20 November 2009: In an interview with the UN News Centre, Margareta Wahlström, Assistant Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR), explained that climate change is expected to lead to an increased number of extreme weather events, water and drought situations. She underlined countries’ strong focus on climate change and the climate risks, noting that 80 to 90% of all disasters are related to weather. She added that risk reduction “is the tried and tested methodology which is already well known” to adapt and adjust to the changing climate. Regarding the upcoming Copenhagen meeting, Wahlström called on world leaders for “a determined sense by world leaders that they have to continue to pursue practical action,” whether or not a legally binding agreement is agreed upon. [The Interview]