UN remarks need for disaster mitigation planning after Australian floods

UN remarks need for disaster mitigation planning after Australian floods

2010-12-30 04:55:48 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- United Nations special representative for disaster risk reduction Margareta Wahlström on Wednesday said that the recent floods that hit Australia highlighted the need for a disaster mitigation planning for both develop and developing countries.

Wahlström remarked that nations must plan ahead of the disasters by anticipating the consequences of development to avoid economic loses due to the unpredictable and extreme weather. The special representative referred to the torrential rains that severely affected north-eastern Australia and caused damages of about $1 billion.

"At the UN, our interest is to change the view that disasters are ‘natural’ and to cause people to accept that disasters are ‘man-made’ and must be planned for," Wahlström said.

The special representative stressed that the planning it would be possible to diminish the damage caused by natural disasters. The urgent necessity for such plan stemmed from the lately weather patterns which have become more unpredictable and extreme than before.

"The key to reducing the impact of disasters is to anticipate the consequences of our economic and social development, and to ensure that risk assessments become a routine part of planning," said the UN official.

Wahlström also referred that the heavy snowfalls that have hit many European cities and immobilized them were are clear sign that the international community is not properly prepared to deal with the unpredictable weather.

This year, Wahlström and her agency, the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), launched a campaign to urge local governments to perform risk assessments, assign a budget for natural disaster prevention, maintain critical infrastructure and ensure education and training in risk reduction.

The "Making Cities Resilient" campaign visited Cairns, Australia, in November. Cairns was the first city to join the campaign. So far, 159 cities throughout the world have joined the UNISDR initiative. From May 8 to 13, UNISDR will host a Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.

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