21 December 2011
UN/ISDR Calls for Increased Education on Disasters and Climate Change
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Reflecting on the impacts of Typhoon Sendong, which recently hit the south of the Philippines, Margareta Wahlström underlined the need for increased education on disasters and climate change, so that people understand the risk they expose themselves to when they refuse to heed evacuation warnings.

19 December 2011: In acknowledgement of the impacts of Typhoon Sendong, which recently hit the south of the Philippines, Margareta Wahlström, UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Disaster Risk Reduction and Chief of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR), offered her sympathy to the people affected, and stressed there are lessons to be learned from the tropical storm.

In her message, Wahlström underscored the need for increased education on disasters and climate change, so that people understand the risk they expose themselves to when they refuse to heed evacuation warnings. Underscoring the need to improve the effectiveness of early warning systems, Wahlström noted that storm was identified two days before flash floods swept through Cagayan de Oro City and Illigan City.

Philippines Senator, Loren Legarda, and UN/ISDR Disaster Risk Reduction Champion for Asia, also called on local governments throughout the Philippines to “invest in flood infrastructure.” [UN/ISDR Press Release][UN Press Release]

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