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As part of its mission for providing actionable natural hazards science to the nation, the USGS co-chairs the Science for Disaster Reduction (SDR) Interagency Working Group under the White House National Science and Technology Council's Subcommittee for Resilience Science and Technology. The SDR serves as the U.S. National Platform to the United Nations (UN) Office of Disaster Risk Reduction.

On May 26, 2022, USGS Natural Hazards Mission Area scientist, Aleeza Wilkins, represented USGS and the U.S. Delegation at the UN Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Bali, Indonesia. Wilkins participated on a panel with colleagues from the UN Environment Program, the Netherlands Red Cross, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, and the UN University to discuss how nature-based solutions can contribute to implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Through collaborative exchanges like these, the USGS is able to learn from other countries to better incorporate science and technology into disaster mitigation, response, and recovery to reduce losses, speed-up needed assistance, and enhance long-term resilience. International conferences are not the only way USGS collaborates with other countries, however. For example, the USGS works in collaboration with USAID to operate the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program and the Earthquake and Landslide Disaster Assistance Teams, which make use of USGS scientific and technical expertise to support USAID’s volcano, earthquake, and landslide disaster response and capacity-building activities abroad. While these exchanges enhance in-country capabilities, they can also expand our understanding of a variety of natural hazards, leading to better outcomes here in the United States.

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