The United Nations General Assembly has designated 13 October as the International Day for Disaster Reduction to promote a global culture of disaster risk reduction. It is an opportunity to acknowledge the progress being made towards reducing disaster risk and loss of lives, livelihoods, and health in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
In 2022, the General Assembly resolved to keep the yearly commemoration as a tool for promoting a global mindset of natural disaster mitigation, covering prevention and preparedness.
Every year, the day honours people and communities all over the world who are working to reduce their vulnerability to disasters and raise awareness about the urgency of lowering the dangers they face.
In 2022, the focus on International Day for Disaster Reduction will be 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 aim of this year’s theme is to raise awareness and mobilise action for greater investment in expanding early warning and early action for all.
Interesting facts about natural disasters:
- Avalanches can reach about 80 m.p.h. in just five seconds.
- The most powerful earthquake ever recorded is the Valdivia Earthquake in Southern Chile in 1960.
- Besides wildfires, floods have the highest occurrence among natural disasters.
- Lava erupting from Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano burns at 2,120°F.
- Tornado winds often reach 300 m.p.h., which is twice the speed of a hurricane.
Why is International Day for Disaster Reduction important:
- Encouraging collaboration
It encourages effective multistakeholder coordination mechanisms, a broad global policy, and multidisciplinary and multisector collaboration to build disaster-resilient communities. - Creating a global trend
The day will highlight exemplary practices and cases of global cooperation that improve the lives of people living in disaster-prone areas around the world. This helps people prepare and reduces the fear, anxiety, and losses that accompany disasters. - It inspires new policies
It will support the development of policy and legislative frameworks that will better prepare global institutions to manage the risk of disasters and decrease their impact on communities. Inspiration awakens us to new possibilities by allowing us to transcend our ordinary experiences and limitations.
The global community needs to have constructive conversations about disaster preparedness. Beyond typical emergency management, people and communities require skills, abilities, and knowledge to resist, adapt, accommodate, recoup, and thrive in the face of unexpected disasters. Join the natural disaster reduction conversation on social media channels. Use the hashtags #OnlyTogether and #DRRday to explore what The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has in store for the day.
International Day for Disaster Reduction Poster 2022 (1.09 MB)
