The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2019 Theme: Reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services

The International Day for Disaster Reduction is observed on 13 October annually to raise awareness about disaster reduction. This year it continues as a part of the Sendai Seven campaign which is centred on the seven targets of the Sendai Framework. Let us read more about International Day for Disaster Reduction, its 2019 theme, history, and objective. This International Day for Disaster Reduction focuses on how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and the importance of reining in the risks that they face.

International Day for Disaster reduction 2019: The theme for International Day for Disaster reduction 2019 is “Reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services”.

The main aim is to focus on the target of the Sendai Framework. According to the UN, the Sendai framework highlights "Substantially to reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, among them health and education facilities, including through developing their resilience by 2030.”

It is important to ensure that schools and hospitals are built in such a way that during earthquake and tsunamis damages incurred should be less. Building codes should be enforced. Also to achieve targets for Sendai Framework is to take care of the life-saving utilities and services like food and water supply, energy, telecommunications, and transport.

 

The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was started in 1989, after a call by the United Nations General Assembly for a day to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. Held every 13 October, the day celebrates how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of reining in the risks that they face.

The 2019 edition continues as part of the "Sendai Seven" campaign, centred on the seven targets of the Sendai Framework. This year will focus on Target (d) of the Sendai Framework: “Substantially reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, among them health and education facilities, including through developing their resilience by 2030.”

Given the high death tolls, notably in earthquakes and tsunamis, it is especially important that great care is taken to ensure that schools and hospitals are built to last by ensuring that location and hazard-appropriate planning regulations and building codes are enforced. Other areas of critical infrastructure which help to achieve other Sendai Framework targets include potentially life-saving utilities and services such as food and water supply, energy, telecommunications and transport.

2016 saw the launch of the "Sendai Seven" campaign by UNDRR, centred on the seven targets of the Sendai Framework, the first of which is reducing disaster mortality. The campaign sought to create a wave of awareness about actions taken to reduce mortality around the world. Last year’s target focused on prevention, protection and reducing the number of people affected by disasters. 

The Sendai Seven Campaign is an opportunity for all, including governments, local governments, community groups, civil society organisations, the private sector, international organisations and the UN family, to promote best practices at the international, regional and national level across all sectors, to reduce disaster risk and disaster losses.

 

Sendai Seven" campaign was launched in 2016 by UNDRR which is centred on the seven targets of the Sendai Framework. It has 38 indicators for measuring progress on reducing disaster losses.

Sendai Seven campaign is an opportunity for all including governments, local governments, community groups, civil society organisations, private sector, international organisations, etc. to promote at all levels across all the sectors to reduce disaster risk and disaster losses.

The Seven Global Targets;

2016 - Target (a): To reduce disaster globally by 2030, aiming to lower the average per 100,000 global mortality rate in the decade 2020-2030 compared to the period 2005-2015;

2017 - Target (b): To reduce the number of people that are affected globally by 2030, aiming to lower the average global figure per 100,000 in the decade 2020-2030 compared to the period 2005-2015;

2018 - Target (c): Reduce direct disaster economic loss in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030;

 

2019 - Target (d): Substantially reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, among them health and educational facilities, including through developing their resilience by 2030;

2020 - Target (e): Substantially increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020;

2021 - Target (f): Substantially enhance international cooperation to developing countries through adequate and sustainable support to complement their national actions for implementation of the present Framework by 2030;

2022 - Target (g): Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people by 2030.

The main aim is to provide a platform to all governments, local governments, disaster management agencies, UN agencies, NGOs, Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, civil societies, civil society group, businesses, academic and scientific institutions, etc. to raise awareness about the economic consequences of the failure to manage disaster risk mainly for vulnerable groups and middle-income countries.

In 1989, the International Day for Disaster Reduction was started after a call by the United Nations General Assembly to promote the risk-awareness globally and disaster reduction.

Therefore, it is necessary to educate people on the issues of disaster reduction, to mobilize the political will and resources to address global problems. It is a day to celebrate and reinforce the achievements of humanity.

Cassien Tribunal Aungane, Editor