The participation of women is essential in achieving a disaster resilient society, states Ratindra Khatri of the Strategic Centre for Disaster Risk Reduction Nepal in his The Himalayan article. He urges for the elimination of gender discrimination and suggests that women should be involved in policy formulation, planning and implementation of processes.
As we strive to restore confidence and growth globally, leaders cannot continue with a “risk-off” mindset if our collective goal remains to seize transformational opportunities that can improve the state of the world. Dynamism in our hyperconnected world requires increasing our resilience to the many global risks that loom before us. By their nature, global risks do not respect national borders, as highlighted in the Global Risks 2013 report.
This policy brief outlines USAID's Resilience Agenda, aiming to 'do business differently' to help vulnerable communities emerge from cycles of crisis onto a pathway toward development by: Taking early action in response to early warning; Closely coordinating with development partners to support inclusive, effective country‐led plans; Connecting humanitarian assistance and development programs more effectively across the common goal of building resilience.
A new interactive website helping the emergency services sector and the community better understand and prepare for natural disasters was kicked off today. Attorney-General and Minister for Emergency Management Nicola Roxon said The Australian Emergency Management Knowledge Hub gives Australians a centralised disaster resource.“The Knowledge Hub gives Australians information to help them plan and better prepare for the challenges that emergencies like bushfires and floods present,” Ms Roxon said.
"For too long, women have been more particularly affected by disasters due to social roles, discrimination and poverty. Furthermore their role and capacities in disaster risk reduction are not sufficiently recognized. Yet, UNESCO believes that all forms of discrimination on the basis of gender are violations of human rights and recognizes women and girls as powerful agents of change," said Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General.
A new report by UN-Habitat links the world's future prosperity to the ability of cities to reduce risk and build resilience to adverse forces of nature.Titled State of the World's Cities 2012/2013 - the Prosperity of Cities, the report identifies soaring unemployment, food shortages and rising prices, strains on financial institutions, insecurity and political instability as challenges to the conventional notion of cities as the home of prosperity.The wasteful expansion of cities in "endless peripheries" leads to additional risks associated with the provision of water, physical infrastructure, transport and energy, and affects industrial production, local economies, assets and livelihoods, according to the report.
A new report by UN-Habitat links the world's future prosperity to the ability of cities to reduce risk and build resilience to adverse forces of nature. Titled State of the World's Cities 2012/2013 - the Prosperity of Cities, the report identifies soaring unemployment, food shortages and rising prices, strains on financial institutions, insecurity and political instability as challenges to the conventional notion of cities as the home of prosperity. The wasteful expansion of cities in "endless peripheries" leads to additional risks associated with the provision of water, physical infrastructure, transport and energy, and affects industrial production, local economies, assets and livelihoods, according to the report.
I am pleased to be delivering this year’s University of Canterbury Hopkins Lecture here at Aurora Centre, Burnside High School.I understand that this annual lecture was established to recognise the many years of distinguished service of Professor H. J. Hopkins in the field of engineering. Professor Hopkins was known as a man of vision, dedication, and extraordinary talents.His inaugural lecture presented in 1978 was titled "A Land of Bridges - A Story of New Zealand". Now, 34 years on, I hope the core message of my address will not only do justice to the memory of Professor Hopkins, but also in a sense focus anew on the need to build bridges – this time figuratively – between the capacity for disaster risk reduction which exists here in New Zealand and the needs of others also challenged by major disaster risk.
A new study by UNICEF and UNESCO is a timely assessment of just how some countries are faring, or not, with the implementation of disaster risk reduction education seven years after such education was requested by the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA).The HFA - the 10-year global disaster risk reduction action plan agreed upon in 2005 - established five priorities to reduce disaster risks. Among them is Priority Action 3 - a global call to governments and others to use knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels.The report, Disaster Risk Reduction in School Curricula: Case studies from Thirty Countries, will contribute to efforts currently being undertaken by the United Nations Thematic Platform on Knowledge and Education to build resilience. It will also help governments to respond positively to commitments made on disaster risk reduction education at the 2009 and 2011 Global Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Maybe it is time to adapt to climate change instead of trying to mitigate it, says co.EXIST. This is the underlying message of the book entitled 'Resilience - Why things bounce back, by Andrew Zolli. The author examines possible solutions for society to survive huge, unanticipated disasters and continue existing.
http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680162/resilience-lessons-on-how-to-bounce-back-from-disaster