4 November 2015: Singapore and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) have joined forces to strengthen the disaster risk management (DRM) capacity of small island developing States (SIDS) and other countries that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. During a joint specialized training course, representatives from Singapore and UNISDR shared their expertise on early warning systems, hazard and vulnerability assessment, emergency preparedness plans, resilient public health systems, adaptation and mitigation measures, and sustainable urban planning.

During the course, which took place in Singapore, practical support for implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) was provided to approximately 28 participants from: China, Fiji, India, Mauritius, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe. The course focused on mainstreaming DRR and adaptation and mitigation into national sectoral strategies and programmes, and developing action plans to support such mainstreaming.

Sanjaya Bhatia, Head of UNISDR’s Office for Northeast Asia and Global Education and Training Institute (GETI), stated that the course ensured that participants were in a position to implement and integrate DRR and climate change actions into development policies. The Singapore-UNISDR initiative was first announced during the Third UN World Conference on DRR (WCDRR) in March 2015, and will continue in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The initiative provides training in disaster management, sustainable development and non-traditional security. [UNISDR Press Release] [IISD RS Coverage of the Third UN World Conference on DRR]