UNITED NATIONS INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE ON EL NI-O ESTABLISHED
Press Release
IHA/637
UNITED NATIONS INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE ON EL NIÑO ESTABLISHED
19971119 NEW YORK, 19 November -- (Department of Humanitarian Affairs) -- Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Yasushi Akashi has established a task force for cooperative work on the prevention and mitigation of and preparedness for natural disasters related to the El Niño phenomenon. The task force meetings are being convened by the Secretariat of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.The task force, which held its first meeting in Geneva on 18 November, is composed of organizations both within and outside the United Nations system that deal with the scientific aspects of natural hazards related to El Niño, as well as with socio-economic aspects of vulnerability and risk management for communities.
The members of the task force include: the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the International Oceanographic Commission; the World Health Organization (WHO); the World Meteorological Organization (WMO); the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat); the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE); the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); the Department of Humanitarian Affairs; the Office for Project Services; the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development; the World Food Programme (WFP); the International Civil Defense Organization; and the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU).
At the first meeting, the scientific aspects of El Niño were discussed, along with political, economic and social issues. Participants pointed out that, while computer models are not yet able to fully predict the impact of El Niño, there are models which outline probabilities, from which it is possible to develop scenarios for national risk assessments, preparedness and mitigation measures. There was, nonetheless, general agreement on the present difficulty in translating scientific knowledge into prevention-oriented economic and social activities at the local level and into capacity-building. Participants also agreed that the gathering of historical data would be important, in order to map the possible effects of El Niño in various regions and countries.
The task force focuses on cooperation through information exchange and policy formulation. The task force will: act as a forum for information exchange and coordination of follow-up actions through its meetings and an
- 2 - Press Release IHA/637 19 November 1997
Internet discussion forum; produce joint press kits and a joint publications series; explore options for longer term research; and identify joint actions, including national and regional workshops.
A first follow-up meeting on El Niño is being organized by the WMO and will take place in Geneva on 21 November. The meeting will provide scientific and technical information on the current status of El Niño, as one of the major forces acting on the global climate system and with a potential to affect weather patterns in many areas of the globe. The Department of Humanitarian Affairs has also created a special web page on El Niño actions and background information at www.relief.web.int/.
* *** *