Purpose: The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction observed on 13 October, is an opportunity to acknowledge the progress being made toward reducing disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health, to prepare and adapt to the risks of disasters and strikes in different sectors of development. Disasters impact low- and middle-income countries disproportionately, particularly in terms of mortality, numbers of people injured, displaced and homeless, economic losses (as a percentage of GDP) and damage to critical infrastructure. We cannot eradicate poverty and hunger if we don’t step up investments in disaster risk reduction. International cooperation for developing countries through Official Development Aid (ODA) and capacity building is essential to boost disaster resilience in the face of extreme weather events and other natural and man-made hazards.
FORUM: “Empowering the next generation for a resilient future.” International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2024. Increasing disasters, many of them driven and exacerbated by climate change, threaten the well-being of children and youth. According to UNICEF, approximately one billion children worldwide are at extremely high risk due to climate impacts, including climate-related disasters. In 2022, the number of children affected by flooding in Chad, Gambia, Pakistan and Bangladesh was the highest in over 30 years . Beyond the risk of death and injury, children in the aftermath of a disaster face cascading impacts such as disruptions in schooling, nutrition, and healthcare and protection issues. To protect children from disasters, countries must consider their vulnerabilities and needs when designing national and local disaster risk reduction strategies. It is equally important that children and youth be empowered and provided “the space and modalities to contribute to disaster risk reduction,” as called for in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. This also aligns with the calls to action of the Political Declaration of the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework, which called for “the full, equal, meaningful and inclusive participation” of youth and the promotion of "a culture of disaster prevention.” Empowering children, especially through education, can enable them to protect themselves and to become agents of change in their families and communities by sharing what they learned. This is particularly relevant in the context of the global push to expand early warning systems under the UN Secretary-General’s Early Warnings for All initiative. To achieve the goal of the Sendai Framework of reducing global disaster risks and losses, the theme of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) 2024, which falls on 13 October, will highlight the role of education in protecting and empowering youth for a disaster-free future. The theme is aligned with the Summit of the Future, planned for September 2024, where ‘youth and future generations’ will be one of its five priorities. The observance of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2024 calls on countries to harness the education sector to reduce the disaster risks of school-aged children, especially by investing in two key areas: 1. Protect children and youth through safe schools and education facilities: children are entitled to be safe in their schools and this starts with ensuring schools are disaster-resilient and are part of disaster early warning systems. 2. Empower children and youth to be safe through age-appropriate education to understand and act on the risks they face. This includes building their preparedness to take early action in response to early warnings. Empowered children become agents of change for more resilient communities. 3. Endorse and implement the Comprehensive School Safety Framework 2022-2030 , developed by the Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector (GADRRRES), which is chaired by UNESCO and UNICEF. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #ResilienceForAll, #DRRday, #13October, #SendaiFramework, #DisasterRiskReduction, #AreYouReady24, #SafeChildrenSafeSchools.
EVENTS: On October 13th, a webinar will be held to mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2024. Partners are encouraged to publish and share success stories around the calls to action. Examples include: • Publicizing national endorsements of the Comprehensive School Safety Framework. • The retrofitting or construction of schools to be resilient to disasters. • Insertion of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in school curricula. • School-organized disaster evacuation drills. • Creation of engaging learning materials and activities, such as cartoons, comics, competitions, songs or films, aimed at educating children about disaster risks. • Teacher-led demonstrations of the UNDRR-created ‘Stop Disasters’ video game.Get the list of Upcoming events!
Activities for kids: See the latest materials including children's books, textbooks, lesson plans, activities, games, and online resources on disaster prevention and school safety. Explore materials!
Colouring Pages: These colouring pages can be printed and used in pedagogical activities with children to raise awareness on disaster preparedness. Print and color!
Interactive maps: Explore the most Significant Disasters, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Tropical Storms!
PUBLICATION: This guide “Engaging Children and Youth in Disaster Risk Reduction in Resilience Building.” offers specific advice on implementing a feasible, people-centered approach to supporting and engaging children in disaster risk reduction and resilience-building. Read the guide!
The UNDRR has released the results of the 2023 Global Survey on Persons with Disabilities and Disasters, which is the first global look at how persons with disabilities perceive current national and local disaster risk reduction measures since 2013.
STATEMENTS: Read the Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General for the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2024, October 13th and the Statement of the Head of UNDRR on International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2024; October 13th.
PODCASTS: Cities are the front lines in dealing with disasters and are a major emphasis of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Join the conversation around International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on social media to help raise awareness of the need for disaster risk reduction that includes everyone – especially those most at risk. Listen to the audio-podcats!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: Spread the word about empowering the next generation for a resilient future!. To mobilize action, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is using the occasion to raise awareness of the brutal inequality of disasters and call for fighting inequality for a resilient future. Explore the IDDRR 2024 Posters and postcard, the action toolkit; These cards, templates and videos will help you tell the world how you, your school and your country is helping build resilience through education and youth engagement. Get the communications materials!
WHY WE CELEBRATE THE DAY?
HOW TO GET INVOLVED!
PARTNERSHIPS
The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was started in 1989, after a call by the United Nations General Assembly for a day to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. Held every 13 October, the day celebrates how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of reining in the risks that they face. It is important to consider the social and economic contexts in which disaster risks occur and that people do not necessarily share the same perceptions of risk and their underlying risk factor. The UNDRR works with various partners around the world to reduce disaster risk and build resilient communities. The UNDRR invites you to works with thinkers, practitioners, experts and innovators to investigate the state of risk across the globe: highlighting what’s new, spotting emerging trends, revealing disturbing patterns, examining behaviour, and presenting progress in reducing risk.
To accomplish this, early warning systems must be:
Multi-Hazard: they are designed to detect different hazards that may occur alone, simultaneously, or cascade.
End-to-end: the system covers the entire range, from hazard detection to action, which includes providing understandable and actionable warning messages.
People-centered: this means designing the systems with people in mind, to empower them to act on time and in an appropriate manner to reduce potential harm.
We must break the cycle of disaster > growing inequality > repeat.
We can curb the destructive power of hazards—in other words, stop them from turning into disasters—through careful and coordinated planning that is designed to reduce people’s exposure and vulnerability to harm.
We must accelerate the implementation of the Early Warnings for All initiative to ensure everyone on earth is covered by early warnings in the next four years, prioritizing the most at-risk communities
Greater investments are needed in the collection and use of disaggregated data, both to better understand disproportionate disaster impacts and exposure, and to inform resilience-building plans.
Member States must prioritise their commitments to achieving the Sendai Framework and SDGs, especially the reduction of poverty and inequality, while urgently addressing disaster risk and vulnerability with a focus on the most vulnerable communities
Global decision makers must make our financial system fit for purpose in delivering finance for the most climate-vulnerable countries. We need to deliver economic resilience for the most at risk from disasters
Countries must engage, build capacity and empower groups in all DRR decision making processes. Countries must ensure that the most at risk, including women, older persons and persons with disabilities are meaningfully included.
The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is hosted by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the UNDRR Office in New York, the UNDRR Office in Americas, the UNDRR Office in Asia and Pacific, the UNDRR Office in Africa, the UNDRR Office in Europe, the UNDRR Office in Kobe, Japan, the UNDRR Office in the Arab States, the UNOOSA: United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER); the UNOCHA: UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC), the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), the NOAA Hurricanes centers. With the participation of Civil Society Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, Disaster preparedness centers, Climate researchers and academics.