United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Natural hazards and disasters The aim of this website is to provide information on UNESCO's response to the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, encapsulated in the Mauritius Strategy and the Mauritius Declaration adopted by the International Meeting held in Mauritius in January 2005.
UNESCO's work on natural disasters, which dates back to the 1950s, includes scientific work on the assessment of natural hazards (including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and various hydrological risks) as well as the fostering of measures for disaster prevention and preparedness.
Objectives and approaches include advocacy of the need for a shift in emphasis from relief and emergency response to preventive measures and increased preparedness and education of potentially affected populations. Activities include the strengthening of scientific infrastructures, the design and setting up of reliable early warning systems and dissemination of mitigation measures, and proper information education and public awareness.
Recent and ongoing work includes contributing to the Hyogo Framework for Action (adopted in Kobe, Japan, in January 2005), responding to the Indian Ocean tsumami, continued support to tsunami preparedness in the Pacific, the design of warning systems for tsunami and other coastal hazards for other regions and for the overall global system, and Support to countries in post-conflict and post-disaster situations (UNESCO intersectoral platform created in 2008).
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PROJECTS
See also the UNESCO website dedicated to Natural Disaster Reduction: http://www.unesco.org/disaster