Launch Policy Brief “Towards systemic disaster risk reduction in mountains”

Mountains are multi-risk areas due to complex interactions between natural and socioeconomic factors. These multiple risks can manifest locally but can also have severe impacts in distant lowland areas, thus requiring coordinated approaches across sectors and regions. Moreover, mountain risks are embedded in the specific natural, cultural, social and economic contexts of mountains, which call for local knowledge and livelihood options that can adapt to and reduce exposure to these risks.

On occasion of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2023, we officially launch the Policy Brief on disaster risk reduction in mountains led by UNU-EHS and Eurac Research’s GLOMOS Programme in collaboration with ICIMOD, MRI, the National Autonomous University of Mexico and ZoiNet. This policy brief is developed under the umbrella of a Policy Brief series initiated by the Mountain Partnership’s Open-Ended Scientific Committee for 2022’s International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development. This brief additionally builds on the results of the General Assembly on the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, and it highlights the need for a more systemic approach when addressing mountain-related risks. The policy brief is open access and available under this link: http://collections.unu.edu/view/UNU:9271

The key messages are also summarised in this article titled “5 Insights towards systemic risk reduction in mountains”, available on the UNU-EHS website under: https://ehs.unu.edu/news/news/5-insights-towards-systemic-risk-reduction-in-mountains.html

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction: The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) is held every year on 13th October to raise awareness on disaster risk reduction efforts across the world. This years’ theme is “Fighting inequality for a resilient future“.