What is the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction?
The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is observed annually on October 13 to promote a global culture of prevention, mitigation, and preparedness. Established by the United Nations General Assembly, the day encourages citizens and governments to build disaster-resilient communities. It also provides a valuable platform for media and organizations to highlight recovery planning and address vulnerabilities, while raising visibility for broader disaster risk reduction strategies.
What we know
- The United Nations General Assembly designated October 13 as the official date for the International Day for Disaster Reduction, later adding the word risk to its name. [3]
- The annual observance serves as a vehicle to promote a global culture of natural disaster reduction, encompassing prevention, mitigation, and preparedness. [3]
- The day encourages every citizen and government to participate in creating more disaster-resilient communities and nations. [3]
- The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction has helped increase the visibility of disaster risk reduction worldwide. [2, 3]
Where to go next
- the bigger pictureWhat is disaster risk reduction?
- how we knowWhat is the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction?
- how it workedWhat does the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction do?
- whenHow did the observance evolve from natural disasters to all risks?
- whoWho leads the Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies?
- an unexpected connectionHow does newspaper commentary connect to global UN observances?Media outlets like The Daily Star use international awareness days to publish academic insights on local inequality and resilience.
Sources
- [1]disaster risk reduction (Wikidata Q5281359) · CC0 1.0
- [2]Disaster risk reduction · CC BY-SA 4.0
- [3]International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction · CC BY-SA 4.0
- [4]United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction · CC BY-SA 4.0
- [5]Natural disaster · CC BY-SA 4.0