International Day for Disaster Reduction

International Day for Disaster Reduction began 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.

International Day for Disaster Reduction 2023

 Fighting inequality for a resilient future is the theme of this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on 13 October to reduce their disaster risk and disaster losses.

The theme for the 2023 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction aligns with the Sendai Framework, the international agreement to prevent and reduce losses in lives, livelihoods, economies and basic infrastructure. It has seven global targets and 38 indicators for measuring progress. The Sendai Framework complements the Paris Agreement on climate change, with both frameworks interlinked to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. 

In 2023, the International Day will explore the reciprocal relationship between disasters and inequality. Inequality and disaster vulnerability are two sides of the same coin: unequal access to services, such as finance and insurance, leaves the most at risk exposed to the danger of disasters; while disaster impacts exacerbate inequalities and push the most at risk further into poverty. 

Key messages

• Poverty, inequality and discrimination are causes and consequences of growing disaster risk. 
• Inequality creates the conditions that render people exposed and vulnerable to disasters. Disasters also disproportionately impact the poorest and most at risk people, thus worsening inequality. Reducing vulnerability to disasters requires addressing these dimensions 
• By 2030, with current climate projections, the world will face some 560 disasters per year. An additional estimated 37.6 million people will be living in conditions of extreme poverty due to the impacts of climate change and disasters by 2030. A “worst case” scenario of climate change and disasters will push an additional 100.7 million into poverty by 2030.
• We can curb the destructive power of hazards—in other words, stop them from turning into disasters—through careful and coordinated planning that is designed to reduce people’s exposure and vulnerability to harm. 
• Greater investments are needed in the collection and use of disaggregated data, both to better understand disproportionate disaster impacts and exposure, and to inform resilience-building plans.  

Sendai Seven Campaign

The Sendai Framework has seven strategic targets and 38 indicators for measuring progress on reducing disaster losses. In 2016, the UN Secretary-General launched “The Sendai Seven Campaign” to promote each of the seven targets over seven years. These indicators align implementation of the Sendai Framework with implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The primary goal of the Sendai Framework is to avoid creating new and reduce existing risk. But when that is not possible, people-centered early warning systems and preparedness can enable early action to minimize the harm to people, assets and livelihoods.

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

Related resources

• Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
• IDDR 2023 website of UNISDR
• National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) - India