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Margareta Wahlström Secretary-General’s Special Representative for

Disaster Risk Reduction

United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)

Global Efforts on Disaster Risk Reduction

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Disaster risk: increasing globally

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Climate change and disaster risks

• Evidence of more extreme events already found (IPCC Assessment) – temperatures rising, loss of glaciers and polar ice, drought, heavy rainfall, heat waves, stronger tropical cyclones, floods

• Impacts in two ways (i) more extreme events (increased frequency and intensity) (ii) greater vulnerability to hazards - from stresses on ecosystems and water

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……Disasters magnified by climate change:

UNISDR Response :high level dialogue with senior

policy makers/parliamentarins and

national authorities to ensure that

investments in reducing disaster risk

are planned to reinforce adaptation to

climate change

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Disaster risk reduction is a powerful tool for climate change adaptation • Bali Action Plan (COP13) “risk management and risk reduction strategies, including risk sharing and transfer mechanisms” … and … “disaster reduction strategies and means to address loss and damage in developing countries”

• Reduced disaster risk means better adapted communities

• Use proven disaster reduction tools: e.g. risk assessment, early warning, land use planning, building codes, etc

•Copenhagen Summit : Government of Japan’s ambitious mitigation targets have further galvanised political commitments towards CCA•many countries climate vulnerable countries like Maldives, Kiribati, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia integrating DRR as an instrument of CCA

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Disaster and climate change: the UNISDR’s perspective

UNISDR is tracking these dual issues through:• Knowledge management (GAR) and • Regional programming

ISDR Work Plan 2010-2011: Strategic Direction and Impact Areas• Disaster risk reduction applied for climate change adaptation• Increasing investments for disaster risk reduction• Disaster resilient cities, schools and hospitals• Strengthened international cooperation mechanisms and better equipped secretariat

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Why a Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction:Knowledge and Strategic Information for Global Policy making :

• Periodic authoritative report on disaster risk reduction of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) to identify trends and propose policy initiatives

• Coordinated by UNISDR with UNDP, World Bank, UNEP, ProVention, WMO and many other partners.

• Accurately identify and measure contemporary patterns and trends in disaster risk

• Increase our understanding of the causal factors of risk and of it’s consequences for human and economic development

• Assess the progress being made by countries towards achieving the HFA (national progress reports etc)

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GAR indicates mixed progress in reducing risk :

ISDR Response ISDR undertaking a mid term review of implementation of the HFA with national governments, Civil society to accelerate

implementation in remaining period

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GAR :Disaster aggravates Poverty

22.5 million exposed per year

GDPcap. US$31,267

HDI =0.953

Mortality ratio = 1

16 million exposed per year

GDP cap. US$5,137

HDI = 0.771

Mortality ratio = 17

UNISDR Response : is promoting inclusion of Disaster resilience in Mid Term Review of MDG

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UNISDR’s Regional Programming

• Network of 5 Regional Offices: Bangkok, (for Asia); Kobe (for East Asia, sub office in Suva (for Pacific); Cairo, (Arab States); Panama (Americas); Nairobi (Africa);Moving to Brussels(Europe) with a sub-office in Dushanbe (for Central Asia) with overall coordination support from Geneva

• Providing technical assistance to Inter Governmental Regional Organisations for risk assessment and regional DRR strategies ( e.g South Asia impacts of Climate Change, GLOFs, Floods)

• Promoting coherent action in disaster risk reduction at national and regional levels: UNDAFs development, DRR training, upscaling national Investments in DRR ( e.g. 5 Flag Ship programme initiated with PM of Nepal )

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South Asia Regional Risk Assessment Report

Example :Nepal Climate Change Impacts :

Extreme Events

….a rise in 3° C and 4° C temperatures would result in the loss of 58 to 70 % of snow and glaciated areas with threat of floods, GLOFs.

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