Chair's Summary sees disaster risk reduction as key to preserving and protecting environment and ensuring sustainable development
Geneva, 3 June – Half of humanity is now living in cities - commitment to resilience is urgently needed particularly in vulnerable groups, localities, and regions. This message comes from the Chair of the Third Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General in her final summary and observations released this week. "The choice before us as Governments, institutions, communities and individuals is to place disaster risk reduction at the forefront of our efforts to preserve and protect the balance of nature, ensure sustainable development and well-being for generations to come," said Ms. Migiro in the four-page Chair's Summary.
This comes at a time when the world gears up to celebrate World Environment Day (WED) on June 5th, an annual event that celebrates positive environmental action, with this year's theme being Forests: Nature at your service. Forests cover one third of the earth’s land mass, performing vital functions and services around the world and play a key role in battling climate change and reducing risk to disasters.
In the Chair's Summary, more action needed to be taken to reduce disaster risk including supporting local governments, building on the role of women as agents of change, involving children and youth in decisions that affect their future, and fully engaging the private sector as leaders in the construction of resilient infrastructure and systems for sustainable development.
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