Australia, Germany, UK raise bar for donors, says report

By David Singh

GENEVA, 16 April 2012 - A new report on humanitarian responses states that "If other donors were to follow the lead being set by Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom, it could mean a turning point in transforming the humanitarian system from a reactive, response-driven model, to a proactive, preventive and anticipatory model."

The 2011 Humanitarian Response Index (HRI) by Development Assistance Research Associates (DARA) which is based on research carried out on 23 of the world's main donor governments and nine major crises, highlights that Australia and Germany are becoming increasingly engaged in supporting disaster risk reduction (DRR) and preparedness efforts, with a focus on capacity-building at the local level as an integrated part of their humanitarian assistance.

The HRI further highlights that the United Kingdom also has a revised humanitarian strategy which is now centred on how aid efforts, including development aid, can contribute to building resilience and anticipating future needs.

The report underscores however, that "DRR and prevention have been relegated to a grey area where no one takes ownership and leadership."

According to the HRI, its findings confirm what previous reports have consistently revealed, "A persistent lack of political commitment and investment in capacity-building, conflict and disaster prevention, preparedness and risk reduction."

"Part of the problem", state the HRI, "is a narrow vision among donor governments of humanitarian assistance as emergency relief in the strictest sense, with everything else falling in the development assistance remit." The flip side is that "most development assistance programmes fail to see risk reduction and prevention as part of their mandate".

The HRI finds corroboration in another recent study - Disaster Risk Reduction: Spending where it should count by Jan Kellet and Dan Sparks - which estimates that less than one percent of all official government aid (ODA) - development or humanitarian assistance -- is allocated towards preparedness activities.

Read in detail about the document at :- http://www.cdrn.org.in/show.detail.asp?id=23615

Minister praises the value of early warning systems at United Nations General Assembly debate on Disaster Risk Reduction

Media release

13 April 2012

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr today said the value of investing in regional Tsunami early warning systems was confirmed following this week's earthquakes off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.

Senator Carr said Australia's regional neighbours received an Indian Ocean wide tsunami warning just seven minutes after the 8.5 magnitude earthquake occurred at 6:38pm Australian Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday 11 April.

"Early warning systems are critical to saving lives and to reducing the risks and costs of natural disasters caused by tsunamis.

"Our region gets more than its share of natural disasters and early warning systems are now agreed as essential to limiting their impacts."

Senator Carr was speaking at a United Nations General Assembly debate on Disaster Risk Reduction where he praised the partnership between Australia and Indonesia in managing the risk of disasters in the region.

"It was a great relief to all Australians and our regional neighbours when the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre issued a nil tsunami threat for Australia within 24 minutes of the earthquake.

"I am advised by the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre, which is operated by Geoscience Australia and the Bureau of Meteorology that all warnings issued as part of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System were delivered within normal operational timeframes.

"Following the devastating tsunamis in the Indian Ocean in 2004 and in Japan last year, the international community has become acutely aware of the value of investing in disaster risk reduction.

"Australia is a strong supporter of international efforts to reduce the risk that natural disasters pose in developing nations – particularly countries in our region.

"In May 2005, following the Indian Ocean tsunami, the Australian Government committed $69.8 million over four years (2005-09), to the Australian Tsunami Warning System initiative.

"This initiative:

• Provides a comprehensive tsunami warning system for Australia
• Supports establishment of an Indian Ocean tsunami warning system
• Helps facilitate a tsunami warning system for the South West Pacific

"Through the Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction, the Australian aid program has provided support to Indonesia's Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMMKG) to assist in quickly estimating the impact of earthquakes.

"In eastern Indonesia, Australia is also supporting a program with funding of $1 million to assist communities to identify priorities for disaster risk reduction through mapping the parts of their community that are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters using a free 'wiki-map'.

"And in the Pacific, Australia has upgraded equipment at monitoring stations in 12 countries to strengthen tsunami warning capacity and measure sea level changes," Senator Carr said.

Media enquiries

• Minister's office: (02) 6277 7500
• DFAT Media Liaison: (02) 6261 1555

Source:- http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2012/bc_mr_120413.html

STRONG PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN UN NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS VITAL IN TACKLING GLOBAL CHALLENGES

epartment of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York

STRONG PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN UNITED NATIONS, NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS VITAL IN TACKLING

GLOBAL CHALLENGES, SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION ASSEMBLY

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, delivered by Zachary Muburi-Muita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union, in Kampala on 31 March:

I am pleased to greet the Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly. You have chosen a timely topic in “Parliaments and People: Bridging the Gap”. The contexts and grievances that drove the various social protests of 2011 were varied, but they had in common the expectation that State institutions be more transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people. They reflect a deep-seated yearning for the rule of law, democratic governance and social justice.

This places a huge burden on you, the world’s parliamentarians. Your citizens expect you to translate their voice into Government action, and to hold Governments to account when they fall short on delivery. Tomorrow, you will launch the Global Parliamentary Report, produced in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Among its messages is that, to be effective, parliaments need not only to be strong and assertive, they themselves must be more transparent and accountable.

