What's New from GFDRR

Evidence of climate extremes—the recent flooding in India, Germany and China, and heatwaves and wildfires in Greece and North America—is stronger than ever. At the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), we are hopeful that this will be point of inflection, where world leaders pull together to take decisive climate action to steer us away from the abyss. 

Welcome to #FreetowntheTreeTown—an unconventional tree-planting campaign. This innovative effort not only harnesses digital and disruptive technology to create skilled employment opportunities for local youth during the COVID-19 pandemic; it also establishes long-term climate resilience for the community.

So how is Central America working to expedite intra-regional assistance to benefit disaster-affected populations?  

The coordinated response among the region’s countries and the agile and timely arrival of humanitarian assistance in the context of disasters and emergencies can make the difference between life and death for many communities . This is especially relevant in Central America, the second most exposed and vulnerable region in the world to disasters, which often affect several countries simultaneously, as was the case after Hurricanes Eta and Iota in 2020. 

Although the Government of Tajikistan will determine which road resilience measures to prioritize and pursue, a World Bank and GFDRR report also recommends that investment in improved emergency preparedness and response, including search and rescue capabilities, continue.