United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has one ambitious goal: to help decision-makers around the world better understand and act on risks.

At UNDRR, we envision a world where disasters no longer threaten human well-being and the future of our planet. Sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda cannot be achieved without working towards the goal of building resilience.

As the lead agency for coordinating disaster risk reduction within the United Nations system, we leverage our authoritative expertise and presence in five regional offices to build and nurture relationships with national and local governments, intergovernmental organizations, civil society and the private sector.

Better decisions about risk require a deeper understanding of its complexity and its relationship to sustainable development. That’s why we collect, collate and share the latest high-quality technical information and data on more effective risk reduction and resilience building. Our Scientific and Technical Advisory Group includes hundreds of experts who are key partners to governments and other stakeholders around the world.

We work closely with countries to help them build and strengthen integrated systems to manage risk and implement evidence-based policies, mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into all areas of governance at the local, national and regional levels. Developing and rolling out inclusive and accessible multi-hazard early warning systems is a key part of this work. These systems save lives: on average, when disasters strike, countries without these systems have eight times the mortality rate of countries with them in place.

We regularly hold global and regional events that bring together partners, experts, and country and community leaders to share experiences and review progress on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, a set of goals and action points to protect development gains from the risk of disasters.

Our work also aims to incentivize and accelerate public and private sector investment in disaster risk reduction. It is necessary, achievable, and makes good financial sense, especially when such funding is combined with climate adaptation.