Indian Expert Kamal Kishore to Lead UN’s Disaster Risk Reduction Efforts

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Kamal Kishore of India as the new Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction. He will lead the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

Replacing Previous Special Representative

Mr. Kishore will succeed Mami Mizutori of Japan, whom the Secretary-General thanked for her service. The Secretary-General also expressed appreciation for the UNDRR Director, Paola Albrito, who will continue to serve as Acting Special Representative until Mr. Kishore assumes his position.

Experienced in Disaster Risk Reduction

Kamal Kishore has nearly 30 years of experience in disaster risk reduction, climate action, and sustainable development at global, regional, national, and local levels. He has worked in government, the United Nations, and civil society organizations.

Current Role and Contributions

Currently, Mr. Kishore is the Head of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in India, a position he has held since 2015. During India’s presidency of the Group of 20 (G20), he led the G20 Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction. He also contributed to the development of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, launched by the Indian Prime Minister in 2019.

Previous UN Experience

Before joining NDMA, Mr. Kishore spent nearly 13 years with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Geneva, New Delhi, and New York. He led global advocacy to integrate disaster resilience concerns in the Sustainable Development Goals and managed a global team of disaster risk reduction advisers.

Early Career

Prior to UNDP, Mr. Kishore served as Director of Information and Research at the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre in Bangkok from 1996 to 2002. He also worked as an Architect at the Action Research Unit for Development in New Delhi from 1992 to 1994, where he worked on post-earthquake reconstruction projects.

Education and Language

Mr. Kishore holds a Master of Science in Urban Planning, Land and Housing Development from the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand, and a Bachelor of Architecture from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India. He is fluent in English and Hindi.