Twelve television documentaries have been shortlisted for the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction Documentary Award by a jury composed of members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the Asian Broadcasting Union (ABU)  and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The pre-finalists were chosen from a pool of more than 70 documentaries produced between 2005 and 2015 that feature human stories of courage, strength and disaster resilience; investigative stories on past or impending disasters; or innovative stories about disaster risk reduction solutions.

The period corresponds to the implementation of the ‘Hyogo Framework for Action’, a ten-year strategy to make the planet more resilient to disasters and the theme of the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) in Sendai, Japan, (14-18 March).

EBU Head of Television Bettina Brinkman, who is a member of the judging panel, says public service media (PSM) are the natural and reliable choice to partner institutions in the event of disaster prevention and disaster recovery.

“PSM have a pivotal role to play both before and after a disaster,” said Ms Brinkman, “and the EBU is proud of its Members’ track record in producing documentaries on this theme – stories of resilient communities overcoming danger and suffering. Governments and international agencies rely on PSM to provide citizens with reliable information,” said Ms Brinkman, “and in the aftermath, investigative journalism prompts reflection about disaster risk reduction policies and the programmes set in place.”

The shortlist

Winners from the following four categories will be showcased during an Awards Gala Ceremony on Monday, 16 March 2015:

Category 1: The best Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) human story

• Kamaishi The children who survived the tsunami, NHK (Japan)
• The miracle of Kamaichi by Iwate Broadcasting Company (Japan)
• Heartache and Hope through the Viewfinder by Higashi Nippon Broadcasting (Japan)

Category 2:  The best DRR investigative story

• It is time by GMA Network Philippines
• Pakistan under water by Al Jazeera
• Floods in Britain by BBC Panorama (UK)

Category 3: The best DRR innovative story:

• Bhutan Tsunami Sky (UK)
• Vets in the disaster zone by DragonflyTV (USA)
• And Zud Gesgeesen ogoom or Cash for herders from Mongolia TV

Category 4: The very best DRR documentary

• Fukushima, Des hommes et des particules, by France 5
• Rebuilding Sichuan by Discovery Channel (USA)
• Wave of Change by Thai PBS