Second Successful Risk and Uncertainty Lecture

On 25 February 2011 UNU-EHS and the Center for Development Research (ZEF) organized the second Risk and Uncertainty Lecture with the topic "Risk and Uncertainty: Responding to vulnerability from the perspective of a global Humanitarian Organization". Speaker of the well attended session, chaired by Dr Fabrice Renaud (UNU-EHS), was Hansjoerg Strohmeyer, Chief of Policy Development and Studies Branch, UN-OCHA.

Background information

In this seminar series we will address opportunities, risks and uncertainties for development. Uncertainty, i.e. the unknown unknowns, is a particular challenge. Risk and uncertainty have become a focal topic among development researchers, policymakers and practitioners as worldwide, economy and ecology have been assailed by a series of global crises: financial crisis, high and volatile food and oil price and/or climate change. These crises present threats to development and to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The understanding, mitigating and controlling of risk and uncertainty is far from being understood. The seminar series will be a forum for agenda setting and discussion on related themes with leading experts in this field of research and policy.