The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 provides the main international guide for this work.

The Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025, published by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, shows how costly inadequate prevention has become.

This emphasis on prevention was reflected in the 2025 observance theme, “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters.” The United Nations called for increased disaster risk reduction funding and for public and private investment to account for disaster risk.

Imagine losing your home and belongings in a sudden natural disaster and perhaps even your family members, the most painful loss of all. What would you do? Who would help you? How would you rebuild your life? Every year, millions of people face this anguish, and those suffering today may continue to live with the consequences of that disaster for years to come. Illness, debt and uncertainty can remain long after a disaster disappears from the news. Disaster risk reduction begins with understanding these consequences and taking action before people suffer them. Observed on 13 October, the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction encourages governments and communities to prevent and reduce disaster losses. Its origins lie in the United Nations General Assembly’s 1989 resolution on the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction. In 2009, the Assembly designated 13 October as the annual date. The observance requires preparation, safer development and sustained public responsibility. An earthquake, heavy rainfall or a heatwave is a hazard. The scale of the disaster depends partly on the conditions in which people live: the strength of their homes, the location of settlements, the availability of warnings and the ability to reach safety. We cannot prevent every hazard, but we can reduce exposure and vulnerability. A safer school, a functioning drainage system or a timely evacuation can change what happens when danger arrives. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 provides the main international guide for this work. Endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly, it identifies four priorities: understanding........

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