INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

INTRODUCTION

1.         Every year, disasters caused by natural and manmade hazards influence the lives of people throughout the globe. Most of their damage can be mitigated by proactive measures and preparation. On October 13, the United Nations International Day for Disaster Reduction is marked worldwide to market a worldwide culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction, also on recognize how people and communities throughout the world are decreasing their vulnerability to catastrophes and increasing awareness about the importance of mitigating the risks that they face.  It also recognizes the progress made in decreasing disaster risk and loss of life, livelihoods, and health in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-30. The frame was approved at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan in March 2015.

PREVIEW

2.         The article has been divided into the following parts:

      (a)       Part-I.   Theme of International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction.

      (b)       Part-II.   History of International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction.

      (c)       Part-III.    Significance of International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction.

PART-I : THEME OF INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

3.         This year, the theme of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is “International cooperation for developing countries to scale back their disaster risk and disaster losses.” It highlights the importance of real action towards global climate change so as to stop overwhelming disasters.

4.         When it involves delivering on the policy agenda prescribed in 2015, the year 2021 promises to be a make or break year. Extreme weather occurrences are going to be overpowering if no serious climate action is taken within the next ten years, particularly in developing nations.

5.         There can never be an entire elimination of disaster risk, but countries that style policy and legislative frameworks aligned with the Sendai Framework’s goals, targets and priority actions are going to be better ready to manage disasters and thus reduce the negative impacts of disasters.

6.         The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is observed per annum on 13 October. The day is observed to market a worldwide culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. According to the United Nations (UN), without appropriate action on climate within  next decade, extreme weather events are going to be overwhelming, especially for developing countries. “International cooperation for developing countries through Official Development Aid (ODA) and capacity building is important to spice up disaster resilience within the face of utmost weather events and other natural and manmade hazards,” reads the official website of the UN.

PART-II : HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

7.         First International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was observed within the year 1989. The day was adopted after the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) involve each day to market a worldwide culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction.

8.         The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was established in 1989 in response to an invitation from the United Nations General Assembly for each day to encourage a worldwide culture of risk awareness and disaster reduction. Disasters are often thanks to global climate change, which features a negative impact on investment in sustainable development and therefore the desired outcomes.

9.         The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was started in 1989, after a appeal by the United Nations General Assembly for each day to market a worldwide culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. We can’t forget that sudden disasters displace many people per annum.  Disasters are often thanks to global climate change, which features a negative impact on investment in sustainable development and therefore the desired outcomes.

10.      In 2015, at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, the international group was reminded that disasters hit hardest at the local level with the likely to cause loss of life and great social and economic upheaval. Sendai suffered a devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2011 during which 20,000 people lost their lives.

PART-III : SIGNIFICANCE OF INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

11.      According to the UN’s website, International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction celebrates how people and communities round the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of reining within the risks that they face.  International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is remarked on October 13, every year. The day aims to market a worldwide culture of risk awareness and disaster reduction.  The day celebrates how people and communities round the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of reining within the risks that they face.

12.      The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is a chance to recognize the improvement being made towards reducing disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods, and health. The 2021 edition will particularize in “International collaboration  for developing nations to scale back their disaster risk and disaster losses”

13.      Every two years, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) employs with thinkers, experts, practitioners and innovators to research the state of risk across the globe: remarking what’s new, spotting rising trends, revealing disturbing patterns, examining behavior, and presenting progress in reducing risk.

14.      Disasters impact low-and middle-income countries disproportionately, particularly in terms of mortality, numbers of individuals injured, displaced, and homeless, economic losses (as a percentage of GDP), and damage to critical infrastructure. Greater international cooperation is urgently needed to support developing countries reduce the danger of, and losses from, disasters. this is often the most message of today’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. Currently, disasters affect middle-and low-income countries disproportionately, particularly in terms of the amount of individuals killed, injured, displaced or made homeless, damage to infrastructure, and economic losses. In fact, during the past decade alone, disasters have killed 410,000 people and affected an extra 1.7 billion people, with global climate change escalating the amount of devastating events.

15.      Encouragingly, 2021 has seen unusual levels of international cooperation towards meeting climate and development goals. In January, for instance, participants at the Climate Adaptation Summit formed the difference Action Agenda to hurry up adaptation to global climate change. Meanwhile, members of Stockholm International Water Institute’s World Water Week in late August focused on ways to ‘build resilience faster,’ and September’s United Nations (UN) Food Systems Summit outlined a path for achieving the worldwide transformation in food systems required to satisfy the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

16.      Such multilateral efforts are imperative if we are to stop catastrophic global climate change – by keeping the worldwide temperature rise within 1.5°C – and help vulnerable communities become more resilient to climate shifts which will not be avoided.  During the 2 decades leading up to 2019, the international disasters database EM-DAT recorded 7,348 events caused by natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, and heatwaves, as compared to 4,212 such events between 1980 and 1999. While improved recording and reporting of events may have contributed to the present increase, the expansion is essentially thanks to a big rise within the number of climate-related disasters.

17.      While IDDRR 2021’s focus is on international cooperation, which is a target  of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), we state that cooperation within nations at differing scales is additionally important, as is cross-disciplinary collaboration. within the language of the 2015 international agendas, this suggests that the SDGs, the SFDRR, and therefore the Paris Agreement (and further commitments arising from approaching COP26 UN global climate change Conference in November) must be delivered during a coordinated, participatory manner.  Only with widescale cooperation can we achieve the rapid, transformational change required to go off the climate and environmental emergencies the planet currently faces.

Capt Ajaypal Singh

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