International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. International Day for Disaster Reduction is celebrated annually on October 13th. On this Day, the UN encourages people to share their knowledge in disaster risk reduction.
It was first celebrated under UN General Assembly resolution № 44/236 of December 22, 1989, as International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction, within the framework of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction — 1990-1999.
In 1999, the UN General Assembly decided to continue to celebrate this date annually as International Day for Disaster Reduction on the second Wednesday of October as one of the tools to promote a global culture of disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and ensuring their preparedness.
On 21 December 2009, the General Assembly, in its resolution № 64/200, decided to proclaim 13 October as the date for the celebration of the Day and changed its name to the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. And in 2018, the General Assembly decided (resolution A/RES/73/231) to rename this Day the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. The purpose of the Day is to raise awareness of how people take action to reduce disaster risk.
The International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction aims, first of all, to make the general public aware of the importance of preventing and educating populations and communities most at risk of natural, environmental and man-made disasters about the means available to prevent hazards from escalating into disasters.
The number of victims of earthquakes, cyclones, floods and droughts is growing rapidly and amounts to tens of thousands. In 2021 alone, there were 432 disasters associated with natural hazards worldwide. The UN estimates that by 2030 there will be about 560 natural disasters per year in the world.
History has captured large floods in Russia — in particular, in the capitals of the Russian state — in St. Petersburg in 1824 and in Moscow in 1908, as well as floods in the Krasnodar Territory in 2012, in the Far East in 2013, in Primorye in 2016, in the Irkutsk region in 2019 and in Crimea in 2021, the consequences of which are still being eliminated.
There are many seismically unstable areas regularly subject to earthquakes, — Caucasus, Central Asia, some areas of China, Japan.
Millions of lives can be saved if states do more to prevent and reduce disaster risk (Photo: swa182, licensed by Shutterstock.com)
Natural disasters cause death, destruction and cause social and economic disruption primarily at the local level. Every year, millions of people are forced to flee their homes as a result of natural disasters. On average, natural disasters kill 184 people a day.
Due to urbanization and climate change, the number of victims on the planet is projected to increase. As a result of natural disasters, countries are forced to reduce funds allocated to programs to address sustainable development challenges. It should be noted that many natural disasters are caused by climate change.
But millions of lives can be saved if states do more to prevent and reduce disaster risk. Capacity on the ground needs to be strengthened as a matter of urgency. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, adopted in 2015, presents concrete ways to reduce the impact of disasters of any nature and magnitude, including human-caused disasters.
On the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction itself, the UN determines the theme of the Day every year. So, over the years, his topics have been: «Diminishing the danger for sustainable development of mountain areas», «Making experience in combating current disasters to combat future dangers», «Disaster risk reduction activities begin at school», «Hospital disaster safety: risk reduction, hospital protection, saving lives», «Disabled people — is the largest unused reserve for those, who is responsible for preparing for disasters around the world», «Resilience for life», «Knowledge for life», «Home, safe home: increasing resilience to natural disasters, reducing the number of displaced people», «Reducing economic losses as a result of natural disasters», «International cooperation for developing countries to reduce disaster risk and losses from them» and others.
Postcard «October 13 — International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction»