Building Resilient Cities: Engaging DRR to an Urban World

This issue of Southasiadisasters.net focuses on the theme of 'Building Resilient Cities'. It highlights the importance of bringing Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation to urban planning in order to create safer spaces for citizens. The need for bringing DRR and CCA to urban planning is urgent in a world that is urbanizing rapidly, where disaster displacement risk and other calamities are driven by rapid and unplanned urbanisation. In this matter, India compromises to give especial attention to the future of its cities by promoting the construction of safe buildings and better land-use plans.

The issue also highlights the specific challenges urbanization faces when a disaster situation occurs like in the case of the earthquakes in Gujarat and Pakistan and the need to develop a better earthquake early warning system for the future. It also recognizes the important role of Communication Medias and NGO during a disaster. In the case of AIDMI it has to be mentioned it is a pioneer in developing better preparedness responses and long term solutions by utilising a holistic approach.

This issue’s contents includes: (i) Disaster Displacement in Cities: Agenda for Initiatives; (ii) Adapting to an Urban World: Strengthening Urban Food Security Analysis in Humanitarian Crises; (iii) Shelter Associates – Shelter, Risk and Agenda for Asia; (iv) Early Warning and Forecasting System for Earthquakes: An Insight; (v) Few Good Men and Women; (vi) Ten Years Ago and Now; (vii) Kutch and Aceh Recoveries: A View; and (ix) Children Demand for Safe School and Safe Education.

Some of the best thinkers, researchers, experts, and activists, including Mihir R. Bhatt with AIDMI Team; Atle Solberg, Head of Coordination Unit, Platform on Disaster Displacement, IEH Geneva, Switzerland; Marina Angeloni, Global Food Security Cluster Rome, Italy; Ross Plaster, Architect, Shelter Associates, UK; Sangeeta Baksi, Scientist, New Delhi and Akarsh Mishra; Sandeep Shaligram, Consultant, Pune, India; Sarwar Bari, Pattan Development Organisation; and Dr. Marjaana Jauhola, Adjunct Professor, Academy of Finland Fellow, University of Helsinki, Finland. Theme: Building Resilience, Early Warning, School Safety, Urban, Disaster Risk Reduction.