International Federationof Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Expert Meeting

WMO, Geneva, November 2007

International Federationof Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies

186 National Societies supported by a Secretariat in Geneva as well as 7 zone offices and 60 country offices

National Societies act as auxiliaries to the public authorities of their own countries in the humanitarian field

National Societies provide a range of services including disaster preparedness, disaster relief, health and social programmes, and assistance to people affected by war

International Federationof Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Disaster risk reduction

Climate change, urbanisation, population growth and increasing poverty

Mandate drawn from International Conference 2003 agreed by States and RC/RC National Societies

Support Hyogo Framework for Action and strengthened ISDR System

Promote ‘safer & resilient communities’ & risk informed humanitarian action

Disaster risk reduction is not an additional burden since we have been doing it for many years

International Federationof Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Early Warning

Early Actionearly responsereach first milemulti-hazard

Seasonal Forecastinginterpretation disaster preparedness & mitigation

Climate Changeadapting to the unknownmainstream in disaster risk reduction

International Federationof Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

NMHS and RC/RC National Societies

More than 30 National Societies already working with NMHS

Variable experience (Mozambique, Belize, SIDS, Bangladesh)

Need to map experience and to document good practice

Global EW elusive; global platforms to link with national delivery

Latin America and SE Asia provide opportunities

The International Federation Global Alliance provides a framework to scale up Early Warning