Launch of the WorldRiskReport 2012
In the run up to the International Day for Disaster Reduction (October 13) , UNU and its partners will launch of the 20212 edition of the WorldRiskReport. Edited and published by Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft (Alliance Development Works), and developed in cooperation with UNU-EHS, the WorldRiskReport 2012 combines the expertise of development practitioners, the scientific knowledge of UNU as well as special knowledge on environmental degradation and nature conservation of The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
The focus of this 2nd edition of the WorldRiskReport is on a significant driver of disasters: the worldwide increase in environmental degradation. In comparison to last year’s edition, the index has changed in the field of environmental indicators, as the basic input data and indicators were updated respectively modified. In addition to updated data, the report contains a world map showing the coastal reef degradation in different countries.
When the full force of nature hits human settlements, the results can be disastrous. The lives of countless people are threatened, and through the destruction of buildings and infrastructure, progress made over years of development is destroyed in many countries. However, it is not the strength of a natural event alone that determines the extent of harm and damages. The risk a country runs depends crucially on social, economic and institutional factors – in a nutshell, the condition of society within that country.
The central element of the WorldRiskReport is the WorldRiskIndex, which illustrates the risk of various countries and regions to be hit by a disaster.
Information kits will be available at the briefing. The report will be presented in English.
Presenters will include UNU Vice Rector in Europe (and Director of UNU-EHS) Jakob Rhyner; Scientific Head of the WorldRiskIndex project at UNU-EHS. Dr Jörn Birkmann; Peter Mucke, WorldRiskReport Editor and Managing Director of Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft; and Christine Shepard, Global Marine Team, (TNC).