We are celebrating, International Day for Disaster Reduction today. The day is celebrated by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) for a day to promote a global culture of risk awareness and disaster reduction. In 2009, the UNGA officially designated 13 October as the date to commemorate the Day for the efforts of reduction of disaster.

History

The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was started in 1989, after an initiative 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.

Why it is celebrated

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.

Theme

Every year there is a new theme for this day to work on disaster reduction. In 2022, the International Day will focus on Target G of the Sendai Framework “Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people by 2030.”  The urgency to achieve this target was strengthened in March 2022 by the announcement made by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres that “the United Nations will spearhead new action to ensure every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems within five years.”

To celebrate the day, the Sendai Framework has seven strategic targets and 38 indicators for measuring progress on reducing disaster risk and losses. These 38  indicators align the implementation of the Sendai Framework with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

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