Advocates and Cities Resilient to Disasters
Mon, 15 Dec 2014 10:41:00 GMT
Margareta Wahlström, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) of the United Nations for Disaster Risk Reduction have appointed the University of Huddersfield’s Professors Dilanthi Amaratunga and Richard Haigh as UNISDR "Making Cities Resilient" Campaign Advocates who promote urban disaster resilience in their spheres of influence. It is the normal practice to appoint one advocate per country and with these appointments, Dilanthi and Richard will be part of a very strong advocate community of 25 who are based around the world.
UNISDR recognises them as “persons of integrity who demonstrate a strong desire to help mobilize public interest in, and support for, the purposes and principles of UNISDR, possess the personality and dignity required for such representative capacity; be knowledgeable about UNISDR goals and activities and be able to articulate them”. Their appointments were further based on the following:
- Demonstrate knowledge in the field of disaster risk reduction and familiarity with the “Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient” or the five Priorities for Action from the HFA; and will seek opportunities to promote UNISDR principles and tools within cities and partners.
- Persons of integrity who demonstrate a strong desire to help mobilize public interest in, and support for, the purposes and principles of UNISDR
- Possess the personality and dignity required for such representative capacity
- Be knowledgeable about UNISDR goals and activities and be able to articulate them
- Use his/her own network and outreach opportunities to call for action and share information on resilient cities, it will disseminate and promote information and report progress related to the campaign such as the development of guidance, or sharing know-how from your own experience within your chosen area of focus
- Work closely with local governments or/and communities in strengthening resilience.
- Understand the different components of resilience and their linkages, such as but not limited to climate change adaptation, sustainable development and risk reduction.
- Have the means, influence and leadership to reunite the different stakeholders and cities in their area of work, being this at provincial or regional level.
Have a vision for implementing their resilience strategy staring local: from their neighbourhood, their community, their city, their province, their region, their country and further.
