UNDRR Newsletter – July 2025
One Year On: Advancing the Call to Action on Extreme Heat
In the year since the UN Secretary-General issued his Call to Action on Extreme Heat, UNDRR has stepped up its efforts to help address this growing hazard. This month alone, three new knowledge products were launched in collaboration with partners:
- Narrative analysis: Case studies in heat resilience, which showcases how twelve countries are confronting extreme heat through diverse governance models, partnerships, and innovations.
- An assessment of heat action plans: Global standards, good practices and partnerships, which identifies best practices for improving heat resilience and advocates for an adaptable governance framework.
- Stocktake report: Heat action across United Nations Entities and International Organizations, which seeks to improve collaboration and governance among the UN and other entities in support of the Call to Action.
Adding in his perspective as the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Head of UNDRR, Mr. Kamal Kishore, shared his reflections on progress made over the last year.
Learn what’s new with hazards
UNDRR and the International Science Council (ISC) are hosting a webinar on 18 August to present what is new in the 2025 update of the Hazard Information Profiles. The event will feature SRSG Kishore and Sir Peter Gluckman, President of the ISC, along with experts from UN agencies. The discussion will also highlight how the HIPs can support early warning, risk analytics, and disaster preparedness. Registration for the webinar is open to all.
UNDRR and CDRI strengthen their partnership
On the margins of the Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FFD4) in Seville, UNDRR signed a partnership agreement with the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). The agreement will strengthen collaboration between the two organisations on tools, policy guidance, capacity-building and country-level support, ensuring a harmonised approach and deeper engagement with governments and stakeholders worldwide.
Supporting resilient shelters in humanitarian crises
UNDRR continues to make progress in integrating disaster risk reduction into humanitarian action through close collaboration with partners. One example is our work since 2023 with the Global Shelter Cluster, which is a coordination mechanism established by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) to ensure that people affected by disasters and conflict-induced displacement have access to safe, dignified and appropriate shelters and settlements. Outputs of this work are strengthening risk-informed humanitarian shelters in Madagascar, Yemen and Nigeria.
How to leverage AI in a world of complex risks
As artificial intelligence evolves rapidly, so do the questions about its responsible use. Fresh from his participation in the ITU-hosted ‘AI for Good’ summit in Geneva and a discussion with students and faculty at Columbia University’s National Centre for Disaster Preparedness, SRSG Kishore offers five considerations on how we can harness AI to tackle the complexity of disaster risk.
Empowering the media in Seychelles’ early warning system
The media plays a key role in risk communication, especially in the context of early warning systems, where clear, timely and targeted communication can save lives. To build the capacity of media in the small island state of Seychelles, UNDRR partnered with the National Disaster Risk Management Division and UNESCO to deliver a five-day training, with support from the CREWS Initiative South-West Indian Ocean project. The training focused on developing business continuity strategies and ensuring inclusive and accurate disaster coverage throughout all disaster stages.
This training was held alongside a national workshop to validate Seychelles’ framework for strengthening risk knowledge and early warning systems, under the Early Warnings for All initiative.
