International Disaster Reduction Conference IDRC Davos 2006

As recent mega-disasters have shown, risk management from the perspective of a single field is not adequate to address the complex threats to today's society. The conference will address different kinds of risks (e.g. risks due to natural hazards, technical risks, biological and chemical risks but also pandemics, terrorism, climate change, endemic risks, etc.). A truly integrated and participative approach is planned to ensure that the valuable lessons learned about disaster risk reduction from a wide spectrum of fields are applied correctly for the benefit of communities, countries, and regions.

The IDRC Davos 2006 will be a valuable forum and strategic platform for the world's risk management community. The program will include topical plenary sessions and panel debates, scientific and policy-oriented thematic sessions, special regional sessions for Africa, Asia, North and Latin America and Europe and side events organized by different international and national organizations, exhibits, an Open Forum about media and disaster and many other events.

So far, almost a thousand participants from all over the world, from politics, public administration, business and industry, NGOs, and science have registered for the IDRC. The conference is jointly organized by UN/ISDR (United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction), UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), GADR (Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction), and GDIN (Global Disaster Information Network), and it is chaired by Dr. Walter J. Ammann, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Davos. The main sponsor is SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation).

All journalists are invited to join this global gathering of leading experts across the various risk sectors. For journalists, the registration fee is waived (travel and accomodation at one's own expense). Please contact Ms. Birgit Ottmer (ottmer@sfl.ch) if you want to join the IDRC Davos 2006. For the program, see http://www.davos2006.ch

Events and offers of special interest for journalists

Daily / permanent
- Free daily press releases, including pictures (by e-mail and to download on www.davos2006.ch)
- Free admission to all sessions; possibility for interviews
- Internet access; workplaces for journalists (bring your own laptop)
- Media information- and help-desk, media documentation (including proceedings)

Monday, August 28
- Opening press conference: "IDRC Davos 2006 - why and what for?" (ca. 12pm)
- Short press conference with the speakers of the plenary "Education, Local Knowledge and Traditional Wisdom for Disaster Reduction and Sustainable Development" (ca. 6:30pm)

Tuesday, August 29
- Short press conference with the speakers of the plenary "Disaster Risk Reduction in P.R. China - Current Situation and Future Challenges" (ca. 11am)
- Press Briefing by Prof. Dr. Alexander S. Kekulé, Institute for Medical Microbiology, University of Halle (Germany): "Pandemics and deadly germs - old and novel threats to humankind" (4pm)
- Short press conference with the speakers of the plenary "African Sub-Saharan Region: Disaster Risk Reduction - Needs and Actions" (ca. 6:30pm)

Wednesday, August 30
- Short press conference with the speakers of the plenary "Environment and Disaster Management" (ca. 11am)
- Open Forum Media and Disaster: "Media - Threat or Opportunity in Managing Disasters?", movie show "War Photographer", discussion with the director of the movie, journalists, and psychologists (8pm)

Thursday, August 31
- Short press conference with the speakers of the plenary "Gender, Governance and Global Sustainability" (ca. 11am)

Friday, September 1
- Short press conference with the speakers of the plenary "Terrorism and Risk Management" (ca. 1pm)
- Press conference: "Results of IDRC Davos 2006: The Davos Declaration" (ca. 5pm)

Contact and more information:

IDRC Davos 2006, Media Relations, Ms. Birgit Ottmer, Fluelastrasse 11, CH-7260 Davos Dorf, ottmer@slf.ch, office: +41 81 417 02 75, mobile: + 41 79 763 91 88,

If you want to join the conference or parts of it, please contact Ms. Birgit Ottmer (ottmer@slf.ch). You can also order the daily press release / newsletter from Ms. Ottmer.

Some keywords for actuality:
Earthquakes - volcanoes - flooding - draughts - tornadoes and tropical storm (one year after hurricane Katrina) - climate change - rockfall - avian flue - war in the Middle East - safety of technical systems (e.g. nuclear power plants) - early warning systems (tsunamis) - terrorism and public safety.