24. The proliferation of natural disasters, particularly water related disasters, highlighted the importance of international cooperation in that area.

ESCAP contributes, through its 52 members and associate members, to the mainstreaming of disaster reduction into sustainable development, with particular focus on water related disasters, especially floods and drought.

That organization depended heavily on space platform observations for the purpose of early warning of weather related disasters such as floods and typhoons.

Major disasters to which Nepal is vulnerable, in addition to earthquakes, include floods, drought, landslides, epidemics, glacial lake outburst floods, fire and ecological hazards.

A. Disaster related facts and situations 34 42 6

Relevant United Nations organizations and donor Governments should strengthen the capacity of disaster prone countries in disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and post disaster recovery within a disaster risk reduction framework, by supporting relevant initiatives in this field.

It further includes water related disasters, emergencies and other extreme events and their impact on human security.

d) public installations designed for protection against fire, flood or any other natural disasters,

The secretariat of ISDR supported GRID Europe in updating and incorporating 25 years (1979 2003) of data on cyclones, earthquakes, floods, forest fires, tsunamis and volcanoes, including data on frequency and exposure to hazards.

Experience suggests that the effects of disasters, including water related disasters such as floods and droughts, can be mitigated by reducing vulnerability, conducting risk assessments, improving disaster management systems, including through regional collaborative mechanisms, establishing early warning systems, raising awareness and using traditional and indigenous knowledge.

The programme on water related disaster risk management links the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action, adopted at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (Kobe, Japan, January 2005), to the Water for Life Decade.

25. Stresses the need to address risk reduction of and vulnerabilities to all natural hazards, including geological and hydrometeorological hazards, in a comprehensive manner

26. Stresses the need to address risk reduction of and vulnerabilities to all natural hazards, including geological and hydrometeorological hazards, in a comprehensive manner

Taking into account that geological and hydro meteorological hazards and their associated natural disasters and their reduction must be addressed in a coherent and effective manner,

Taking into account that geological and hydrometeorological hazards and their associated natural disasters and their reduction must be addressed in a coherent and effective manner,

(c) Disaster monitoring from space German support and experience related to the tsunami catastrophe , by the representative of Germany

Water quality, ecosystem management and disaster prevention

For instance, the fifth periodic report of Bangladesh contains a section on Women and the Environment , which recognizes that women are directly and adversely affected both through man made and natural calamities such as floods, cyclones, droughts, arsenic contaminated water, river erosion, etc. (CEDAW C BGD 5, sect.

B. Regional disaster related problems and projects 25 33 5

B. Regional disaster related problems and projects

The incidence and severity of disasters associated with natural hazards continues to increase.

6. Encourages the Inter Agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction to continue to enhance the coordination of activities to promote disaster reduction and to make available to the relevant United Nations entities information on options for natural disaster reduction, including severe natural hazards and extreme weather related disasters and vulnerabilities

That was a national mission, integrating space applications along with other relevant information for disaster warning, disaster mitigation and efficient management of hazardous events.

5. Encourages the Inter Agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction to enhance the coordination on the promotion of disaster reduction as well as to make available to the relevant United Nations entities information on options for natural disaster reduction, including severe natural hazards and extreme weather related disasters and vulnerabilities

Given the high rate of urbanization, the prevention of disasters in urban areas (floods, landslides) as well as improved housing and access to water will contribute to stability.

Hence, realization of an efficient disaster management system, which could address the social issues related to disaster mitigation, would help in reducing the impact of disasters on the vulnerable socio economic profile of developing countries.

Aware of the high vulnerability of Afghanistan to natural disasters and harsh climate conditions, in particular drought or flooding,

10. Since El Niño events induce extreme regional and local weather related phenomena, such as floods, landslides, droughts and forest fires, all generic mechanisms developed for natural disaster reduction contribute to the mitigation of El Niño impacts on vulnerable populations.

Taking into account that geological and hydrometeorological hazards, extreme weather events and their associated natural disasters and their reduction must be addressed in a coherent and effective manner,

(h) To assist Governments in their efforts in water related and geologic natural disaster reduction through promotion of prevention and preparedness measures, including risk analysis, structural and non structural measures, and hazard monitoring.

Recent experiences in sudden onset and other disasters, including the Indian Ocean tsunami, have underscored the critical importance of disaster risk reduction.

There is also a need to draw a distinction between natural disasters and terrorist disasters caused by man.

(iii) A regional instrument on disaster management and emergency response

24. To assist in the advance planning of relief efforts, vegetation monitoring information was used to assess regional food and water supplies and to mitigate the risks of drought, pest infestation and environmental contamination.

The network will facilitate the exchange of information on research and training activities as well as direct experiences in disaster risk management and mitigation among researchers and disaster managers.

In the area of combating natural disasters, a remote sensing system for monitoring and assessing major natural disasters, focusing on flood and drought control has been set up. An aerial remote sensing real time transmission system has been developed, thus making it possible to transmit real time images of disaster stricken areas.

(a) Hazards mapping (natural and man made), including volcanic and seismic hazards earthquakes tsunamis oil spills monitoring flooding vulnerability, assessment and monitoring and disaster management

Exchange of information with specialized agencies in the United Nations system on their activities on the subject of space system based disaster management support, as well as the regional disaster management structures.

We have provided assistance to combat epidemic diseases and overcome the effects of natural disasters including floods, droughts and infestation by locusts and other pests.

Redressing this imbalance requires a focus on key infrastructure. Of course, one cannot at reasonable cost prevent all possible damage from calamities, which strike randomly and in locations that cannot always be predicted.

For that reason, Guatemala concurs with the Secretary General's recommendation that the relevant United Nations organizations and donor Governments should strengthen the capacities of disaster prone countries in disaster mitigation, preparedness and response as well as post disaster recovery, within a disaster risk reduction framework.

We endorse the Secretary General's appeal for an increase in funding, which continues to be below the level required to deal effectively with the consequences of natural disasters.

It underlined the importance of the impacts of global climate change on water related hazards and the need to also address the impacts of drought.

There were five presentation sessions on the following hazards geo hazard risks forest and bush fires floods drought, desertification and land degradation and entomological risks.

6. Also encourages the Inter Agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction to continue to enhance the coordination of activities to promote disaster reduction and to make available to the relevant United Nations entities information on options for natural disaster reduction, including severe natural hazards and extreme weather related disasters and vulnerabilities