The U.N. World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction ended Thursday, making the first move to set specific goals and a time frame to mitigate the risks and damage of disasters amid the increasing threat posed by climate change.
Under a new 15-year action plan adopted in Sendai, the governments of more than 180 countries agreed on seven global goals aimed at "substantially" reducing global disaster mortality, victims and economic losses in terms of global gross domestic product by 2030.
The countries agreed to reduce disaster damage to critical health and educational facilities. They also vowed to enhance support for disaster-prone developing economies, as well as to increase the number of countries that have disaster risk reduction strategies and early warning systems.