On 19 and 20 September 2014, UN-SPIDER hosted a joint workshop with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Tohoku University, International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) on the UN Campus in Bonn. The topic of the workshop was "Remote Sensing and Multi-Risk Modeling for Disaster Management" and aimed to serve as a platform for researchers to exchange ideas and present the recent advances in the field of disaster risk management, response and recovery using remote sensing and geo-science technology.
The United Nations International Conference on Space-based Technologies on for Disaster Management - "Multi-hazard Disaster Risk Assessment" took place from 15 to 17 September 2014 in Beijing, China.
The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) announced that nominations for the 2015 United Nations Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction now open. The theme of the annual award this year is "Shaping the Future".
On 8 and 9 May 2014, UN-SPIDER participated in the International Symposium of Integrated Disaster Risk Governance in Beijing. The event was jointly organized by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), the China National Commission for Disaster Reduction (NCDR), the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China, and the Ministry of Education of China.
UN-SPIDER participated in the first ISDR Asia Platform (IAP) meeting of 2014, which was hosted in Bangkok, Thailand, from 22 to 24 April 2014. The meeting served mainly to discuss the preparation of the 6th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) and inputs to Post 2015 Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (Hyogo Framework for Action 2).
On 31 March and 1 April 2014, UN-SPIDER, the Central American Coordination Centre for Natural Disaster Prevention (CEPREDENAC) and Secure World Foundation joined forces to conduct an expert meeting focusing on the use of space-based information in national early warning systems, with a particular focus on droughts.
The President of the Dominican Republic, Danilo Medina, has approved a new "National Plan for Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management", as UNISDR reported. The plan will define policy guidelines and basic principles for public and private institutions and civil society organizations. It focuses on the implementation of programmes that reduce disaster risk, ensure the safety of citizens and protect the country’s economic, social, environmental and cultural heritage.
UN-SPIDER participated in the Regional Consultation and Awareness Raising Workshop on Integral Disaster Risk Management in Central America which took place in Panama City, Panama, from 26 to 28 November 2013.