UNESCO encourages the identification and monitoring of disaster risks at UNESCO designated and affiliated sites including World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks, with a view on integrating, within these sites’ management plans, elements that support the mitigation of the effects of hazards and to monitor the positive impacts of the services provided by healthy ecosystems in Disaster Risk Reduction.

Through their commitment to being learning sites for sustainable development in unique ecosystems around the world, Biosphere Reserves offer opportunities to understand the way changing environments impact communities. Global Geoparks play an active role in telling the story of past and active geological processes and the way they affect people. Many Global Geoparks have community and visitors’ educational programmes to raise awareness of the source of geo-hazards and ways to reduce their impact including disaster response strategies.

According to an ongoing study by UNESCO, 40% of all Biosphere Reserves and 60 % of Global Geoparks are exposed to at least one type of natural hazards (i.e. mass movements, earthquakes and floods). However, for most of those sites, no detailed quantitative information exists about the potential disaster risk to the local community. Consequently, although there is a clear understanding that UNESCO affiliated sites are potentially threatened by disaster risks, most natural UNESCO-affiliated sites currently do not have efficient contingency plans for managing risks nor even a risk assessment.

UNESCO is keenly aware of the important role of communities in Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks and sees an important opportunity to build expertise within Global Geoparks and Biosphere Reserves, following requests for assistance in developing preparedness plans.