Update

'Disasters, as well as subsequent relief and recovery activities, have significant impacts on agro-biodiversity, including diversity of crops and their varieties that may exist in a farming system,' a researcher at the Nairobi-based International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and new study's lead author, told SciDevNet...

As the 17th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union wrapped up in Malabo, Guinea, talks of a common voice on sustainable development have continued to dominate agendas in Africa ahead of the United Nations climate talks to be held in Durban in December. The need to address the issue of disasters and climate change continues to at the fore of various platforms of implementing the extended Africa Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction.

'It is fundamental, that our local leaders are conscious about the potential risk their citizens face and we need to invest more on disaster risk reduction measures at local levels with assistance of all stakeholders' said Minister Mahinda Amaraweera at the national launch of the 'Making Cities Resilient' world campaign yesterday...

The damage from yesterday's earthquake was minimal, however, Fran O'Sullivan questions why the latest national infrastructure plan does not emphasise more the need to ensure that the country's networked infrastructures and public buildings, such as schools and hospitals, can withstand the impact of a major earthquake...

A new loss model developed by Swiss Re and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) highlights the impact of climate change on local soil conditions and the expected damage to properties across Europe...

'We had hoped to come up with a global risk assessment for drought, but we found that the data was simply not available,' Andrew Maskrey, coordinator of the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2011, told SciDev.Net, at the recent United Kingdom launch...

'The severity of floods, storm surges, and tsunamis becoming more eminent and largely affecting lowlands are proving that the issue of relocation needs to be more seriously considered in our national policy,' writes Pardeep C Lal, a lecturer at the Fiji National University, Labasa Campus...

'International finance providers really need to put developing countries in the driver’s seat and not impede the role of country governments and that means giving funding on the basis of national strategies that countries put in place,' said David Waskow, climate change programme director for Oxfam America, in a report by AlertNet...

'Now is the season to intensify the campaign against disaster. We have to have a serious programmes in disaster mitigation to sustain the no-life-lost thrust of the city government,' said Herbert Bautista. The city noted a 'no casualty' record from the heavy rains during storm Falcon, reports the Manila Bulletin...

The National Disaster Management Agency, supported by the government, will soon embark on development projects across the country, such as the construction of a culvert in Lower River Region, reported Governor Alhaji Lamin Waa Juwara during a recent sensitisation forum...