By UN resolution 44/236 (22 December 1989), the General Assembly designated the second Wednesday of October International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction. The International Day was to be observed annually during the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, 1990-1999. By resolution 64/200 of 21 December 2009 the General Assembly decided to designate 13 October as the date to commemorate the Day and to change the Day’s name to International Day for Disaster Reduction. The objective of the observance is to raise awareness how people are taking action to reduce their risk to disasters.
International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
13 October 2011
Related News & Events
05 August 2025
IRDR proudly celebrates the successful conclusion of the 2025 Youth Climate Action and Disaster Risk Reduction Hackathon, held in Beijing under the theme “Empowering Youth for a Healthy Planet.” Co-organized with UNESCO, the Horizon Global Youth Development Program and other partners, the event brought together over 300 young innovators from 15 countries to co-develop solutions to urgent environmental challenges.
04 August 2025
IRDR commends the successful conclusion of Fudan University's second International Summer School on Climate Change and Related Risks. Supported by IRDR in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the MAP-AQ programme, the three-week flagship program brought together nearly 80 participants from 16 countries, fostering a dynamic global learning community under the theme “Human Activity and Weather/Climate Extremes.”
31 July 2025
UNESCO and IRDR co-organise this lumos at UTC 8:00 on 18 August, which will reflect the research and innovations from young generations with the topics including but not limited (1) vulnerability assessment of cultural heritages (tangible and intangible), (2) integrating traditional knowledge and advanced technologies for climate change adaption and disaster risk reduction, and (3) the role of culture in climate action through education, grassroots initiatives, and policy engagement.
