International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

UN/ISDR
International Environment
House II, 7-9 Chemin de Balexert, CH 1219 Chatelaine, Geneva 10, Switzerland
New phone and fax numbers:
Tel: +41 22 917 8908/8907
Fax: +41 22 917 8964
isdr@un.org

Postal Address:
UN/ISDR
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

United Nations

"What we are seeing in every urban earthquake is a result of mostly avoidable errors."
Interview with Fouad Bendimerad

As the rescue efforts continue in China after last Monday’s earthquake, Fouad Bendimerad, Chairman of the Board of the Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative (EMI) and professional engineer in California specializing in earthquake engineering and disaster risk management gives his point of view about building collapse and how to improve building resistance to earthquakes.

	Early warning systems can save lives when cyclones strike After a Category 3 storm ripped through Myanmar’s Irrawaddy delta region on Saturday, the United Nations secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction stressed the importance of having life-saving early warning systems and preparedness programmes in place when cyclones strike. Read more.

	Tackling drought essential for food crisis solution Drought and unsustainable water management have been key contributing factors to the global food crisis. In turn, managing drought risk to prepare for the increasing drought impact of climate change, is a crucial part of addressing the food crisis long term. Read more.

Message from Sálvano Briceño
Director of the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2008.

“A gender perspective should be integrated into all disaster risk management policies, plans and decision-making processes…” - Hyogo Framework for Action

English - French - Spanish

Indicators of Progress: Guidance on Measuring the Reduction of Disaster Risks and the Implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action helps set priorities for implementing disaster risk reduction while regularly monitoring and reviewing achievements against clear indicators. It can be used by national authorities, civil society and community organizations, regional inter-governmental institutions, technical bodies, and international and donor communities.

Document (includes Annexes 1-5)
CD-Room (includes References, Annexes 6-11)

ISDR-Biblio 3: Health, Disasters and Risk
supports the theme of the 2008-2009 World Disaster Reduction Campaign: Hospitals Safe from Disasters, Reduce Risk, Protect Health Facilities, Save Lives. The biblio contains literature on health and disaster risk; disaster and emergency management; health facilities and services; environmental impact on health; climate change effects on health; mental health; mitigation and preparedness; public health; water and sanitation; and gender and health.

A CD-ROM complements the ISDR-Biblio 3 with its compilation of key documents and publications available in PDF. View document

Environmental Sustainability and Disaster Risk Reduction
The ISDR partnership on environment and disaster risk reduction prepared a document for consideration at the 10th Special Session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum, Monaco, 20-22 February 2008. The paper provides a multi-agency statement on the intergovernmental mandates and principles for more integrated action on environment and disaster risk, as a key element of sustainable development and climate change adaptation.
View document

UN/ISDR secretariat and WHO Launch the World Disaster Reduction Campaign 2008-2009 on 25 January 2008 in Davos
The World Disaster Reduction Campaign 2008-2009: 'Hospitals Safe from Disasters' is a global campaign being launched in Davos, Switzerland on 25 January, by the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) and the World Health Organization (WHO), with support from the World Bank.

The campaign will focus on structural safety of hospitals and health facilities, on keeping health facilities functioning during and after disasters, and on making sure health workers are prepared for natural hazards striking.

Media Advisory: English - French
Press Release: English - French
More information click here

Disaster Figures For 2007

2007 saw a marked increase in the number of floods compared with the average of the last seven years, and Asia was the continent hit hardest by disasters according to figures from the Belgian WHO collaborating Center for Research on epidemiology of Disasters (CRED). “Current trends are consistent with the predictions of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change, in that Asia, and also West Africa are already suffering from more severe and frequent floods,” says Professor Debarati Guha-Sapir, director of CRED.
Disaster Figures 2007
Press Release