizations to further promote regional cooperation and collaboration
in disaster reduction, and integration of disaster reduction
into development planning, policies and implementation. The Conference
benefited from the recommendations of the earlier Asian Conference
on Disaster Reduction 2004 held in Siem Reap Cambodia (4-6 February)
and the Regional Consultation on Disaster Management held in
Dhaka, Bangladesh (29-31 March). The Conference declaration will
be available shortly on the ISDR website.
Latin
American experts from health sector prepare agenda
for disaster mitigation
Over 100 experts from 18 Latin American countries met in Nicaragua
on April 21-23 to review the current state of disaster vulnerability
in the region in preparation for the WCDR. The meeting noted
achievements in risk reduction and prepared an action plan to
reduce vulnerability in health facilities and water systems over
the next 10 years, stressing the need for these issues to be
addressed in national agendas and allocated the necessary financial
resources and legal frameworks, to be presented at the WCDR.
For more information on health facilities workshop please contact
mitigacion@ecu.ops-oms.org; on the drinking water infrastructure
workshop, contact: desastre@cepis.ops-oms.org. Further information
is available at http://www.paho.org/desastres
Caribbean
meeting on mitigation in health facilities
More than 34 representatives from Caribbean countries as well
as from the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Caribbean
Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA), Office of US Foreign
Disaster Assistance (OFDA), UN/ISDR and PAHO/WHO participated
in the Caribbean Meeting on Mitigation in Health Facilities held
in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago from 27-28 May 2004 sponsored
by PAHO and ISDR in preparation for the WCDR. The rich open discussion
helped to better identify central issues and recognized achievements
to date in risk reduction and health, noting that there is a
need to incorporate disaster mitigation into decision making
beyond the health sector alone to enable the development of national
risk reduction policies. Participants also agreed that hospital
vulnerability reduction should be included as a national indicator
of risk reduction.
Further information is available at http://www.paho.org/desastres
National
inputs for the WCDR - reminder
National
reporting and inputs is an essential component in the
lead up to and for the elaboration of outcomes of the
WCDR. UN Member States are urged to participate and submit
their inputs to the ISDR secretariat by 15 June 2004.
Numerous countries have indicated their preparation of
reports, with India being the first to submit its input
to the secretariat.
For further information and the outline for national inputs,
please refer to http://www.unisdr.org/eng/wcdr/national-inputs/wcdr-national-imputs.htm
For any enquiries relating to the Conference, please contact
the WCDR Special Unit on isdr-wcdr@un.org
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Learning
to live with risk: 2005 World Disaster Reduction Campaign
In the lead up to the WCDR as well as the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development (2005-2014), this year's World Disaster Reduction Campaign highlights
the importance of learning in disaster reduction to raise public awareness
and understanding, reflecting on past experience, sharing information and conducting
educational activities. The Campaign will build momenturm until its culmination
on the International Day for Disaster Reduction (Wednesday 13 October). More
information on the Campaign will soon be available on the ISDR website...so
stay tuned!
OCHA-UNEP
Environmental Emergencies Partnership delivering practical results
The Environmental Emergencies Partnership (EEP), founded by OCHA and UNEP with
support from a range of national and international stakeholders including the
ISDR, is now in a results-focussed implementation phase. The Partnership was
launched in 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, with the goal
of reducing the frequency and severity of environmental emergencies through
more effective and integrated preparedness, prevention and response.
The Partnership welcomes new partners to expand its outreach and explore possible
initiatives with a range of countries and stakeholders, including the private
sector. Anyone wishing to engage in the Partnership is invited to contact the
EEP Secretariat, c/o UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit at +41 Partnership is
invited to contact the EEP Secretariat, c/o UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit
at +41 22 917 3484 or to visit the pilot website at http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/eep
Environmental
Vulnerability Indicator (EVI) launched at SIDS meeting
The South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) launched the EVI at
a special session of the Preparatory Meeting for the 10-year Review of the
Barbados Programme of Action for small island developing states (SIDS) in New
York in April. The EVI was initiated in response to a call for the development
of a composite vulnerability index that incorporates both ecological fragility
and economic vulnerability, enabling SIDS to better understand their vulnerability
and move towards sustainable development.
More information on the EVI is available at http://www.sopac.org
Ghana
workshop unites representatives from 15 ministries
On 20-22 April a national workshop on disaster risk reduction for sustainable
development was held in Accra, Ghana. The workshop demonstrated the clear cross-cutting
nature of the subject, bringing together a range of participants who reviewed
national policies and activities in disaster risk management. Thomas Broni,
Deputy Minister of the Interior spoke on behalf of President J.A. Kufuor informing
participants that "the president of the Republic of Ghana regards issues
of disaster risk as very important for our development. The government has
therefore explicitly included disaster management as a focal area of Ghana's
poverty reduction strategy."
For further information on the meeting, please contact isdr-africa@unep.org
Health
and disasters: Risk of infection from dead bodies negligible after
natural disasters
The May 2004 issue of PAHO's journal "Pan American Journal of Public Health/Revista
Panamericana de Salud" presents a scientific article that argues that
fears that dead bodies will cause widespread infection following a disaster
are largely baseless and often lead to mistreatment of the bodies. Written
by Oliver Morgan studying at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,
the article breaks new ground and is available on the PAHO publications website http://publications.paho.org/english/dead_bodies.pdf
2004
UN Sasakawa Award for Disaster Reduction
Nominations are still being accepted for the 2004 UN Sasakawa Award for Disaster
Reduction until 18 August. 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!
To download the nomination form (available in English/French/Russian/Spanish),
please refer to http://www.unisdr.org/
For further information on the UN Sasakawa Award for Disaster Reduction, please
refer to http://www.unisdr.org/eng/sasakawa/sk-about-eng.htm
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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).
Please direct all enquiries (including subscription requests) to: isdr@un.org
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