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Global Assessment of Sand and Dust Storms
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) - UNEP, 2016The specific objectives of the assessment are to:
1. Synthesise and highlight the environmental and socio-economic causes and impacts of SDS, as well as available technical measures for their mitigation, at the local, regional and global levels.
2. Show how the mitigation of SDS can yield multiple sustainable development benefits.
3. Synthesize information on current policy responses for mitigating SDS.
4. Present options for an improved strategy for mitigating SDS at the local, regional and global levels, building on existing institutions and agreements.
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Strengthening urban resilience in Bangladesh
This brochure is part of a series highlighting the World Bank's achievements in disaster risk management initiatives. The brochure offers lessons learned on managing disaster risk and promoting urban resilience and it presents Bangladesh's path-breaking Urban Resilience Project, the product of a collaborative effort among the government, the World Bank, and GFDRR, which equips key government agencies with state-of-the art emergency management facilities and improves construction permitting processes.
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Working as one : a road map to disaster resilience for Australia
Barnes Paul; Bergin Anthony; Nichola Daniel; et al. - Australian government publishing service, 2014This special report offers a roadmap for enhancing Australia’s disaster resilience, building on the 2011 National Strategy for Disaster Resilience. It includes a snapshot of relevant issues and current resilience efforts in Australia, outlining key challenges and opportunities. It sets out 11 recommendations to help guide Australia towards increasing national resilience, from individuals and local communities through to state and federal agencies.
SPC SOPAC Published Report, 171. Preliminary benefit cost analysis of storm surge hazard mitigation in the Tuamotu Islands, French Polynesia
In order to assist Pacific overseas countries and territories (OCTs) develop resilience to natural hazards, the European Union (EU) has commissioned the SOPAC Division of the SPC to work alongside OCTs to increase the protection and management of the coastal environment. The project, which falls under the European Development Fund (EDF) 9 C Envelope, will focus on the analysis, development and efficient implementation of the disaster risk solutions in Wallis and Futuna, New Caledonia, the Pitcairn Islands and French Polynesia. This document forms part of the work undertaken for French Polynesi ...
Best practices for reducing the risk of future damage to homes from riverine and urban flooding
This paper sets out 12 recommendations on actions the Government of Alberta can take to reduce the risk of flood damage to homes. It was prepared at the request of the Insurance Bureau of Canada following the flooding in southern Alberta in June 2013, which resulted in four fatalities and unprecedented damage to property. Using this window of opportunity, the paper demonstrates that most disaster damage can be prevented through the application of existing and emerging knowledge about building disaster resilient communities and invites the Government of Alberta and other stakeholders to take ac ...
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Paving the way for national drought policies: In FAO Issues in the Spotlight, July 2013
FAO, 2013Underscoring that droughts affect more people annually than any other type of natural disaster, the July edition of 'Issues in the Spotlight' of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) describes the increased international attention given to national drought policies in the lead up to, and following. the first High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policy.
The newsletter calls for policy makers to break the crisis management cycle and move toward pro-active risk management strategies. It describes the Declaration adopted at the conclusion of the High-Level Meeting ...
DRR-Factsheet. Early warning systems saves millions of lives
Early warning systems (EWS) are a critical life-saving tool for floods, droughts, storms, bushfires and other hazards. Recorded economic losses linked to extreme hydro-meteorological events have increased nearly 50 times over the past five decades, but the global loss of life has decreased significantly, by a factor of about 10, thus millions of lives are being saved (Fig. 1). This has been attributed to advancements in monitoring and forecasting linked to effective emergency preparedness and response planning on the national and local levels (Box 1).
DRR-Factsheet. Building on International and Regional Cooperation in Meteorology for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
About 90 per cent of disasters are caused by hazards related to weather, climate or water such as droughts, tropical cyclones and floods. These hazards know no national boundaries. International cooperation at a global and regional scale is therefore essential. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the authoritative voice of the United Nations (UN) on weather, climate and water, facilitates this cooperation through the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of its 191 Members [...]
Flood Management Tool Series, Technical Document, 13. Conservation and Restoration of Rivers and Floodplains
The tool aims at assisting practitioners mainly through reviewing and describing options for conservation and restoration of rivers and floodplains that can potentially assist flood management practitioners in addressing various flood management objectives, and providing an overview of current practices that could help flood management practitioners in identifying and establishing the values of ecosystem services generated under different conservation, restoration and flood management scenarios.
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Climate change, water stress, conflict and migration
UNESCO, 2012This collection of papers, presented at the symposium ‘Climate change, water stress, conflict and migration’ held on 21 September 2011 in the Netherlands, highlight how climate change, water stress and other environmental problems threaten human security. For example, the paper by Muniruzzaman ilustrates how water ignores political and community boundaries, and how decisions in one place can significantly affect water use elsewhere. India’s plans to build more dams could, for instance, have devastating affects for Pakistan’s agricultural productivity which is highly dependent on water supply f ...
