BLACK EMERGENCY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL: UNDRR 'Interactive Feature'. Impact of Disasters, Zero Climate Disasters, COP27, and other areas

Dear Friends,

We hope your year is off to a good start. We would like to share with you some updates and offer a look ahead to some big upcoming activities.

Updates:

India assumed the G20 Presidency on 1 December 2022 from Indonesia and will convene the G20 Leaders' Summit for the first time in the country in 2023. Under India’s Presidency, a new working group on Disaster Risk Reduction has been established. SRSG Mami Mizutori issued a statement welcoming its creation and committing UNDRR to support it.
SRSG Mami Mizutori published an opinion piece to introduce UNDRR’s campaign of ‘Zero Climate Disasters’ to the general public. This is a campaign that aims to build support for increased efforts to prevent hazards from becoming disasters through complementary actions.

To highlight “The invisible toll of disasters,” UNDRR launched an interactive feature showcasing the cascading impacts of disasters and the hidden costs of slow-onset and small-scale events.
If you ever need to explain what UNDRR is or what we do, we encourage you to make use of our new introductory 1-minute video which explains how we are “a small organization with a big mandate” (Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube).
By the end of 2022, we have seen steady growth in search engine queries on ‘disaster risk reduction,’ with a big uptick starting in 2020. We believe this is the combined result of global crises and the growing realization that DRR holds many of the solutions for achieving sustainable and resilient development.
Looking ahead:
The VIII Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas and the Caribbean will be held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, from February 28 to March 2, 2023. Those in the region who wish to participate are advised to submit their registration applications by 26 January.
At COP27, the UN Secretary-General launched the Executive Action Plan for the Early Warnings for All Initiative and asked that the World Meteorological Organization and UNDRR co-lead an Advisory Board to ensure its effective implementation. Building on this, UNDRR will be organizing with partners a series of regional launches to raise awareness around the need to implement the plan by 2027. The first regional event will be focused on the Caribbean and will be held on 6 February in Barbados.
2023 will mark the midterm point for many international frameworks, including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Water Action Decade, and the Sustainable Development Goals. The findings of the Sendai Framework’s Midterm Review will be presented at a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York on 18 and 19 May 2023. We encourage member states to ensure the highest levels of representation at the meeting.
A special edition of the Global Assessment Report (GAR) is being developed for publication around July 2023. It will be titled “Risk-informing the Sustainable Development Goals: Metrics and measures to build resilience in a changing climate.”
Throughout the year, UNDRR will continue to organize tsunami evacuation walks in different countries as part of our ongoing #GetToHighGround campaign. These walks aim to help communities build their preparedness for early action against the threat of tsunamis.

Thank you for your continued partnership and we wish you all a happy and resilient year