United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)

Category: Disaster Management, International Organisation

Why in the News?

• The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has appointed Kamal Kishore, a senior official from India's National Disaster Management Authority, as the Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction.
• Kishore, will serve as Assistant Secretary-General at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), succeeding Mami Mizutori of Japan.

About United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

• The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is dedicated to significantly reducing disaster risk and losses to foster a sustainable future. As the UN system's focal point for disaster risk reduction and the custodian of the Sendai Framework, UNDRR assists countries and societies in implementing, monitoring, and reviewing progress.
• Least Developed Countries (LDCs) bear a disproportionate burden of disasters, including those exacerbated by climate change, hindering progress towards sustainable development. UNDRR integrates risk reduction and resilience-building into the Doha Programme of Action, crucial for sustainable graduation from the LDC category.
• UNDRR provides technical and capacity development support by:

1. Facilitating inclusive, multi-hazard national disaster risk reduction strategies and reviewing legislation to promote a risk-informed approach across sectors.
2. Establishing national disaster risk reduction platforms to enhance risk governance and coherence between climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
3. Strengthening statistical and planning capacity for collecting, analyzing, and utilizing disaster risk data, including through the Global Risk Assessment Framework.
4. Assisting countries in disaster risk reduction financing and developing early warning systems for proactive risk management.
5. Advocating for the integration of disaster risk reduction into humanitarian efforts and strategies to prevent displacement.