ICSU, ISSC and UNISDR approved the nomination of Sálvano Briceño as the new IRDR Science Committee Chair. He will succeed Gordon McBean effective November 1, 2011. Briceño recently retired as the Director of UNISDR, he brings extensive disaster risk and risk reduction experience to IRDR. Three new Scientific Committee members have been appointed by the Sponsors: Ferruccio Ferrigni (Italy), Anthony Oliver-Smith (USA) and Mark Pelling (UK). They replace outgoing members Ortwin Renn (Germany), Hormoz Modaressi (France) and Richard “Dick” Eiser (UK).