More cities getting ready to reduce disaster risks

A press release found in Prevention Web: Baofeng County, P. R. China and the City of Davos, Switzerland are the two latest cities to sign up to the new campaign ‘Making Cities Resilient: My City is getting Ready’ during a launch event today, hosted by the Davos-based, International Disaster and Risk Conference (IDRC).

The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction’s (UNISDR) two-year campaign aims to engage as many different local governments and cities as possible to commit to a checklist of Ten Essentials that will help make their cities more resilient to disasters.

Prone to avalanches, storms and debris flow, Davos already has hazard zoning and other integrated risk management tools in place and will share its extensive knowledge and experience with local governments around the world as part of the city's engagement to the campaign. Baofeng County which is particularly affected by floods, droughts and other hazards, will set up an international disaster risk management centre to minimize risk as part of the Ten Essentials.

"In times of global climate change we expect the situation to worsen. Rainfalls will be stronger, drought and wildfire could be new risks in this region and snowfalls might be more extreme," said Han Peter Michel, the Mayor of Davos. "Therefore, Davos needs to be prepared and we really want to ensure that Davos stays as safe from disasters as it is now."

“A resilient city and its citizens can benefit greatly from the opportunities presented by urban risk reduction actions,” said Margareta Wahlström, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction. “When successfully mobilized, resilient cities may benefit from growth and employment, business opportunities, balanced ecosystems, better health and improved education.”

….Mayors from Bonn, Germany; Mexico City; Saint Louis, Senegal; Larreynaga-Malpaisillo, Nicaragua; Karlstad, Sweden and the Provincial Governor of Albay, the Philippines were the first to launch the campaign globally during the First World Congress on Cities and Adaptation to Climate Change in Bonn, yesterday….

A view of Lake Davos, shot by Günter Wieschendahl, who has released the image into the public domain