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"Rickshaws in a flooded street in Bangkok."
(Credit: League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.)
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Natural Disasters
Natural disasters include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, fires, floods, hurricanes, tropical storms, cyclones, landslides, and other events that cause loss of life and property. Increased intensity of natural disasters are estimated to claim at least 250,000 lives and costs close to US$100billion in property damage every year.
Underscoring the importance of the application of science and technology to mitigate the impact of natural disasters, Professor G.O.P. Obasi, Secretary General of WMO, has stated that a strategy for reduction of the impact of natural disasters should take into account “the need to critically assess the current state of the science and technology used in natural disaster reduction and prevention, identifying improvements made during the decade.” Professor Obasi has proposed to support the regional centers, especially those in developing countries that monitor and provide early warnings and establish necessary inter-agency arrangements.
The Public Weather Services Programme http://www.wmo.ch/web/aom/pwsp/pwsp.html is the focus of activity within the WMO Secretariat in the area of WMO support for United Nations Humanitarian and Relief Missions. The Secretariat also makes efforts to arrange meteorological and hydrological support for both relief missions and for sustainable development humanitarian projects.
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