United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
Abbreviation UNISDR
Formation 2000
Type Programme
Legal status Active
Headquarters Geneva, Switzerland
Head
 Margareta Wahlström
Parent organization
 UNOG
Website www.unisdr.org

Created in December 1999, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) is the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR). It is the successor to the secretariat of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction with the purpose of ensuring the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (General Assembly (GA) resolution 54/219[1]).[2]

UNISDR is part of the United Nations Secretariat and its functions span the development and humanitarian fields. Its core areas of work includes ensuring disaster risk reduction (DRR) is applied to climate change adaptation, increasing investments for DRR, building disaster-resilient cities, schools and hospitals and strengthening the international system for DRR.

UNISDR's vision is based on the three strategic goals of the Hyogo Framework for Action: integrating DRR into sustainable development policies and planning, developing and strengthening institutions, mechanisms and capacities to build resilience to hazards, and incorporating risk reduction approaches into emergency preparedness, response, and recovery programmes.

UNISDR leads the preparation and follow-up of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, establishment in 2006 (GA resolution 61/198). The Global Platform has become the main global forum for disaster risk reduction and for the provision of strategic and coherent guidance for the implementation of the Hyogo Framework and to share experience among stakeholders. Other areas of work for UNISDR includes issuing the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction every two years, supporting countries in monitoring risk trends and the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action, and leading global campaigns on disaster risk reduction for safer schools, safer hospitals and safer cities.[2]

Management

Margareta Wahlstrom (September 2013)

Margareta Wahlström is the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction.[3]

Created in 2008, the functions of this post includes leading and overseeing UNISDR in the executions of its functions entrusted by the General Assembly (GA), Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), as well as policy directions by the Secretary-General, overseeing the management of the Trust Fund for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, and carrying out high-level advocacy and resource mobilization activities for risk reduction and implementation of the HFA. The Special Representative also ensures the strategic and operational coherence between disaster-reduction and humanitarian disaster preparedness and response activities, as well as socio-economic activities of the UN system and regional organizations.[4]

Educational Games

The UNISDR has invested in game based learning to engage with schools and educational bodies by developing a range of physical board games, educational packs and digital online games to help promote awareness of how to reduce disaster risk [5]

In 2007 the UNISDR commissioned the Stop Disasters simulation game by Playerthree, a UK based games studio.

The Stop Disasters game is a web-based serious game in which players can select from a range of disaster scenarios around the world such as earthquake, flood, tsunami, wildfire and hurricane. Players have a limited budget with which to house a given population as safely as possible. They are allowed to invest their money in a wide range of resources, prevention measures and upgrades to existing buildings. The objective of the game is to save as many lives as possible once the natural event occurs. The difficulty in the game is handled by increasing populations and a greater unpredictability of the natural event occurring.

Stop Disasters was favourably reviewed by a number of respected game review websites.[6][7]

References

  1. ↑ United Nations General Assembly Session 54 Resolution 219. A/RES/54/219 3 February 2000. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.unisdr.org/who-we-are/mandate
  3. ↑ http://www.unisdr.org/who-we-are/srsg-drr
  4. ↑ http://www.unisdr.org/who-we-are/unisdr-in-un
  5. ↑ http://www.unisdr.org/we/advocate/education
  6. ↑ http://jayisgames.com/archives/2007/03/stop_disasters.php
  7. ↑ http://www.bogost.com/watercoolergames/archives/stop_disasters.shtml

External links