15 May 2009

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION / ADVANCER

In the face of climate change, the UN is calling for urgent action if a potentially catastrophic increase in the risks and impacts of natural disasters is to be avoided. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will speak at the launch of the 2009 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction on Sunday (17 May) in Bahrain. ISDR

Posted at: May 15, 2009 12:32 pm

Duration: 02:32

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN/ DISASTER REDUCTION
TRT: 2.32
SOURCE: UNISDR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS

DATELINE: MARCH 2009, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND/ FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – UNISDR – UNDATED, UNKNOWN LICATION

1.     Various shots, tropical cyclone
2.     Various shots, cyclone damage
3.     Various shots, wild fires

FILE – UNISDR – RECENT, PAKISTAN

4.     Various shots, earthquake aftermath and rescue efforts

FILE – UNISDR – RECENT, MADAGASCAR

5.     Various shots, flooding
6.     Aerial shot, flooding
7.     Wide shot, girl rowing boat
8.     Wide shot, woman knee-deep in water
9.     Wide shot, homeless people in tents

MARCH 2009, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

10.     SOUNDBITE (English) Margareta Wahlström, Assistant Secretary-General for Disaster Reduction:
"You have to look at disasters not as events but as part of continuous threats to our economic and social health of this planet. And therefore – please follow us to events that look smaller for you, but are deadly for people in parts of the world that are not necessarily top political significance."

FILE – UNISDR – RECENT, AFRICA

11.     Wide shot, crowded camp
12.     Close up, woman
13.     Wide shot, market scene
14.     Pan right, squatter settlement
15.     Wide shot, steam train moving through squatter settlement

MARCH 2009, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

16.     SOUNDBITE (English) Margareta Wahlström, Assistant Secretary-General for Disaster Reduction:
"What we traditionally have believed is that if you prepare better, if you do prevention, you reduce the cost, of course you save lives but you also save money."

FILE – UNISDR – RECENT, CUBA

17.     Wide shot, school exterior
18.     Wide shot, teacher and students
19.     Close up, teacher addressing students about cyclones
20.     Close up, students replying

FILE – UNISDR – RECENT, INDIA

21.     Med shot, man digging trench
22.     Various shots, men building and reinforcing house wall

STORYLINE:

In the face of climate change, the UN is calling for urgent action if a potentially catastrophic increase in the risks and impacts of natural disasters is to be avoided.

Tropical cyclones, forest fires, earthquakes and droughts are just some of the natural hazards posing as a threat to development in our world today. 2008 was no exception, no continent was spared and thousands of people lost their lives, homes and assets.

In a landmark assessment, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) has produced the first report of its kind weighing up the risks involved in natural disasters and the challenges facing countries around the globe.

What is clear from the report is that the impact of disasters is very unevenly distributed. Poor communities in developing countries are the ones that are bearing the brunt of the losses caused by natural catastrophes. Some of these disasters make the headlines, but many others remain far form the media spotlight.

SOUNDBITE (English) Margareta Wahlström, Assistant Secretary-General for Disaster Reduction:
"You have to look at disasters not as events but as part of continuous threats to our economic and social health of this planet. And therefore – please follow us to events that look smaller for you, but are deadly for people in parts of the world that are not necessarily top political significance."

Among these hot spots, Bangladesh, China and India account for almost three-quarters of all people who risk losing their lives, livelihoods and belongings in floods.

The report points out several factors that increase this risk. They include the rise in population and poor governance of urban areas in hazard-prone areas.

A key message of the report is that risk levels can be reduced by tackling the problem of poverty.

SOUNDBITE (English) Margareta Wahlström, Assistant Secretary-General for Disaster Reduction:
"What we traditionally have believed is that if you prepare better, if you do prevention, you reduce the cost, of course you save lives but you also save money."

One example of where some headway is being made is Cuba. While in recent years neighbouring Haiti has lost thousands of lives to hurricanes, Cuba reported just seven deaths in 2008. This has been, in part, due to early warning systems and education campaigns that have been put in place in an attempt to minimise loses.

The Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction will be launched on 17 May in Bahrain by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Filed under 13.02.00 - DISASTER PREVENTION, PREPAREDNESS AND RELIEF UN ISDR - United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.

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