UNEP marks International
Day for Disaster Reduction
Geneva, 13 October 2010 - Haiti, one
of the poorest and most environmentally
degraded countries in the western hemisphere,
is one of the many examples in recent times
of the crucial role played by ecosystems
in reducing disaster risk. Prior to the
earthquake in January 2010 which devastated
the country, environmental degradation was
already a critical challenge, as extensively
degraded catchments made Haiti's rural and
urban population vulnerable to floods, landslides
and severe soil erosion. From August to
September 2008, four major storms ravaged
Haiti, triggering mudslides and flash floods,
leaving thousands homeless, killing nearly
800 people and destroying 60% of the country's
harvest.
Neighbouring Cuba and
the Dominican Republic were also affected
but to a significantly lesser degree than
Haiti. Did deforestation play a role in
multiplying the devastating impact of disasters
in Haiti?
With less than 2% tree
cover and high rates of deforestation driven
primarily by poverty, Haiti has become extremely
vulnerable to floods and landslides during
heavy rainfall. Unfortunately, 2008 was
not a one-off event. In 2004 tropical storm
Jeanne killed an estimated 3,000 people
as a result of mudslides and floods coming
down exposed mountains. But these lessons
are not confined to Haiti alone; flash floods
linked to forest degradation are a recurring
experience in countries like the Philippines
and most recently Mexico and are stark reminders
of how environmental degradation can contribute
to disaster statistics.
In the past decade alone, an estimated 2.5
million people globally were affected by
natural hazards, 97% of whom were impacted
by climate-related and hydro-meteorological
disasters.
Greater recognition
of the vital role of well-managed forests
and watersheds in reducing the risks of
disasters will help make urban and rural
populations more resilient to floods, landslides
and other natural hazards, was the theme
of the high-level forum convened in Geneva,
Switzerland today by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Partnership
for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction
(PEDRR) to mark the International Day for
Disaster Reduction.
The audience heard how
forests and watersheds provide critical
services to both rural and urban communities,
including protection against natural hazards
and critical support to local livelihoods
and economies. Yet these multiple forest
services, particularly for natural hazard
regulation, continue to be under-valued,
resulting in missed opportunities to maximize
their potential for disaster prevention
and mitigation.
Around the world, in
countries such as Bolivia's Altiplano region,
China, Switzerland and Japan, communities
and governments are giving increased recognition
to the value of forests for mitigating against
floods, avalanches, rockfall and soil erosion
while providing timber and non-timber products
to support livelihoods.
The International Day,
held annually on 13 October, aims to raise
awareness on the impacts of disasters globally,
and it originated within the framework of
the World Disaster Reduction Campaign, initiated
in 2008.
The roundtable, attended
by members of the development community
and the general public, provided a key opportunity
to raise awareness of the environmental
drivers of disaster risk and discuss the
challenges faced by communities and countries
in reducing disaster risk and recommendations
to guide future actions. It was opened by
the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General
for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström,
and the Ambassador and Permanent Representative
of Costa Rica to the United Nations of Geneva,
His Excellency Manuel B. Dengo.
The International Day
was also marked this year at the Shanghai
Expo with a panel discussion around the
theme "The City" which examined
ways of building urban centers resilient
to natural hazards and included the Assistant
Mayor of Chendgu, Mao Zhixiong; the Editor-in-Chief
of China Business Times, Li Zhong Chun,
and the Chief of UNEP's Post-Conflict and
Disaster Management Branch, Henrik Slotte,
as well as representatives from the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the
United Nations International Strategy for
Disaster Reduction (UN ISDR).
More information
Partnership for Environment
and Disaster Risk Reduction
PEDRR is a global partnership
comprised of UN agencies, international
and regional NGOs as well as specialist
institutes that collectively aim to influence
policy and to improve and coordinate efforts
in environmental management and ecosystems-based
approaches for sustainable livelihoods and
the reduction of disaster risks, including
climate-related risks. It also works in
collaboration with existing networks and
partnerships, such as the Disaster and Environment
Working Group in Asia (DEWGA).
