International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2027 is on Wednesday

About International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

The day promotes what the UN calls a culture of risk awareness: understanding which hazards threaten a place, and acting early through safer buildings, sensible land-use planning, early warning systems and household preparedness. The UN stresses that disasters hit hardest at the local level, so the day puts the spotlight on communities and city governments as much as on national policy.

It has a longer history than many UN days. In resolution 44/236 of December 22, 1989, the General Assembly proclaimed the 1990s the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction and set the second Wednesday of October as the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction, to be held during that decade. A 2002 resolution kept the observance going after the decade ended. Then, in resolution 64/200 of December 21, 2009, the Assembly fixed the date at October 13 and renamed it the International Day for Disaster Reduction. The word "risk" was added to the name later, reflecting the focus on reducing risk rather than only responding to events.

Today the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) leads the observance and links it to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 to 2030, adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, in 2015. The framework covers hazards of every scale, natural or human-made, and the day is used to report on progress such as the spread of multi-hazard early warning systems.

If you face an emergency, follow official alerts and contact your local emergency services.

Sources: United Nations: International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, United Nations: International Day for Disaster Reduction background (archived 2017). How we check dates.

How to mark International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

• Look up the main hazards where you live, such as floods, wildfire, earthquakes or extreme heat, using your local emergency management agency's maps or guidance.
• Sign up for official emergency alerts on your phone and check that they are switched on.
• Make or update a household emergency plan with meeting points, contact numbers and plans for pets and anyone who needs extra help.
• Pack or refresh a go-bag with water, food, medications, copies of documents, a flashlight and a battery or crank radio.
• Check on an older neighbor or someone living alone and help them prepare too.
• Ask your school or workplace when it last ran an evacuation or shelter drill.

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction dates