Republic of Rwanda: disaster high risk zones on floods and landslides
MIDIMAR, 2012This document identifies all areas prone to floods and landslides in Rwanda for effective prevention, mitigation and preparedness planning mechanisms. It is intended to: (i) identify and map all areas prone to floods and landslides; (ii) increase knowledge on areas at risk in the country for effective Disaster Risk Reduction in Rwanda; (iii) create scientifically driven explanations on the main causes of vulnerability caused by floods and landslides; and (iv) help the local community to understand the natural phenomena/hazards that they are exposed to and raise their awareness for disaster ris ...
Learning lessons: intense climate-related natural disasters in Asia and the Pacific
ADB, 2012This synthesis addresses the global increase in frequency of intense floods and storms in Asia and the Pacific amid the spectre of climate change, and points to the need for better mitigation and adaptation to natural disasters. It presents the lessons drawn from evaluations of information sourced from publicly available databases
Safari's encounter with coastal and marine hazards : UNISUNISDR Africa educational series, vol. 4, issue 1:
UN/ISDR, 2012This booklet targets primary school children to sensitize them to the causes, impacts and mitigation of coastal and marine hazards, such as cyclone, tsunami, storm surge and flood, as well as other natural hazards such as drought, oil spill, ‘red tide’ and ‘brown tide’, and city fire.
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Forests and landlides : the role of forests and forestry in the prevention and rehabilitation of landslides in Asia
FAO, 2012Between 1950 and 2009 landslides claimed the lives of almost 18 000 people in Asia and affected approximately 5.5 million people (EM-DAT 2010). If statistics were available for landslide impacts caused by earthquakes, these numbers would be many times greater. Landslides cause social, economic and environmental damage. Forest and agricultural resources are lost; infrastructure and heritage sites are damaged or destroyed. Landslide material can block rivers and increase downstream sedimentation, increasing the risk of floods. With predicted changes in rainfall and climate in the coming decades ...
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Vol. 28 No.1 - Special Issue: M.E.E.T.I.N.G - Mitigation of the Effect of Earthquakes in Towns and INdustrial reGional districticts
is an issue of Geofizika. Andrija Mohorovičić Geophysical Institute,, 2011
Flood Management Tool Series, Technical Document, 12. Management of Sediment-Related Risks
Sediment-related disasters, which are caused by debris flows, slope failures and landslides, have different characteristics from water-related disasters. That is, disasters sites, timing of occurence, and hazard levels are difficult to predict accurately. This Tool explains practical approaches of identifying debris flows and landslides areas and introduces good practices of mitigation measures to minimize human loss. For example, disaster prevention maps containing hazard areas, sage refuges and evacuation routes are as essential and effective means as flood hazard maps.
Contributions by the World Meteorological Organization to the Millenium Development Goals
For developing countries, particularly LDCs (Least Developed Countries), this publication provides guidelines on enhancing the contribution of WMO and NMHSs (National Meteorological and Hydrological Services) to the achievement of the MDGs (Millenium Development Goals). Benefiting from the GFCS (Global Framework for Climate Services), NMHSs should be encouraged to use these guidelines, among others, to mainstream their activities, including generation and effective delivery of relevant weather-, climate- and water-related information and services into national sustainable development strategie ...
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UN/ISDR Briefing Note, 04. Effective measures to build resilience in Africa to adapt to climate change
UN/ISDR, 2011
WorldRiskReport 2011 : Focus - Governance and civil society
United Nations, 2011Earthquakes, floods, droughts, storms: disasters seem to occur unexpectedly and with unimaginable force. But why do some countries better succeed than others to cope with extreme natural events? The WorldRiskReport 2011 helps to evaluate the vulnerability of societies to natural hazards. On behalf of Alliance Development Works, UNU-EHS has developed the WorldRiskIndex and calculated risk values for 173 countries worldwide.
Contributions de l'Organisation météorologique mondiale aux objectifs du millénaire pour le développement
Pour les pays en développement, en particulier les PMA (Pays les moins avancés), cette publication fournit des lignes directrices visant à renforcer la contribution de l'OMM et des SMHN (Services météorologiques et hydrologiques nationaux) à la réalisation des OMD (Objectifs du Millénaire pour le développement). Bénéficiant du CMSC (Cadre mondial pour les services climatologiques), les SMHN devraient être encouragés à se fonder sur ces lignes directrices pour notamment inscrire leurs activités, y compris la production et la fourniture effective d'informations et de services météorologiques, ...
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Preliminary Study of Sensitive Areas for Several Tropical Cyclone Track Prediction Cases in 2007
Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters, Volume 3 Number 6. Tan Xiao-Wei; Wang Dong-Liang - Science Press, 2010Conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation (CNOP) obtained by the ensemble-based calculation method is employed to find possible sensitive areas for improving 48-h or more than 48-h tropical cyclone (TC) track predictions in several cases affecting China in 2007. These sensitive areas are examined by observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs). Results show that these sensitive areas improve TC track predictions for 48 h or more to different extents. Further analysis is performed to determine the distribution characteristics of sensitive areas in these cases. Results show that areas south ...
