A U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee discussed Near-Earth Objects (asteroids and comets in our neighbourhood), in particular those that are classified as Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHOs are larger than about 140 meters across whose orbits bring them close to Earth orbit).... Climate change is a major issue but it may reflect a degree of intellectual laziness if that is our main focus. If we probe harder there are a great many deeply serious vulnerabilities we must anticipate and plan for... Science and technology offer increasing opportunities for mitigating threats. The natural and social sciences offer a future range of tools and approaches which can save the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people over the next decade.... Rich or poor, we face a world of new types of humanitarian threats – radioactive leakages and cybernetic collapse are just two examples of an expanding list of hazards. Science and technology can help us find new ways of avoiding disaster...if we act now... There are important ways in which emerging science can directly improve the prevention, preparedness and response capacities of humanitarian and development organisations, but there remain significant constraints to enabling the dialogue necessary for such a process.... HFP promotes a dialogue on one of the most vulnerable regions of the world – the Hindu Kush Himalaya region – where millions of lives and livelihoods are at risk in the foreseeable future... Human kind has proved ingenious in finding ways of dealing with hazards but how much is done by those with a humanitarian role or responsibility to anticipate low-frequency-high-impact events? We can’t afford to wait until it happens.... Science and technology offer increasing opportunities for mitigating threats. The natural and social sciences offer a future range of tools and approaches which can save the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people over the next decade.... There are important ways in which emerging science can directly improve the prevention, preparedness and response capacities of humanitarian and development organisations, but there remain significant constraints to enabling the dialogue necessary for such a process.... Rich or poor, we face a world of new types of humanitarian threats – radioactive leakages and cybernetic collapse are just two examples of an expanding list of hazards. Science and technology can help us find new ways of avoiding disaster...if we act now... A U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee discussed Near-Earth Objects (asteroids and comets in our neighbourhood), in particular those that are classified as Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHOs are larger than about 140 meters across whose orbits bring them close to Earth orbit)... There are important ways in which emerging science can directly improve the prevention, preparedness and response capacities of humanitarian and development organisations, but there remain significant constraints to enabling the dialogue necessary for such a process.... There are important ways in which emerging science can directly improve the prevention, preparedness and response capacities of humanitarian and development organisations, but there remain significant constraints to enabling the dialogue necessary for such a process....

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PAKISTAN: The flood, and the response

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HFP to explain why it is critical of the United Nations on BBC Radio 4 Today Programme

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UN has failed to show leadership- announces humanitarian policy analyst on WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY, 2010

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Urgent call for UK government to promote dialogue between policy-makers and scientists

Policy-makers, political and humanitarian, do not have a grasp of the kinds of threats the world will face in the future...

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