IHA/1314

GENEVA, 21 May (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction) ‑ The global consequences of disasters, and the need for strengthening resilience through partnerships and investment, were stressed at the opening ceremony of the fourth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Geneva this morning.

By Andrew McElroy

GENEVA, 21 May 2013 - Leading figures from the private sector said today they were ready to "come in from the cold" and play a stronger leading role to reduce disaster risk.

CEO of Titan America, Aris Papadopoulos, praised 'pioneer' business leaders who were championing the cause of resilience, on the opening day of the 4th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva, but warned a long road lay ahead.

As risks such as climate change and food price volatility increase, Oxfam calls for a radical approach to resilience-building - addressing the structural inequalities that entrench vulnerability.

CCRIF Quarterly Report 1 December 2012 – 28 February 2013

The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) is the first multi-country risk pool in the world, and is also the first insurance instrument to successfully develop parametric policies backed by both traditional and capital markets. It is a regional catastrophe fund for Caribbean governments designed to limit the financial impact of devastating hurricanes and earthquakes by quickly providing financial liquidity when a policy is triggered.

GENEVA, 20 May 2013 -- City mayors and municipal councilors from around the world today called on governments to ensure greater participation of local authorities in decision-making on mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in national policy and regulatory frameworks.

In consultations held a day before the opening of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, participants also stressed the importance of promoting greater public-private cooperation and financial investment in the battle to make cities more resilient to natural disasters and adaptable to climate change.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS ISSUE

• HRF Financial Reserve increased to USD 99.78 million with additional USD 32.28 million for budget support (p.2)

• HRF supports private sector development, particularly small and medium businesses (p.3)

• Neighborhood Reconstruction Project relocates more than 10,000 people from « Parc Jean Marie Vincent » and « Pétion Ville club » camps (p.5)

• 16/6 Project has economic and social impact on communities (p.5)

This publication highlights the results that UNDP has achieved since 2005, in supporting disaster risk reduction (DRR) and recovery in countries prone to disasters. The first comprehensive report outlining UNDP’s contribution to the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action, the report illustrates the reforms that countries and communities are undertaking, with UNDP support, to become more disaster resilient.

Over recent decades the concept of flood risk management has been cultivated across the globe. Implementation however remains stubbornly difficult to achieve. In part this reflects the perception that a risk management paradigm is more complex than a more traditional standard-based approach as it involves "whole systems" and "whole life" thinking; yet this is its main strength and a prerequisite for more integrated and informed decision making.

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Editorial