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This month from UNDRR: statements from SRSG Kamal Kishore on the Nepal-Tibet disaster, the Colombia earthquake, the growing impacts of El Niño and the need for stronger preparedness and anticipatory action, the Early Warnings for All Forum in Ethiopia, the International Disaster Resilience Leaders Forum 2026 in the Republic of Korea, and more inside.
Nepal and China disaster shows the complexity of mountain risks
Following the devastating flash flood and mudslides that struck parts of Nepal and China on 26 August, Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG) and Head of UNDRR, issued a statement expressing his condolences to those affected and called on the international community to support response and recovery efforts.
Speaking at the UN Geneva Press Briefing on 28 August, SRSG Kishore said that “in living memory, we have not seen a mountain hazard event like this.” He stressed that the situation remains dynamic and will require continued vigilance, noting that the disaster is a reminder of the transboundary nature of many disaster risks, the fragility of mountain systems, and the challenges of setting up early warning systems for cascading hazards in mountainous regions.
Colombia suffers an earthquake soon after Venezuela earthquakes
SRSG Kishore issued a statement of solidarity with the people and Government of Colombia in response to the 10 August earthquake. He noted that “while we cannot prevent earthquakes, we can reduce their impacts by investing in seismic resilience.” SRSG Kishore also commended Colombia on the progress it has made in strengthening its disaster preparedness and response capacities.
Getting ahead of El Niño 2026-27
El Niño can bring floods, droughts, wildfires, crop failures, and disease outbreaks. But these hazards only become disasters when communities are unprepared. This video explores why early warning, strong governance, and anticipatory action are essential to reducing disaster risk. While the effects of El Niño begin to take shape in many regions, it will take months for its full impacts to unfold. This gives countries a small window of opportunity to proactively manage associated risks and harness any potential gains. This was the key message delivered by SRSG Kishore in a special briefing to journalists ahead of the next El Niño update to be delivered by the World Meteorological Organization on 3 September. Along with several UN agencies, UNDRR recently contributed to the development of guidance for UN Resident Coordinators to ensure countries are well prepared for El Niño. To learn more about El Niño risk management, visit the dedicated UNDRR and PreventionWeb pages.
Ethiopia hosts Africa’s push for Early Warnings for All
Africa has more than doubled its coverage – from 10 countries with early warning systems in 2015 to 26 in 2026. Yet major gaps remain. That is why governments and partners are gathering in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 2–4 September for the Africa Early Warnings Forum . Convened under the Early Warnings for All initiative and hosted by the Government of Ethiopia, the Forum will take stock of progress, set priorities for action, and mobilise the financing and innovation needed to accelerate implementation across the continent.
UNDRR brings DRR solutions to COP17 in Mongolia
UNDRR participated in COP17 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Mongolia to accelerate the shift from managing drought and desertification crises to reducing their risk. Through its engagement , UNDRR highlighted the need for integrated solutions to address the interconnected challenges of climate change, ecosystem degradation and disaster risk. This includes a better understanding of risks through more robust and interoperable data , pursuing comprehensive risk management approaches , and scaling up investments in resilience , such as early warning systems and nature-based solutions .
Incheon convenes urban resilience leaders from across Asia and beyond
Local leaders, technical experts and international organisations will gather in Incheon, Republic of Korea, on 7-8 September for the fifth edition of the International Disaster Resilience Leaders Forum 2026 . This year’s event will focus on how locally led resilience can be translated into tangible action in an increasingly complex risk environment shaped by climate change, urbanization and digital transformation. The Forum is organised by Incheon Metropolitan City, the Incheon Institute, and UNDRR, with the support of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and in partnership with the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat.
A new guide to strengthen anticipatory action in the Americas and the Caribbean
UNDRR’s Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean has published a new guide titled Probabilistic Risk Assessments to Improve Impact-Based Forecasts and Strengthen Anticipatory Action. The guide sets out how probabilistic risk assessments can sharpen impact-based forecasting and anticipatory action, offering a practical reference on the science and methods needed to turn risk data into early, life-saving decisions. It also addresses long-standing gaps in historical loss data through DELTA Resilience , UNDRR’s system for tracking hazardous events and losses, and highlights loss exceedance curves as a key tool for risk-informed decision-making.
Young Arab leaders turn disaster experience into practical solutions
More than 260 young people from across the Arab region participated in the Regional Youth Resilience Lab , an initiative designed to transform lived experiences of disasters into practical solutions for preparedness, response and recovery. The Lab was organised by the Arab Youth Advisory Group for Disaster Risk Reduction, in partnership with Madad for Development, Foras Khadra, and the Arab Youth Council for Climate Change in support of International Youth Day and the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2026 campaign. Seven youth speakers from Mauritania, Algeria, Libya, Yemen, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq shared powerful stories of disasters, climate-related risks, and community action. The event also included perspectives from young persons with disabilities, reinforcing the importance of inclusive disaster risk reduction.
How journalism can save lives in the Lake Chad Basin
As climate change, disasters and protracted crises converge across the Lake Chad Basin, effective risk communication has become an essential component of disaster risk reduction. To strengthen that capacity, journalists, editors, disaster management authorities and regional partners from Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria gathered in N’Djamena for a regional workshop organised by UNESCO and the African Union of Broadcasting and hosted by Chad’s Office National des Médias Audiovisuels. UNDRR led a session focused on helping media professionals transform scientific forecasts into clear, accurate and actionable public information that supports early action. The session also explored how to use risk communication to overcome barriers to early action.
Bridging the last mile of early warning for Indigenous Peoples
Many Indigenous communities live in remote areas where conventional communication systems have limited reach. At the same time, they hold generations of knowledge that can strengthen preparedness and early action. To help ensure that early warnings reach everyone, UNDRR’s Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean and the Indigenous Knowledge Network for Disaster Risk Reduction organised the webinar Voices for Resilience: Indigenous Knowledge and Early Warning Systems . The discussion focused on how early warning systems can better recognise and build on the knowledge, capacities and governance structures that already exist in Indigenous territories, while advancing the objectives of the Early Warnings for All initiative.