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A Comparison Study of the Contributions of Additional Observations in the Sensitive Regions Identified by CNOP and FSV to Reducing Forecast Error Variance for the Typhoon Morakot
The sensitive regions of conditional nonlinear optimal perturbations (CNOPs) and the first singular vector (FSV) for a northwest Pacific typhoon case are reported in this paper. A large number of probes have been designed in the above regions and the ensemble transform Kalman filter (ETKF) techniques are utilized to examine which approach can locate more appropriate regions for typhoon adaptive observations. The results show that, in general, the majority of the probes in the sensitive regions of CNOPs can reduce more forecast error variance than the probes in the sensitive regions of FSV. Thi ...
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DBCP Technical Document, 30. Technological Developments and Applications of Data Buoys for Tsunami Monitoring Systems, Hurricane and Storm Surge Prediction: presentations at the DBCP Technical Workshop
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) - WMO, 2007
Manual on Community Approach to Flood Management in India
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; Global Water Partnership (GWP); Associated Programme on Flood Management (APFM) - WMO, 2006
4th World Water Forum: thematic Document on the Management of Water-Related Risks
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; Co-operative programme on water and climate ; Japan Water Forum - 2006
Preventing and mitigating natural disasters
On World Meteorological Day 2006, WMO proposes a story of confidence, planning, empowerment, positive action and hope—a
description of how the cycle of information, preparedness, survival and progress should work. This story is set in a tropical village prone to cyclones. The village is confident,
informed, organized and ready to face the challenge of the weather. The story could apply to anyone, anywhere in the world, because in this village are local citizens, visiting businessmen, tourists and others who find themselves in the path of violent weather in a place far from home. ...
Working together for a safer world
This brochure provides information on WMO's activities and capabilities as related to the natural disaster management community and the general public.
In Time for the Flood: a methodological guide to local flood warning systems
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; Bogdańska−Warmuz Renata; Konieczny Roman; et al. - Institute of meteorology and water management, 2005
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AGM, 01. Coping with Drought in Sub-Saharan Africa : Better Use of Climate Information
This report captures the Kadoma Ranch workshop deliberations on the outcome of the survey and recommendations for a programme to address farmers' needs for information on climate and drought. The major partners who supported this work include USAID, the US Drought Mitigation Center, the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the UNCCD Global Mechanism and the Government of Zimbabwe through National Meteorological Directorate.
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AGM, 02. Early Warning Systems for Drought Preparedness and Drought Management
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; Sivakumar Mannava V.K.; Wood Deborah A. - WMO, 2000 (WMO/TD-No. 1037)Effective drought early warning systems are an integral part of efforts worldwide to improve drought preparedness. Timely and reliable data and information must be the cornerstone of effective drought policies and plans. In pursuit of the goal of improving the effectiveness of drought early warning systems, participants of the experts meeting were asked to address three fundamental questions:
1. What is your assessment of the current status of drought early warning systems?
2. What are the shortcomings, limitations, and needs for drought early warning systems?
3. How ca ...
Early Warning Systems for Drought and Desertification: Role of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services
This brochure describes the growing menace of drought and desertification. It highlights the importance of early warning systems, giving guiding principles for effective early warning. Some systems in use by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services are described.
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The 1997-1998 El Niño Event in brief
This publication reviews existing knowledge and capabilities for monitoring and forecasting ENSO in order to establish a sound basis for new strategies to mitigate the negative impacts and capitalize on potential positive benefits.
The 1997-1998 El Niño Event: a Scientific and Technical Retrospective
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC); United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); et al. - WMO, 1999 (WMO-No. 905)This publication reviews existing knowledge and capabilities for monitoring and forecasting ENSO in order to establish a sound basis for new strategies to mitigate the negative impacts and capitalize on potential positive benefits.
El episodio el Niño de 1997-1998: una retrospectiva científica y técnica
Organización Meteorológica Mundial (OMM); Comisión Oceanográfica Intergubernamental (COI); Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente (PNUMA); et al. - OMM, 1999 (OMM-No. 905)
L'épisode El Niño 1997-1998: rétrospective scientifique et technique
Organisation météorologique mondiale (OMM); Commission Océanographique Intergouvernementale (COI); Programme des Nations Unies pour l'environnement (PNUE); et al. - OMM, 1999 (OMM-No. 905)
A decade against natural disasters
Prepared as a contribution to the UN World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction (Yokohama, Japan, May 1994) which marked the mid-point of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, this brochure outlines the different types of natural catastrophes that threaten various regions of the world and describes how WMO and national Meteorological and Hydrological Services are working to minimize the destructive effects of natural phenomena such as floods, tropical cyclones and drought.
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