As a nation prone to natural disasters, Japan can play a key role in helping other vulnerable countries prepare for the risks inherent in climate change, says Mami Mizutori.
In a recent interview, Mizutori, head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), explained that Japan is one of a handful of countries contributing to official development assistance (ODA) projects that are designed to help set up early warning systems in developing countries.
According to the former Japanese diplomat, some 96% of disaster-related governmental development aid worldwide is allocated to response and recovery after a disaster, while only 4% is used for risk reduction.