背景文件.docVIP

Content Ŀ¼ Brief Introduction to the Committees of2012 ............................................2 First Committee:Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction ....................................................3 Introduction ..........................................................3 Climate Change and Natural Disasters ............................................................3 Timeline of Major Disasters ...........................................................4 Current Situation .................................................................................................... Actions .......................................................................................................8 Bloc Position ........................................................................................................9 Questions to Ponder .................................................................................................10 Committee: Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Introduction Droughts are threatening food security in West Africa; sea level rise might take away the livelihoods of Small Island Developing States (SIDS); fash foods and mudslides infict death and destruction on informal settlements in cities of a number of develop - ing countries; severe heat waves have swept across Europe and Russia in recent years; and strong hurricanes have caused large economic losses in the USA and the Caribbean. Environmental degradation and climate change contribute to the increasing occurrence of disasters linked to natural hazards. No country is immune, regardless of the level of economic and social develop- ment. However, the vulnerability of communities and societies to disasters caused by natural hazards is closely and inversely related to the level of social and economic development. Sound disaster risk management has been recognized as an area deserv- ing greater attention on the global sustainable development agenda.