Philippine launch of the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction: revealing risk, redefining development

United Nations experts will be briefing senior Philippine Government officials and foreign diplomatic corps on the costs and benefits of disaster prevention. As the Philippines strives for sustainable and equitable economic growth, the impacts of natural hazards, such as the damages wrought by Typhoons Ondoy (Ketsana) and Pepeng (Parma) in 2009, have been a major constraint and an important development issue that the country has to face continually. Climate change could further affect the frequency and intensity of such hazards and even worsen the state of disaster risk in the country which has already escalated economic losses by 18 fold since 1970.

The publication 2011 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction – Revealing Risk, Redefining Development, highlights the political and economic imperative to reduce disaster risks, and the benefits to be gained from doing so. The report produced by the United Nations is the culmination of expert research by more than 80 United Nations and research institutions around the globe.

Following President Aquino’s State of the Nation Address, the briefing will serve as a forum to examine the state of nation’s resilience against disasters and climate change.