Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

9 October 2024 by

Nury Galvis

13 October is #DRRday – #AreYouReady24

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 worldwide are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of reining in the risks they face.

This year, the theme is:

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 through safe schools: 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 for safe children  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.

Have you ever wondered why disasters happen and what we can do to stay safe? This video explains what children and young people need to know about disasters and how you can reduce disaster risks.

Prepare yourself for disaster season and educate your family, friends and neighbours. Find out more here.