The policy provides a framework for coping with the threats of climate change through adaptation and mitigation measures and includes measures such as flood forecasting warning systems. 'The goal is to ensure that climate change is mainstreamed in the economically and socially vulnerable sectors of the economy and to steer Pakistan towards climate...

'It makes no sense to keep spending money over and again putting things back that will only be washed away again. Some of that money would be better spent on preventative measures,' a floodplain management professional told the Maitland Mercury in a call for more governmental action and investment...

'A Haiti-like disaster can reverse Nepal's development gain by decades,' said UNDP Country Director, Ms. Shoko Noda. 'This is why our focus has been on accelerated development process, while not losing sight of the necessary preparedness to protecting the gains that have been made—even in the face of debilitating effects of disasters'...

The new maps add thousands of buildings and many square miles of land thought to be unlikely to flood prior to Sandy and are intended to be used to rebuild and fortify flooded areas as well as to set premium rates for flood insurance and play a role in building codes and other regulations...

The consolidation of historical disaster loss data will provide critical baseline information on disaster losses that will inform risk sensitive development planning policies and programmes and strengthen community resilience to disasters...

The catalogue 'illustrates a number of avenues for intervening, and shares what Habitat for Humanity have discovered over their 14 years of disaster risk reduction and response work. For Habitat for Humanity it also highlights the necessity to proactively document our work.'...

The recent donation of equipment worth over D2.5 billion to the government of The Gambia by the Japanese Government through the Extended Grant for Environment and Climate Change Mitigation is indeed worthy of commendation, says The Gambia's Daily Observer....

'We see a clear indication that climate-change resilience is at the top of the president's agenda and that federal agencies are becoming more active in that area,' said Brian Holland, director of climate programs for ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA...

A series of workshops with local foresters and other stakeholders identified barriers to adaptation to the climate changes. They include: Lack of funding, lack of government leadership, and an unresponsive regulatory framework...

'By promoting open data and making use of spatial data and analysis, the region is likely to benefit from better decision-making processes to improve resilience to current and future climate impacts,' said Bishwa Pandey, World Bank Senior Data Management Specialist...

CARIAA supports collaborative, interdisciplinary research in three climate change hot spots in Africa and Asia. A call for concept notes on collaborative adaptation research in the three hot spots is now open until April 4, 2013...

Dr. Mohamed Belzougui, Director of the National Centre for Applied Research in Seismic Engineering, said: 'Decision makers and technical personnel need to be better equipped to exert their most important functions in disaster risk reduction through training and access to cutting-edge technology.'...

According to the report, when asked about positive outcomes arising from the earthquakes, 76 per cent of respondents had experienced pride in the ability to cope under difficult circumstances, 69 per cent increased resilience as a family...

Researchers of a new study commissioned by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency asked health experts to rate the level of uncertainty attached to different health impacts of climate change. As a result, heat-related deaths and vector-borne diseases were indicated as particularly relevant to climate change adaptation...

'In 2010 alone, over 42 million people were displaced by disasters,' across the globe, the President said at the opening ceremony in the State Palace. 'We must safeguard Millennium Development Goals gains from setbacks from natural disasters,' he added, reports Tempo Interactive...

While thousands converged on Washington to rally for climate change, the U.S. government was building a levee to protect the National Mall against Katrina-like flooding. Whether we like it or not, we're going to have to adapt while also averting total disaster, writes Mark Hertsgaard for the Daily Beast...

InaSAFE, the disaster risk reduction and recovery GIS tool designed to help prepare countries against impacts of floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis enables governments, civil society organizations, and other entities to make evacuation plans and other disaster preparations - ultimately protecting communities and building a safer world - is free...

The Welsh government will today be urged to step up efforts to tackle climate change and adapt to the effects of global warming, in a new report which warns major challenges remain for the nation if it is to meet its ambitious environmental goals, reports Business Green...

The president of the World Bank says global warming is a real risk to the planet and is already affecting the world's economy, reports RTCC. Speaking to the G20 finance ministers at their meeting in Moscow the president, Dr Jim Yong Kim, urged governments to 'tackle the serious challenges presented by climate change. These are not just risks. They...

Owners could qualify for government to purchase properties, reports the Chicago Tribune. Homeowners whose properties repeatedly sustain losses and are determined by FEMA to have a benefit-cost ratio of 1.0, meaning the government saves a dollar for every dollar it spends, will qualify...