EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

During the 10th replenishment of the Asian Development Fund (ADF XI), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and ADF donors agreed to pilot the Disaster Response Facility (DRF) in the ADF XI period, 2013–2016. ADB will report on the implementation progress of the DRF at the ADF XI midterm review, and discuss the future of the DRF with the ADB Board of Directors and ADF donors at the ADF XII negotiations.

Executive Summary

Rationale, Methods, and Objectives

Dzud is the Mongolian term for a winter weather disaster in which deep snow, severe cold, or other conditions render forage unavailable or inaccessible and lead to high live stock mortality. Dzud is a regular occurrence in Mongolia, and plays an important role in regulating livestock populations.
However, dzud, especially when combined with other environmental or socio‐economic stresses and changes, can have a significant impact on household well‐being as well as local and national economies.

This report covers the period 1 January – 31 December 2011

Program summary The year of 2011 was comparatively mild with no severe winter (Dzud) thus no major losses of livestock and devastating impact on the herder community. With this favourable weather, Mongolian Red Cross Society (MRCS) focused on scaling up its community-based development programmes across the country.

Meanwhile, the National Society has been taking significant steps towards building its capacity to provide timely response to vulnerable and disaster affected populations.

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

Record cereal harvest is estimated for 2011

Livestock numbers have almost recovered following the aftermath of the 2009 natural disaster

Prices of rice and wheat (flour) have remained stable for several months but consumer price inflation is over 10 percent per annum

Record cereal harvest is estimated for 2011

By Necephor Mghendi and Afrhill Rances in Manila

One of the keys to protecting communities prone to climate-related hazards is integrating disaster risk reduction efforts with community-based risk management approaches. This was the message that the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) took to governments, inter-governmental organizations, NGOs, the private sector and academia at a recent Asia Pacific conference focused on developing policy responses to climate-induced migration.

Date: 1 July 2011
Press Release No: G/27/2011

Bangkok (UN ESCAP Strategic Communications and Advocacy Section) – Asia-Pacific countries ended three days of talks at a United Nations forum here today, agreeing to work more closely together on disaster risk reduction and make this central to national development strategies.

In brief

This annual report focuses on the work of the Asia Pacific zone office in 2010 to provide leadership and guidance to IFRC efforts to increase the impact of Asia Pacific national societies’ humanitarian activities. Many societies across the zone have maintained a high level of programming in several new disaster response operations and continued comprehensive post-disaster recovery activities, while others have started reviewing their development activities in line with IFRC’s newly adopted Strategy 2020.

Cereal import bill in poor food-deficit countries rising due to higher international prices

23 March 2011, Rome - FAO's first forecast for world wheat production in 2011 stands at 676 million tonnes, representing a growth of 3.4 percent from 2010, the March 2011 edition of the Crop Prospects and Food Situation report said today. This level would still be below the bumper harvests in 2008 and 2009.

Wheat plantings in many countries have increased or are expected to increase this year in response to strong prices,

Both the Humanitarian Transitional Appeal in Nepal and the Common Humanitarian Action Plan in Sri Lanka ended at the close of 2010. A 2011 Joint Plan of Assistance for Sri Lanka is expected