Foreign Policy
FP
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Foreign Policy is a media organization devoted to the coverage of global affairs.
Items: 5
Insufficient water for washing is likely to worsen the coronavirus in the poorest nations. There’s a better way forward.
In a robust democracy, a natural disaster does not usually undermine democratic institutions. The Indonesian government's inability to adequately warn its citizens before the Sulawesi disaster could trigger a political breakdown, as the combination of natural disasters and governmental incompetence often discredits institutional reliability in young democracies.
In Indonesia, localized disaster knowledge passed down between generations can save lives. But urbanization is smudging traditional practices, so authorities must incorporate indigenous wisdom into the formalized technical knowledge that institutions value.
The latest disaster in Indonesia shows the need for the global system put in place in the wake of 2004’s devastating waves. The failure of cell phone and siren alert systems during this year's tsunami highlights the limitations of national capabilities and the need for an interconnected system of seismological data detection centers and high-tech ocean buoys.
Thanks to booming populations, rapid urbanization, and accelerating changes in our climate, the costs related to heat wave disasters will almost certainly keep rising, as will the frequency of intense hurricanes, recurrent flooding, and raging wildfires. Learning from past disasters, a number of countries are investing in disaster risk reduction.
Voluntary Commitments
The organization has no registered commitments.
The Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments (SFVC) online platform allows stakeholders to inform the public about their work on DRR. The SFVC online platform is a useful toolto know who is doing what and where for the implementation of the Sendai Framework, which could foster potential collaboration among stakeholders. All stakeholders (private sector, civil society organizations, academia, media, local governments, etc.) working on DRR can submit their commitments and report on their progress and deliverables.