The United Nations relies on strong, effective parliaments to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. First, we need to accelerate progress on the Millennium Development Goals. I am pleased that you will emphasize stepping up efforts to implement the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health. The lives of tens of millions of women, newborn infants and children depend on it, not least in Africa.

Second, we must address climate change by prioritizing key mitigation and adaptation measures. By 2015, we must secure a comprehensive agreement applicable to all parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Third, let us define and mobilize collective action around a new generation of post-2015 sustainable development goals. Our common future depends on developing sustainable ways to meet the growing and interlinked demand for energy, food and water.

Fourth, we need to give higher priority to prevention — preventing conflicts, human rights abuses and man-made and natural disasters. We need to invest in early warning; we must strengthen capacity-building on human rights, humanitarian law and democratic values and practices; and we need to build resilience, ranging from social safety nets and legal protection to national disaster risk-reduction plans.

For all these challenges, the United Nations needs a strong partnership with national parliaments and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. We need you to remind Governments of their international commitments, translate these commitments into national legislation and fund their implementation. In recent years, our relationship has become closer and stronger. IPU has developed close working relations with the General Assembly, the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council. Parliamentary participation in major United Nations conferences has improved their outcome.

But, we can do more. At country level, the United Nations could more systematically draw on the unique expertise of IPU in strengthening parliamentary institutions, particularly in countries emerging from conflict or undergoing other transition. This is just one recommendation that I will make when I present my report on United Nations-Inter-Parliamentary Union cooperation to the General Assembly later this year.

I look forward to working with you and wish you a successful meeting.

Source:- http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2012/sgsm14202.doc.htm

UN kicks off discussions on new international blueprint for disaster risk reduction

UN kicks off discussions on new international blueprint for disaster risk reduction



GENEVA, 5 March 2012 - The UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, and HE Yoichi Otabe, the Japanese Ambassador to the International Organizations in Geneva, announced today the start of consultations on a new international blueprint for reducing disaster losses in advance of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction which the Japanese government is proposing to host in 2015.

The new framework for disaster risk reduction will build on the success of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities in spreading a culture of disaster prevention around the globe. The Hyogo Framework was agreed at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture in January 2005 on the tenth anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995, and a month after the Asian tsunami.

Ms. Wahlström said: "As we look to the anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, the start of consultations on the post-HFA framework is a suitable occasion on which to acknowledge the debt that the world owes to Japan when it comes to sharing its vast experience and knowledge of disaster risk reduction and preparedness.

"The learning from the Great East Japan Earthquake will be a vital contribution to preparing the world to meet the challenges of disaster risk in the urbanized, globalized world of the 21st century where a natural hazard can trigger a chain of catastrophic events impacting lives and livelihoods in tragic ways unless we are realistic in our assessment of risk and act accordingly."

HE Yoichi Otabe said: "The Great East Japan Earthquake has provided us with further confirmation of the importance of disaster risk reduction as a critical global issue in the 21st century. Development is too often sidetracked and at times even reversed by disasters, so investing in disaster risk reduction and resilience supports sustainable development. We have seen a significant improvement in the political and economic commitment to reducing risk and increasing resilience since the Kobe World Conference in 2005 and hope that this will be enhanced as a result of Rio+20.

"The Hyogo Framework provides an analytical tool for gauging progress towards reducing disaster losses and encourages both strategic and action-oriented planning. Progress is being made but more needs to be done to help countries to address the causes of risk. Japan will hold an international conference in the disaster-stricken Tohoku region this summer to boost international cooperation on coping with natural disasters and to support discussions on establishing a post-HFA Framework. A new framework will help to mainstream disaster risk reduction into sustainable development policy after the Millennium Development Goals."


read in detail at :- http://www.cdrn.org.in/show.detail.asp?id=23330

PPP Days 2012 hosts first business forum

By David Singh

GENEVA, 23 February 2012 - A Business Forum featured for the first time at today's opening in Geneva of the biennial Private Public Partnership event, PPP Days 2012.

"This is an opportunity for national and regional governments to present their projects to the business community," said Geoffrey Hamilton, Chief, Partnerships and Cooperation Section, Economic Cooperation and Integration Division of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) as he opened the special session on Japan and the role of PPPs in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and post disaster reconstruction.

PPP Days 2012, jointly hosted by the UNECE, World Bank Institute, and Asian Development Bank is the global meeting place for public sector practitioners. Since 2006, PPP Days has become the place for practitioners to network and learn from peers and counterparts from other countries.

In the keynote address, UNISDR Chief, Margareta Wahlström, said "Private sector involvement in risk reduction is far too small. By 2015 and in the lead-up to determine a successor to the Hyogo Framework for Action [the 10 year international blueprint for disaster risk reduction], I would like to see the private sector step up in both the discussions and the contributions. The knowledge and evidence to reduce disaster risks are here -- the question is what is the PPP doing?"

