'Preventing and Mitigating Natural Disasters'

Secretary-General
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen :


It is a great pleasure for me as Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva to join you on this occasion to mark World Meteorological Day. I would like to thank the World Meteorological Organization for the invitation to be with you today. As you know, the commemoration of this day coincides with the coming into force in 1950 of the Convention establishing the World Meteorological Organization. Today, we also pay tribute to WMO, whose efforts span over more than half a century, in promoting a better understanding of weather, water and climate, as well as a greater awareness that these occurrences do not stop at national boundaries, since they affect the health and welfare of all living beings on this earth. The proven ability of WMO in forging successful partnerships, both within the United Nations system as well as outside, also deserves our appreciation.

The theme of this year’s World Meteorological Day entitled “Preventing and mitigating natural disasters” is especially fitting and all the more imperative in light of the unprecedented, global natural disasters of recent years, which have been characterized by huge loss of human life as well as loss of livelihoods and a cost to development. At the end of 2004, the tsunami in the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia devastated the lives of thousands of people. In 2005, Hurricane Stan in Central America, Hurricane Wilma in the Caribbean, Hurricane Katrina in the south of the United States of America and the earthquake in Pakistan took tens of thousands of lives and affected millions of people. The humanitarian and economic consequences of these tragic events will be felt for years to come.

These catastrophes may have demonstrated the weakness and fragility of humankind in face of the power of nature, however, this does not signify that we have to remain powerless in preventing the impact of natural disasters. In the words of the Secretary-General, “we cannot stop natural calamities, but we can and must better equip individuals and communities to withstand them.” Indeed, efficient early warning systems – comprising risk awareness, monitoring and warning service, dissemination of information to those at risk and response capability – are invaluable as some of the most effective instruments of disaster reduction, which is why implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action for building the resilience of nations and communities to disaster is as crucial as ever before. I have no doubt that the Third International Conference on Early Warning to be held in Bonn next week will contribute to the achievement of our global objectives in this area, as well as highlighting existing capacity and gaps therein, in line with the request of Member States at the 2005 World Summit.

We live in a world of interdependent threats and challenges. This is increasingly pertinent in the area of disaster risk, of which the impact and actions in one region can have an impact on risks in another. Indeed, this is compounded by increasing vulnerabilities related to such phenomena as changing demographic, technological and socio-economic conditions, unplanned urbanization, development within high-risk zones, under-development, environmental degradation, deforestation, climate change, as well as the impact of epidemics such as HIV/AIDS. These and other determining factors make the impact of these natural hazards worse, especially in developing countries, increasing their vulnerability as well as setting back their economic and social growth.

While it is crucial to invest our efforts on preventing natural hazards becoming disasters through early warning systems, it is also equally important to invest in limiting the effects of human activities, which are causing environmental damage on a massive scale throughout the world and contributing to the risks associated with natural hazards. Likewise, all the Millennium Development Goals touch upon areas, which are closely linked to vulnerabilities and risks to hazards. For example, the goal of improving the lives of thousands of slum dwellers around the world living in high-risk areas involves poverty reduction, proper land use planning and the improved understanding of vulnerability to disasters in densely populated areas.

We must work together to make nations more resilient in the face of natural disasters and strengthen capacities globally. Collaboration and cooperation among all stakeholders, including countries, regional and international organizations, civil society, media as well as the scientific community, is crucial, since it is widely accepted that addressing the challenges posed by natural disasters requires a multi-disciplinary approach. However, while effective prevention and mitigation of natural disasters requires efficient worldwide early warning systems, addressing them in light of a broader development context is a fundamental factor in enhancing our ability to prevent and mitigate natural disasters globally. Let us take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment not only to strengthening disaster risk reduction initiatives globally but also to reiterating our promises to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

Thank you very much.