emi

In its latest news brief (Dec. 29, 2010), UNISDR stressed the need for both developed and developing countries to plan ahead to mitigate increased economic losses, as weather patterns become more extreme and unpredictable. Calling the torrential rains that have caused nearly US$ 1 billion of flood damage to parts of northeastern Australia as the “new normal,” UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction Margareta Wahlström cautioned that costs of such magnitude would become commonplace around the world unless people change the way they think about and react to disasters, from regarding them as natural occurrences to acknowledging that they are influenced by man-made factors and can thus be planned for. She added that planning makes it possible to reduce the impact of storms or other hazards, noting that treating disasters as events disconnected from our actions keeps us vulnerable to the increasing magnitude of damage from such incidents. Ms. Wahlström also urged local authorities to ensure that risk assessment becomes a routine part of their planning processes, so that the implications of economic and social development on communities’ vulnerabilities can be anticipated.

Throughout 2010, as part of its “Making Cities Resilient” campaign, UNISDR has been encouraging local governments to perform risk assessments, to assign a budget for disaster risk reduction, to maintain critical infrastructure that reduces risk, and to ensure education and training in risk reduction. So far, 159 cities worldwide have joined the “Making Cities Resilient” campaign, and will share their experiences at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction -- a gathering of disaster risk reduction practitioners to be hosted by UNISDR in Geneva, from 8-13 May 2011.

Source: UNISDR