UNCTAD continued its assistance to the insurance sector in close cooperation with Africa's regional insurance organization, the African Insurance Organization (AIO) The 2004 UNCTAD African Insurance Organization (AIO) Seminar on Insurance, Reinsurance and Catastrophe Risks, held in Casablanca, attracted more 400 participants, and resulted in the creation of the Centre for African Catastrophe Risks (CARC ACCR) in Casablanca.

Insurance against disasters is an important issue in the Caribbean region.

Disaster risk reduction

Before 1987, only one disaster had exceeded US 1 billion in insured losses.

(f) Natural and environmental disasters to develop partnerships to implement schemes that spread out risks, reduce insurance premiums, expand insurance coverage and thereby increase financing for post disaster reconstruction and rehabilitation, and establish and strengthen effective early warning systems as well as other mitigation and response measures agreed

And then I thought about how, much as travel insurance doesn't cover acts of God, probably my health insurance did not cover acts of idiocy.

CDMP attempts to improve cooperation between national disaster management agencies and insurance companies.

Those efforts involve linking climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, as well as ensuring that implementation of the Millennium Development Goals supports disaster risk reduction.

Disaster risk mitigation and preparedness are integral to the planning of human settlements in countries prone to natural disasters.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) proposed in December that each of America s 50 states should establish a disaster insurance fund to cover a wide range of big calamities. The funds modeled after similar funds in France and Spain would be designed to cover the biggest, once in fifty years catastrophes.

It was pointed out that natural disasters often occurred in situations of minimal or no risk in which personnel delivering assistance would be adequately protected by the host State's national legislation.

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.

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

Insurance of persons business which includes life insurance, health insurance and accident and injury insurance.

Particular attention should be given to establishing an international early warning and threat reduction system for natural disasters and for reducing the danger they pose.

His Office was working on the issues of disaster insurance and operationalization of the Emergency Fund for Disasters, both of particular interest to small island developing States.

Many of the disaster prone areas of such States are not able to obtain appropriate insurance due to the heavy costs incurred in previous disasters.

Noting the ongoing work of all the working groups established by the Inter Agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction, namely the Working Group on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, the Working Group on Disaster Reduction in Africa, the Working Group on Risk, Vulnerability and Disaster Impact Assessment and the Working Group on the World Conference on Disaster Reduction,

(d) Disaster risk reduction diminishes the need for humanitarian emergency interventions in the aftermath of disasters

The secretariat of ISDR uses satellite imagery in disaster risk reduction.

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.

(1) Training Workshop on Community Based Disaster Risk Management

Indian Ocean disaster risk reduction for a safer world

95. Ecological disasters, nuclear or otherwise, risk destroying every form of life.

Insuring the Worst

The risks and potential for disasters associated with natural hazards are largely shaped by prevailing levels of vulnerability and measures taken to prevent, mitigate and prepare for disasters.

Emphasizing the importance of addressing vulnerability and integrating risk reduction into all phases of natural disaster management, post natural disaster recovery and development planning,

Indian Ocean disaster risk reduction for a safer future

India set up its national disaster management authority to strengthen the national and institutional legislative system to deal with disaster risk reduction.

In support of this, UNDP will deploy national disaster risk reduction advisers to assist national efforts in capacity building for disaster risk reduction in 20 of the most disaster prone countries of the world.

The next thing you'll tell me I need... earthquake insurance and lightning insurance and hail insurance.

A fire. Yes, a fire. It's always the insurance that pays.

The integration of disaster risk management into the management of water resources includes improvements in multi hazard mapping and warning systems and the enhancement of disaster preparedness at the local, national and regional levels, as well as the promotion of community based disaster risk management practices.

With regard to the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, the country was developing remote sensing capacities to help identify hazard vulnerability and risk populations and, ultimately, reduce the disaster impact.

Unsustainable development patterns can generate new disaster risks.

Integrating climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction

General statements Indian Ocean Disaster risk reduction for a safer future

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.

(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.

27. These processes will ensure visible emphasis on El Niño specific natural disaster risks, country requirements for disaster reduction measures and improved regional collaboration, including institutional capacities for hazard assessment and applied risk management practices, within the IDNDR programme forum of July 1999.

They also called on the international community to take full advantage of the 10 year review of the Yokahama Strategy for Natural Disaster Reduction, to be held in Kobe, Japan from 18 22 January, 2005, to address the specific issues of SIDS including the possibility of establishing insurance and re insurance arrangements for SIDS as they relate to natural and environmental disasters.

All development programmes and investments should be disaster risk sensitive.

It is particularly important for every country to prepare risk assessment maps for specific disasters.

In order to reduce disaster risks, countries and communities must first identify risk factors, decide what level of risk is acceptable, and then take steps to reduce risks or transfer them away from affected areas.

Experience in dealing with the consequences of natural disasters of recent decades has demonstrated that poverty exacerbates the risk of devastation caused by natural disasters.