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WMO contributed significantly to the Third Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, which took place from 8 to 13 May in Geneva, Switzerland. Organized by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UN-ISDR) under the theme "Invest Today for a Safer Tomorrow: Increase investments in local action,” the forum gathered over 2600 high-level officials and experts from governments, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, civil society and the private sector.
Under the cross-cutting framework of the WMO Disaster Risk Reduction Programme, WMO organized and/or participated in many events:
Climate Feature Event - Operational climate services for managing socio-economic risks linked to the changing climate.
Organized by WMO and UN-ISDR, with the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, the World Health Organization, UN Water, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme, UN Habitat and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Facilitated by Jan Egeland, Co-Chair of the High-Level Taskforce of the Global Framework on Climate Services, the panel discussions involved WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud, who delivered the keynote speech. The panel also included ministers and senior officials who discussed the importance of climate services for sectors such as water, health or insurance, and insisted on linkages with disaster risk reduction.
Side Event - Climate services, catastrophe risk and capital markets – How climate services are set to become embedded with insurance regulation and markets.
Organized by the WMO Disaster Risk Reduction Programme with the Willis Research Network, the UK Met Office, the WMO-co-sponsored World Climate Research Programme, the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, The Geneva Association and the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative.
This event explored the benefits of new public-private partnerships involving the climate research community, national meteorological services, the government and the private sector. Such partnerships leverage resources, expertise and information to advance climate modelling and forecasting in risk modelling tools in the finance and (re)insurance sectors.
Side Event - Saving of lives and improved coastal risk management through regional cooperation in ocean and marine-related early warning systems in Asia.
Organized by WMO with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the International Group on Wind-Related Disaster Risk Reduction.
The event highlighted effective early warning systems in several high-risk countries which clearly demonstrated benefits in saving lives. These achievements built upon advancements in monitoring hydro-meteorological and geological hazards, combined with political will and development of emergency preparedness capacities.
Side Event - Integrated drought risk management. Organized by WMO Agricultural Meteorology Programme with UN-ISDR and the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, this event made a case for integrated drought risk management. It built on the 2011 Global Assessment Report and highlighted the need to shift from response and crisis management to pro-active risk reduction.
WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud chaired the Plenary on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction. Senior management participated in high-level roundtables including “Strengthening Preparedness for Nuclear Emergencies,” opened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon; a roundtable on “Preparedness”; and “Launch of the Global Assessment Report 2011,” for which WMO facilitated significant contributions.
A major outcome of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction was the inclusion of the Global Framework for Climate Services. The Chair’s summary identified as a critical step to “Ensure the availability of tailored science-based climate-related information through the Global Framework for Climate Services to support informed investment and planning at all levels. Incorporate, as well, integrated drought management, wild land fire management and food security in risk reduction policies and development planning.”
More on WMO at the Global Platform for Risk Reduction
