UNESCO

One Planet, One Ocean
Natural hazards – earthquakes and tsunamis, floods and droughts – can be devastating
for communities already at risk from unsustainable development practices. In 2015,
UNESCO continued to contribute to a global vision of the way forward to achieve sustainable
development, by raising awareness and educating people on how to deal with natural
hazards and climate change, as well as by supporting new mitigation and adaptation
strategies for the protection of ocean resources and services.
Artistic performance
on the second day
of the third UN
World Conference
for Disaster Risk
Reduction held
in Sendai (Japan)
in March 2015,
where UNESCO
participated to review
achievements and
adopt a post-2015
framework for
disaster risk reduction.
96
The road ahead for disaster
risk reduction
Disasters will continue to be a threat
to lives and sustainable development
unless disaster risk is managed more
successfully. Expected annual losses are
now estimated at US $314 billion in the
built environment alone.
In 2015, the UN Office for Disaster
Risk Reduction (UNISDR) organized in
March the Third UN World Conference
for Disaster Risk Reduction. Held in
Sendai (Japan), its objectives were to
complete the assessment and review of
the implementation of the previous Hyogo
Framework for Action; to consider the
experience gained; to adopt a post-2015
framework for disaster risk reduction; to
identify modalities of cooperation based
on commitments to implement this
framework; and to determine modalities
for periodic review of the implementation
of the framework. UNESCO supported the
organization of eight working sessions and
participated in numerous public forums.
© UNISDR Photo Gallery
The main outcome of the conference
was the adoption of the new Sendai
Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
2015–2030. The Sendai Framework
articulates the following priority actions:
to improve understanding of disaster risk;
to strengthen disaster risk governance;
to invest in disaster risk reduction for
resilience; to enhance disaster preparedness
for an effective response; and to ‘Build Back
Better’ in terms of recovery, rehabilitation
and reconstruction.
Nepal
The devastating earthquake in Nepal
in April killed thousands of people,
and underscored the importance of
understanding the Earth’s processes.
The region has been the focus of ongoing
joint research on the seismic hazards
of the Himalayas, by the Earth System
Physics (ESP) section of the International
Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and
Tribhuvan University. It was necessary to
investigate the nature of the aftershocks.
The southern part of the fault that lies
beneath the Kathmandu region did
not rupture during the April event;
could the continued tremors indicate
that Nepal is headed for another killer
quake? ICTP donated GPS instruments to
monitor post-seismic deformation, and