UN Disaster Risk Reduction Day: 13th October
Deborah Swallow | October 13th, 2011 in : days of significance, General
The 2011 day is about using children and young people as 
partners in Disaster Risk Reduction. Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is about assessing and analysing casual factors of disasters, thereby attempting to reduce disasters from occurring. The International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction takes place on the 13th October each year. It aims to promote worldwide awareness of disaster reduction as well as finding ways to be more prepared for global disasters. It was implemented in 1989 by the UN General Assembly.
The UN website states,
‘Reducing exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improving preparedness for adverse events are all examples of disaster risk reduction.’
It is important to note that Disasters often occur after a natural hazard, when it has impacted severely on the society and environment. Disasters can have severe impacts on the way we live our lives, where we choose to live, take our children to school, how our government governs. Therefore it is important to find ways to reduce the risk of Disaster from impacting on our society and on a global scale.
UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon has commented,
‘The more governments, UN agencies, organisations, businesses and civil society understand risk and vulnerability, the better equipped they will be to mitigate disasters when they strike and save more lives”
It is estimated that 66 Million children worldwide are affected by natural disasters. The day this year, therefore wishes to include children and young people to act as partners in DRR. A charter for DRR has been set up with consulations from children around the world, in 21 countries. You can find a link to the charter here, http://www.unisdr.org/2011/iddr/
Supported by Save the Children, UNICEF and other charities, the International Day for Disaster Reduction encourages the public this year to create awareness for Disaster Reduction in a variety of ways. This includes awareness on social networking sites, public events, creating posters and art and various other ideas. There are many resources for what YOU can do on the International Day for Disaster Reduction website, http://www.unisdr.org/2011/iddr/#ajax4.htm
Hello, I'm Deborah Swallow and, for the last fifteen years, I've worked in over thirty countries addressing the complexities of people working internationally across multiple cultures, so individuals and organisations alike can gain an authentic competitive edge and win in international markets. 