25 May 2012: The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) has announced that 14 Peruvian cities have joined UNISDR’s Making Cities Resilient campaign, following the launch of the campaign recruitment drive in Peru.

The announcement was made on the final day of a two-day meeting and roundtable discussion on disaster risk reduction (DRR) convened in Lima, Peru, by UNISDR, the Association of Municipalities of Peru (AMPE), and the non-governmental organization (NGO) Soluciones Prácticas. UNISDR also announced the signing of a cooperation agreement among UNISDR, AMPE, CENEPRED (Centro Nacional de Estimación, Prevención y Reduccion del Riesgo de Desastres), INDECI (Instituto Nacional de Defensa Civil), and the mayors and representatives of the municipalities who have signed up to the campaign, on the strengthening of urban resilience.

The campaign, launched in 2010, demonstrates local leadership and raises awareness of how efforts to reduce disaster risk are making cities safer and more resilient. The Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient include: organization and coordination of risk management; budget assignation; preparation of risk assessments; investment and maintenance of infrastructure that reduces risk; safe schools and health facilities; risk compliant building regulations and land use planning; education and training in disaster reduction; protection of ecosystems and natural buffers; early warning systems and emergency management; and the needs of survivors. The Campaign now has over 1,040 members in over 80 countries. [UNISDR Press Release]