At the opening session, Japan's Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Geneva, Kenichi Suganuma, said that the outcome of "today's discussions must be used in future reconstruction plans, stressing that private sector knowledge and initiatives help national efforts and stimulate the economy". He recalled that during the relief period following the Great East Japan earthquake last year, over 44,000 convenience stores became community lifelines "as important as electricity and water services".

Ambassador Suganuma highlighted the amendment of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) which was passed in May last year which now enables use of private sector expertise and capital instead of government expenditure to facilitate the restoration of public infrastructure and services after disasters.

Sandra Wu Wen-Hsiu, President and CEO of Kokusai Kyogo Holding Co, Ltd., and member of UNISDR's Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG), said her company, which provides engineering and consulting services has "been involved with government infrastructure projects from our beginnings 65 years ago, and this of course includes disaster preparedness planning."

Explaining how that worked she said that during a disaster, "Many of you in the public sector might think that the amount of time necessary to meet procurement regulations makes it all but impossible to call upon the private sector in a timely manner when a disaster occurs. In Japan, we have gotten around this through a system called emergency agreements, where services to be provided are agreed upon prior to the occurrence of an emergency. These are standing agreements that kick in when there is a disaster."

Peter Williams, Chief Technology Officer for the IBM programme, "Big Green Innovations", and also a member of the PSAG, highlighted floods as a major issue for IBM. "For any given flood prone location, how can we create a global community platform that enables better understanding of the complex causes behind the risk of flood impact -- the better to support the decisions, and also the education and communication, needed to mitigate that risk before, during and after the flood itself?" he asked.

IBM is working on a Global Flood Model (GFM) which will assess flood risks and devise long-term mitigation strategies such as land use changes and infrastructure improvements, according to Williams. This model, due to be launched in March, will "comprise an integrated set of modules, each composed of models and data. For each module there are two core elements: a specification, and a live 'reference version' (a worked example). Users will be able to work with the reference version, or substitute their own models and data."

The business model is derived from open source software and the specifications and reference version of the GFM will be licensed free for non-profit usage. The GFM is proposed by Willis Ltd, the UK Met Office, Esri, Deltares and IBM who are all committing substantial pro-bono resources to the initiative. They are looking for donor funding "to confirm the feasibility of the concept, to create the GFM organization, and to commence the process of building the GFM."

Risks Rise from Urban Flooding in East Asia and Pacific

Urban flooding is a serious and growing development challenge for fast growing low and middle-income countries in East Asia, underscoring an urgent need to build flood risk management into regular planning of cities and towns, says a new World Bank guidebook released today.



Titled “Cities and Flooding: A Guide to Integrated Urban Flood Risk Management for the 21st Century”, the book provides operational guidance on how to manage the risk of floods in the face of urbanization, growing populations and long-term climate change trends.



“Urban expansion often creates poorer neighborhoods which lack adequate infrastructure and services, making them more vulnerable to floods. The poor are hit hardest, especially women and children,” said Pamela Cox, World Bank Vice President, East Asia and Pacific Region.“But rapid urbanization also means we have the opportunity to do things right the first time, so cities and towns can support sustainable development, saving lives and money.”



Floods are the most frequent among all natural disasters, and the East Asia and Pacific region, along with South Asia, is particularly vulnerable. In the past 30 years, the number of floods in Asia amounted to about 40 percent of the total worldwide. More than 90 percent of the global population exposed to floods lives in Asia.


Read in detail at :- http://cdrn.org.in/show.detail.asp?id=23239

NASA Finds 2011 Ninth Warmest Year on Record

The global average surface temperature in 2011 was the ninth warmest since 1880, according to NASA scientists. The finding continues a trend in which nine of the 10 warmest years in the modern meteorological record have occurred since the year 2000.

NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, which monitors global surface temperatures on an ongoing basis, released an updated analysis that shows temperatures around the globe in 2011 compared to the average global temperature from the mid-20th century. The comparison shows how Earth continues to experience warmer temperatures than several decades ago. The average temperature around the globe in 2011 was 0.92 degrees F (0.51 C) warmer than the mid-20th century baseline.

"We know the planet is absorbing more energy than it is emitting," said GISS director James E. Hansen. "So we are continuing to see a trend toward higher temperatures. Even with the cooling effects of a strong La Nina influence and low solar activity for the past several years, 2011 was one of the 10 warmest years on record."

The difference between 2011 and the warmest year in the GISS record (2010) is 0.22 degrees F (0.12 C). This underscores the emphasis scientists put on the long-term trend of global temperature rise. Because of the large natural variability of climate, scientists do not expect temperatures to rise consistently year after year. However, they do expect a continuing temperature rise over decades.

The first 11 years of the 21st century experienced notably higher temperatures compared to the middle and late 20th century, Hansen said. The only year from the 20th century in the top 10 warmest years on record is 1998.


Read in detail at :- http://www.cdrn.org.in/show.delhidetail.asp?id=23143