ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 29th Oct, 2019) Kirsi Madi, Director, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, stated that the UAE is a regional and international model to follow of disaster risk reduction, due to its technological innovation and rapid development.
In an interview with the Emirates news Agency, WAM, Madi said that the UAE is a leading country in terms of implementing the '2015 -2030 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction', and praised its efforts to rebuild cities affected by disasters around the world.
She discussed, with the National Emergency and Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, NCEMA, the development of a national disaster risk reduction strategy, and expressed her happiness at the progress she witnessed, adding that she is looking forward to finalising the strategy before 2020, which is the international Sendai deadline.
The UAE is capable of creating a community that can deal with disasters, by joining over 4,000 international cities and 300 Arab cities in the "Making Cities Sustainable and Resilient Campaign," in addition to its participation in the 'Third UN World Conference on disaster risk reduction' in Sendai, Japan, she further added.
Madi then pointed out that the past two decades have witnessed indirect economic losses caused by disasters exceeding US$3 trillion, and in 2017, over 95 million people were affected by disasters, with more than 77 percent of these disasters related to climate change.
"I am delighted to see the UAE delivering the necessary data to the Sendai Framework through its portal, which is a monitoring mechanism developed by the UNDRR two years ago. Every country is reporting its progress," she said in conclusion.
