Today 13 October is the International Day for Disaster Reduction, an initiative of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction that began in 2013 in order to raise awareness about disaster reduction and humanitarian aid around the world. To celebrate this day, we’re going to tell you all about what causes natural disasters and how we can reduce the risk of them happening, as well as give you some statistics on how much damage they’re causing across the globe. We hope you enjoy!
international decade for natural disaster reduction
Every year, on October 13th, we celebrate the International Day for Disaster Reduction. In 1989, the United Nations General Assembly formally recognized this day as an opportunity to raise awareness about natural disaster risks and ways that countries can reduce their vulnerabilities. The theme for 2018’s IDDR is Disasters and Climate Change. This year’s international decade for natural disaster reduction (2005-2015) focused on how to make our cities more resilient in light of climate change.
What are Natural Disasters?
Natural disasters are natural events that cause a lot of damage and loss to people and property. They can be caused by earthquakes, floods, volcanoes or any other event that disrupts the Earth’s natural equilibrium. Some examples of natural disasters are hurricanes, tsunami waves, tornadoes and cyclones. In general, they come from either nature or human activities. Human-induced disasters are man-made events, such as chemical spills, war or famine.
It has been said that every day we live on this planet is the day after one type of disaster or another; we just don’t know what it will be yet.
To celebrate today’s International Day for Disaster Reduction, I encourage you all to take time out of your busy lives to focus on what you’re doing with regard to prevention – because prevention saves lives!
What are Man-made Disasters?
Man-made disasters are disasters that occur as a result of human behavior, such as nuclear power plant accidents or chemical spills. Man-made disasters can occur anywhere in the world, and they can have a huge impact on lives and livelihoods. One example of a man-made disaster is the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in Ukraine. The explosion at Chernobyl released radiation over large areas of Eastern Europe and Western Russia, contaminating vast amounts of land and causing thousands to evacuate their homes. Another example is an oil spill caused by an offshore drilling rig explosion in 2010 near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Impacts of Disasters
A disaster can be anything that damages or destroys someone’s home, workplace, school, or community. Disasters can come in many forms and range from natural disasters like hurricanes to man-made disasters such as terrorist attacks. They can be unpredictable and have huge impacts on people’s lives. The goal of IDDR is to help reduce the number of people impacted by disasters every year. For example, one way you can support this initiative is to learn about the risks of your area and how you would respond during an emergency.
By knowing your risk profile before a disaster occurs, you will know what steps to take if something happens. If you’re interested in taking action, there are many ways you can make a difference. One thing you could do is raise awareness with friends and family members so they too know how they would respond during a crisis event.
Ways to be prepared
Sign up to participate in a local earthquake drill on October 20th. -Learn how to use a fire extinguisher at home. -Make sure you have an emergency kit in your car with provisions like blankets, food, water and a flashlight. -If you live near or visit steep slopes or cliffs, make sure you know what to do if there’s an avalanche. -Check to see if your family members are registered as organ donors. If not, talk about it so they can register when they’re old enough.
iddr 2022 theme
The theme of this year’s day is Disaster risk, resilience and mitigation: Building a safer world. iddr has a long history of promoting disaster risk reduction. The theme of this year’s day focuses on how we can build a safer world by strengthening our resilience and reducing disaster risks. In particular, the focal points are sustainable development goals (SDGs) 17 – which tackles poverty and promotes climate action – as well as 18 – which focuses on peace, justice and strong institutions.
Iddr has three main areas that we are focusing on to help reach these goals; Social Protection to protect people from disasters; Natural hazard risk assessment to better understand their exposure to natural hazards; And lastly Risk financing for increased access to insurance and other financial instruments.
international disaster management
Every year, people around the world work to make disasters less likely and more manageable. Today, on International Day for Disaster Reduction, we’re honoring all of these efforts by encouraging even more global conversations on how to reduce disaster risk.
1 in 3 people live in a country affected by disaster every year. And while they’re usually not intentional, disasters are one of the most common sources of death and destruction across the globe.
The impacts of disasters can be severe, affecting infrastructure, food production and livelihoods. In turn, this has an enormous impact on health – from injuries during the event itself to diseases such as cholera after natural disasters – as well as local economies.
As such, there’s a need for international coordination when it comes to disaster management – with much going into early-warning systems, evacuation plans and better protection against storms or earthquakes.
why are natural disasters increasing day by day
Natural disasters are increasing day by day, with 2017 seeing more than 400 disasters globally. The reason? Climate change. According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, natural disasters could increase by 50-150 percent by 2050 because of climate change. With worsening weather conditions, it’s important to prepare for natural disasters and take necessary precautions to protect yourself and your loved ones from future events.
Today we celebrate the International Day for Disaster Reduction, a time when organizations work together to promote disaster prevention in communities around the world. To commemorate this day, here are five things you can do today
drr
The World Economic Forum estimates that natural disasters cost $520 billion in 2017. That’s five times more than what it was in 1990. And it doesn’t stop there–it’s estimated that the annual total losses will climb to over $1 trillion by 2050.
The goal of disaster reduction (DRR) is to reduce these losses and make sure that we’re prepared, before disaster strikes. We can achieve this by limiting or reducing people’s vulnerability to disasters, being better able to predict them and minimize their consequences when they do happen.
The next time you hear someone mention DRRs as a last-ditch effort, remember that they are not just a ‘last resort.’ Instead, they are integral in making the world a safer place to live.