International Day for Disaster Reduction

The International Day for Disaster Reduction is a day to observe how people and communities are reducing their risk to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of DRR. It's also a day to encourage every citizen and government to take part in building more disaster resilient communities and nations.

The theme of the 2013 International Day for Disaster Reduction is "Living with Disability and Disasters".

Persons living with disabilities are among the most excluded in society, and their plight is magnified when a disaster strikes. Not only are they less likely to receive the aid they need during a humanitarian crisis, they are also less likely to recover in the long-term.

However, several studies have shown that including the needs and voices of persons with disabilities at all stages of the disaster management process can significantly reduce vulnerability and increase the effectiveness of government response and recovery efforts.

This year, the International Day for Disaster Reduction focuses on the approximately one billion people who live with some form of disability, their vulnerability to disaster, and their ability to contribute to disaster management.

"On the International Day for Disaster Reduction, let us resolve to do everything possible to ensure that all persons with disabilities have the highest possible levels of safety and the greatest possible chance to contribute to the overall wellbeing of society. Let us build an inclusive world where persons with disabilities can play an even greater role as resourceful agents of change." – Sectary General, Ban Ki-moon

Additional links

International Day for Disaster Reduction 2013

Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

Disability is NOT inability

The United Nations Office of Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)

United Nations enable