Joint Press Conference with the Foreign Minister of Bahrain on global assessment report launch and presentation [unofficial transcript]

Good Morning, Salam Alaikum.

It is a great pleasure for me to be in such a beautiful city Manama, Bahrain for the first time in my capacity as Secretary-General.

And I would like to thank His Majesty the King, His Highness the Prime Minister, and His Excellency the Foreign Minister and other senior government [officials] and people of Bahrain for this wonderful opportunity and leadership and initiative to host the Official Launching by the United Nations of this global report on Disaster Risk Reduction.

It is a great honour for the United Nations and that we launch this together with the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Today's launch of the UN's Global Assessment Report here in Bahrain is historic: This is the first report that so comprehensively analyzes global trends and statistics on disaster risk reduction. It is also the first time that a UN document of such importance has been launched in Bahrain.

I thank the Prime Minister of Bahrain and the Government for their support in the production of this report. This shows the world that Bahrain is truly committed to disaster risk reduction and to play a larger international role in promoting this issue.

Disasters disproportionately affect poor communities and developing countries. This report explains where, why, and how a disaster risk is increasing globally based on data covering last 30 years.

Disasters are also endangering development gains, economic stability and global security.

Disasters related to climate change will affect more people in more places than ever before.

This report is filled with hard evidence, for the first time, of how disasters both cause and result from poverty and how disaster risks are highly concentrated and unevenly distributed.

Let me give you just two examples:

Disaster risk is highly concentrated: 75 per cent of those who die due to floods live in only three countries in the world.

Disaster is uneven and linked to a country's economic development and its capacity to respond to disasters. People in low income countries are 200 times more likely to die as a result of a tropical cyclone as people in higher income countries.

The current trend of disaster risks can be reversed: the report provides solutions and case studies that are really working and reducing risk.

Disaster risk reduction saves lives and money?and prevents development from being eroded. Progress has been made in early warning and preparedness programmes worldwide but much more needs to be done.

Hospitals, schools, infrastructures need to be more resilient, unsafe settlements controlled, and rural livelihoods and ecosystems protected if we want to reduce disaster risk.

Unless increased investment in disaster risk reduction happens fast, the world will not be on course to achieve the goals of Hyogo Framework for Action by 2015, and progress towards the Millennium Development Goals will be seriously compromised.

This report is telling us what we need to do. We need to take action as soon as possible before more lives are threatened by disasters.

Thank you very much again, Mr. Minister, for your government's strong support for all major grand objectives of the United Nations including our common efforts to address to reduce disaster damages.

Thank you very much.

Q: What is the importance of Bahrain hosting this event?

SG: Shoukran Jazilan. As I said in my brief opening statement, I thank the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain to play a host to this very important launching of Global Assessment Report of Risk Reduction. This clearly shows the world that Bahrain is committed and willing to contribute to one of the major challenges which the international community is facing. Frankly, this launching event can be taking place at any other place - at United Nations headquarters or Geneva or some other countries, but it would be, as we see in Bahrain, much more meaningful. It could have a much stronger message where a country like Bahrain is facing itself a serious threat coming from this impact of disasters and also coming from the impact of climate change, then, this launching ceremony in Bahrain can send out a much, much stronger message to the international community not only to developed countries but to many countries like small island developing countries and many poor developing countries. Of course, I don't suggest, everybody knows that Bahrain is not a poor country, Bahrain is a well-to-do country - Bahrain can contribute great generosity to our common efforts. Therefore, this meeting taking place in Bahrain has much significance and I appreciate that.

Q: My question is to the Secretary-General. Most of the Arab countries do not face a minimum threat or real disasters, threats or disasters, so, on other side what is the role of your team that worth contribute in this regards?

SG: This is a very important question on why the United Nations is initiating to have this most comprehensive first ever Global Report on Disaster Risk Reduction. It is not only Arab Countries. This awareness has been relatively low on the importance of Disaster Risk Reduction. Recently, we have experienced unusually extreme weather patterns, most disastrous earthquakes and cyclones. People have regarded it as some part of nature consequences, natural disasters. Of course, there are certain natural disasters human beings may not be able to prevent, but if we are smart enough, if we are creative and if we invest some more in energy and resources then we can prevent these damages, huge damages. We can mitigate a lesson, the impact coming from these natural disasters which we have already seen in many occasions. There are three areas which we can benefit. First of all, we can lessen the impact of damages caused by natural disasters hurricane, cyclones, floods, earthquakes and whatever, if we prepare. We have seen such cases. I have visited Bangladesh and some other places where these very disaster-prone countries now are able to cope with this. A few years ago, maybe three decades ago, at least half a million people who would have died. Now they have significantly reduced the number of losses of lives and damage of properties much, much less. Then we can also have some sustained development. We can protect ecosystem, we can protect the developments we have achieved. Then thirdly, we can help adapt many country's people help adapt to climate change. Those are the three areas which we can benefit. Now, some countries may regard it as an additional investment. This is not an additional investment. This is not a first. This is a very good investment, as a part of normal government development programs. If government leaders are smart enough, they can earmark and they can pay more attention and all this good governance in preparedness of a disaster risk reduction. Therefore, political will, will be very much important at a political leaders' level. I urged the government leaders to pay more attention and to pay more time and resources to this disaster risk reduction policies. Thank you very much.