News Archive

Central African lawmakers step up disaster risk reduction

Members of parliament from across Central Africa are stepping up their region’s drive to curb the impact of natural and man-made hazards by implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Action for urban resilience

UN welcomes European Commission Action Plan on Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

The EU played a key role in negotiating the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the European Commission has now launched an action plan to implement it.

Data vital to Sendai implementation

The links between disaster risk reduction, sustainable development and climate change adaptation are in focus this week in the European Union’s hub of Brussels.

Florence boost for Sendai Framework

Mayors, ministers and experts are meeting in Florence today and tomorrow to discuss local level implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Uganda deploys drones to build refugee resilience

Uganda is developing base maps for refugee settlements that host thousands of people in the east African country, with the goal being to support risk-informed development and land use planning and thereby build community resilience.

Mongolia launches public-private partnership for resilience

Mongolia has launched a new partnership between the public and private sectors to prevent and reduce disaster risks, as the country looks to protect its economic growth and address its changing hazard profile.

Americas region steps up risk reduction drive

The Americas have reached a new level in their drive to curb disaster risk in one of the most hazard-exposed regions of the world, UNISDR’s head Mr. Robert Glasser has told ministerial talks hosted by Paraguay.

Speech by Robert Glasser on implementing the Sendai Framework in the Americas

This meeting marks the beginning of a new phase in the region’s growing sophistication when it comes to strengthening disaster risk governance and ensuring that risk informed decision making becomes part of the daily life of government.

Americas meet on Sendai Framework

The Americas is the second most disaster prone region in the world after Asia. A high level meeting in Paraguay will discuss how to implement the Sendai Framework over the next two days.

UN recognises French flood control efforts

France enacted a major 11 day flood preparedness and response exercise in March, just over two months before it was hit by severe floods.

Disaster risk reduction champion to inspire Asia

India’s UN Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction is confident his country will seize the huge opportunity of building sustainable and resilient development in the world’s second-most populous country.

Paris on major flood alert

Officials in Paris have closed two of the world’s most famous museums as the river Seine rose above its preliminary alert level of five metres yesterday evoking fears of a repeat of the catastrophic floods of 1910.

Healthy ecosystems shield against disasters

Healthy and well-managed ecosystems offer a buffer against hazards and can support local resilience by sustaining livelihoods, making them a cornerstone of efforts to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

India puts Sendai Framework into operation

The Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, today released the country’s first ever National Disaster Management Plan, a document based on the global blueprint for reducing disaster losses, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

UN welcomes India's first national disaster management plan

The head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser, today congratulated the Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, and his government for producing the country’s first ever National Disaster Management Plan.

Drought-hit Chiapas leads on Sendai

Mexico's drought-hit state of Chiapas is moving fast to implement a key target of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction as all 122 of its municipalities commit to have local plans for disaster risk management in place by May 2017.

Indigenous peoples champion Sendai Framework

Indigenous peoples have spotlighted the need to take their concerns into account when it comes to reducing disaster risk, notably for members of their communities with disabilities.

The Climate Change Solution to Disasters

This year is already on track to be the hottest on record, beating out 2015 for this unfortunate distinction. Every year, if it’s not the mercury rising it’s the tangible impacts of climate change.

Implementing Sendai to reduce humanitarian burden

A major side event took place yesterday at the World Humanitarian Summit: Implementing the Sendai Framework to Reduce the Humanitarian Burden: ASEAN Resilience in Practice. Here is a flavour of some of the discussion.

UN and businesses team up to prevent and respond to crises

A major global network launches today at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul to facilitate business engagement in crisis situations through pre-positioning supplies, meeting humanitarian needs and providing resources, knowledge and expertise to disaster prevention.

Sendai Framework critical to reshaping aid

On the first day of the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), the head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser, warned that risk reduction efforts would struggle to have impact if greenhouse gas emissions are not radically scaled down.

UN praises Bangladesh Cyclone Preparedness Programme ahead of World Humanitarian Summit

The Bangladesh Cyclone Preparedness Programme proved its value again this weekend as 500,000 people were evacuated to safety ahead of Cyclone Roanu. UNISDR Chief, Mr. Robert Glasser, is calling for greater investment in disaster risk reduction at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul.

Heat, fire and drought in India

India has been suffering a long lasting drought which will not be broken until the monsoon rains arrive next month. Today a new national temperature record of 51 degrees Celsius.

World Humanitarian Summit: Leaving no one behind means investing in disaster risk management

The World Humanitarian Summit opens on Monday. The Head of UNISDR, Mr. Robert Glasser, is calling for a shift from managing disasters to managing disaster risk if the world is to reduce the numbers of people displaced by disasters.

Kampala strives to improve resilience

Authorities in Uganda’s capital city are prioritising infrastructure development, climate-smart capital investment procedures and emissions reduction in order to strengthen the city’s resilience to natural and man-made hazards.

Tsunami experts drill to curb Indian Ocean risk

It’s 6:00 am one September day when a powerful undersea earthquake rocks the Makran Trench along the coast of Pakistan and Iran. Minutes later, the tsunami warning centres in India and Indonesia issue simultaneous alerts, followed rapidly by their counterpart in Australia, and authorities across the Indian Ocean swing into action. It's all a test, and a critical component of the region's disaster preparedness.

Asian media back Sendai Framework

The powerful Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) has issued a pledge to support a key priority of the Sendai Framework and to promote a greater understanding of disaster risk among the public with particular focus on vulnerable groups.

World Tsunami Awareness Day plans rolled out

World Tsunami Awareness Day makes its debut on the international calendar this November, and disaster experts from around the Indian Ocean have been given an early opportunity to step up and get involved.

Climate change a factor in displacing millions

With just ten days to go to the World Humanitarian Summit, new figures on internally displaced people show that natural hazards including severe weather events are displacing millions of people every year.