Science and technology

On 25 to 26 August, the UNISDR Regional Office for Africa is holding a pilot workshop on “Training of Trainers” in the Rift Valley Province to test a toolkit to “train trainers” in disaster risk reduction. “The outcome of this training will create a super highway for spreading hazard and disaster risk reduction information to local communities, thereby increasing their knowledgebase and consequently their resilience to natural disasters,” said Pedro Basabe, Head of the UNISDR Regional Office for Africa. Expected to attend are 30 Disaster Risk Reduction platform members from the provinces, and five regional participants from Burundi, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal and Kenya. > View full story

A “Forum on Disaster Risk Reduction” will be hosted by DEVNET in collaboration with UNISDR, UN-Habitat and ICLEI in the context of the Shanghai Expo 2010 "Better City, Better Life." The forum will be held at the Everbright Convention & Exhibition Center in Shanghai from 28-30 July 2010.

Local governments are showing their commitment to protect cities and citizens from natural hazards by signing up to a new global disaster risk reduction campaign. Davos (Switzerland), Port-au-Prince (Haiti), Santa Tecla (El Salvador) and Baofeng (China) are the latest to join the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction’s Making Cities Resilient: My City is Getting Ready campaign, which is aimed at guiding to process to put in place much-needed disaster reduction plans. On 30 May, leaders from eight took part in the UNISDR’s official campaign launch at the First World Congress on Cities and Adaptation to Climate Change in Bonn.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, May 31 - June 4, 2010 Volcanic risks are of great urban concern, as many settlements are situated on volcano flanks or in historic paths of mud and lava flows. COV6-Tenerife is an international forum where experts will discuss ways to improve volcanic risk management in densely populated volcanic regions. Henri Gaudru, President of the European Volcanologist Society, will present the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction as well as the 2010-11 World Disaster Reduction Campaign “Making Cities Resilient: My City is Getting Ready” at the meeting.

With more than half the world’s population living in urban areas, cities are particularly vulnerable to the risks of natural hazards, such as earthquakes, drought and floods. To strengthen a city’s readiness to reduce disaster impacts, the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction is launching this Sunday, 30 May 2010 in Bonn, Germany, a new campaign to raise awareness and boost commitment for sustainable development practices that will increase a city’s well-being and safety.

These good practices show how building the capacity of local institutions is key to sustaining disaster risk reduction, and demonstrate the immediate impact of local and national political commitments that institutionalise disaster risk reduction. Collaboration between local and national governments, civil society organizations and international agencies is another notable strength of the initiatives showcased in this publication.

Internationally renowned scientists and engineers will converge on the University of Miami campus March 22-23 for a workshop dedicated to rebuilding the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in ways that make it less vulnerable to damage from future earthquakes and other hazards. View full story ->

UNISDR is pleased to share its Management Response to the second external evaluation of the secretariat. The Management Response sets out the process and main activities to implement recommendations arising from the evaluation carried out by Dalberg Global Development Advisers. Initiated by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and major UNISDR donors, the evaluation’s purpose was to assess the secretariat’s performance over the last four years and to provide guidance for UNISDR's future direction. The independent report presents 42 recommendations based on 25 findings, which are summarized in five key messages included in the executive summary. > View executive summary > View full report > View management response