Integrating Risk Management Ecosystems and Water-Related Risks

On 17 May 2019, as part of the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction, UN Environment will host a Working Session on Integrating Risk Management Ecosystems and Water-Related Risks. The event will be held from 14:30 to 16:00 in Room 3 of the International Conference Center in Geneva (17 rue de Varembé, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland). Interpretation will be provided in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish on site. Participants can also participate remotely.

Water-related disasters account for most disasters, with devastating environmental and economic consequences, wherein the deficit or excess of water result in a range of hazards, from drought to flood. Poor water resource and ecosystem management makes disaster risk more pronounced. There is a strong need to adopt a coherent approach to water-related risks and enhance risk knowledge and early warning (from what the weather might be, to what it may do). The session will discuss the wide range of water risk and complexity of the challenge, showcase good examples of integrated risk management and set out the key areas where substantial policy improvements and investments could be made. The session will also highlight the key policy measures across different water risks and sectors and demonstrate practical examples of replicable and scale-able ecosystem-based approaches, particularly in the water sector. Perspectives of different stakeholders, engineers, policymakers, investors and donors will be shared.

This event is co-organized by UN Environment and UNISDR as part of the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction's Innovation Platform. UN Environment is also co-organizing another Working Session on The Role of Green, Blue and Gray Infrastructure in Reducing Disaster Risk.