I am sure we all hope for a 2021 that sees us overcome the challenges and tragedy of COVID-19 and move forward into a positive ‘new normal’. But that won’t be possible until vaccines have been made available equitably across the world. We are not safe until we are all safe. A human rights-based approach...Continue reading
The Secretary-General expressed it very well in his message for World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD) on November 5: “Currently we are struggling with what some describe as a tsunami of death and disease due to COVID-19. This metaphor comes easily because living memory remains strong of the worst sudden onset disaster this century, the Indian...Continue reading
It is hard to overemphasize how important Target (e) is to the implementation of the Sendai Framework and the overall effort to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Simply stated, we need a substantial increase in the number of national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by the end of this...Continue reading
Disaster risk governance has been a constant refrain in my public statements for some months now and I informed the High-Level Panel on Sustainable Development in July that it would be the theme of this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on October 13. It is understandable that disaster management agencies often focus on...Continue reading
In the time of COVID – 19 pandemic, ARISE Philippines members were actively involved in various activities to help the local and national governments to prevent the further spread of the pandemic and to prepare for the new normal. The efforts included Information and Education Campaigns through webinars and researches and documents made available to...
I have been thinking, writing and talking a lot about good governance recently and how its absence can drive disaster risk. COVID-19 has driven home the understanding that without good disaster risk governance it is extremely difficult to manage any other underlying drivers of disaster risk. The most glaring example of this is the continued failure to...Continue reading