The United Nations announced Thursday that it is launching a campaign to help boost cities' readiness to reduce the impact of natural disasters.

The two-year campaign, Making Cities Resilient: My City is Getting Ready, intends to raise awareness and boost commitment for sustainable development practices that will increase a city's well- being and safety.

The aim of the campaign is to enlist over 1,000 local government leaders worldwide to invest more in disaster risk reduction.

Areas of investment include: improving urban planning, infrastructure and building safety; reinforcing drainage systems to reduce flood, storm and health threats; installing early warning systems; conducting public preparedness drills; and taking measures to adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change.

The campaign is to be launched on Sunday in Bonn, Germany, by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).