International Day for Disaster Reduction
13 October 2004

Learning by playing
On the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Reduction, UN/ISDR, UNICEF and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are holding a press conference that will discuss the importance of learning and education for disaster risk reduction and mark the official launching of the boardgame and video "Riskland".

Press release English Français Español
Highlights of Press Briefing
 
Riskland video
Windows Media Player
low resolution (5Mb) English Español
high resolution (14Mb) English Español
 

 
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
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MESSAGE ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY
FOR DISASTER REDUCTION
13 October 2004

The theme of the International Day for Disaster Reduction, “Learning from today’s disasters for tomorrow’s hazards”, reminds us that the task of learning from disasters concerns every one of us.

In the aftermath of a disaster, government authorities, businesses, community groups and individuals should all ask whether appropriate actions, such as early warning, were taken to save life and property. All should resolve not to repeat the mistakes of the past. All should work together to improve the chain of information and decision-making, so that their communities are better prepared should hazards strike again.

Young people should also be encouraged to learn these lessons – in school, at university, and through community networks. By participating in educational activities, engaging in community risk mapping exercises, and sharing good practices, young people can learn lifelong lessons, and help make their communities more disaster resilient.

At the global level, there is a lot of learning to do as well. The World Conference on Disaster Reduction, to be held in January next year in Kobe, Japan, will give decision-makers and experts a unique chance to take stock of what has been learned from our direct experience with disasters over the past decade, and to provide clear guidelines for implementing those lessons.

Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters are an inevitable part of life. Our degree of vulnerability to them need not be. As we saw during the recent hurricane season in the Caribbean, the more prepared communities are, the less likely they are to suffer catastrophe. After disaster strikes, the first task of local responders and their international supporters is to bring immediate relief to the victims. But all involved must also be sure to learn from what happened, and act to prepare communities to be more resilient and reduce the risks for the future. On this International Day for Disaster Reduction, let us rededicate ourselves to that mission.

 
English Français Español

Other messages on the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Reduction
Carol Bellamy, Executive Director
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)
www.unicef.org
Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director
UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
www.unep.org
Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General
UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
www.unesco.org
  Arabic - Chinese - English - French - Russian - Spanish

Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Press release English - French
www.wmo.int

Secretary-General
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
www.ifrc.org
H.E. Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO)
http://www.isesco.org.ma/
 

 
Events held on the International Day for Disaster Reduction

Planes de Emergencia y de Evacuación del Colegio Nuevo Gimnasio
Villavicencio, Colombia

Instructivo general de emergencia
Plan de evacuatión
Plan general

For more information, please contact:
José Arjona
arjona@etell.net.co
www.apelljag.co

Disaster Awareness Week
Jakarta, Indonesia

The event is supported by UN-OCHA, CARE Indonesia, CRS, Red Cross
Indonesia, ECHO and national news media (SCTV, Jakarta News FM, Trijaya FM,
Suara Metro FM, RAMAKO FM, Elshinta FM).

For more information, please contact:
Akhmad Hidayatno, on behalf of SATKORLAK PBP Jakarta Provincial Government
akhmad@cbn.net.id

Publishing awareness raising Poster, organizing rally with participation of different senior Government officials and high level political leaders, round table discussion on experience sharing and lessons learnt from recent flood disaster 2004, community drills and meeting, Bangaldesh Radio and Bangaldesh Television telecast special programmes on the highlighting importance of the Day.
Bangladesh

For more information, please contact:
Probir Kr. Das, MIM Division, Disaster Management Bureau, under the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management of the Government of Bangaldesh
dmb@bttb.net.bd

Riskantes Leben? Schüler und Journalisten auf der Suche nach dem Risiko - Roundtable for Journalists
Bonn, Germany

For more information, please contact:
Karl-Otto Zentel, German Committee for Disaster Reduction
birgit.zum.kley@inwent.org
www.dkkv.org

ADPC-UNESCAP Annual Journalism Award for Outstanding Reporting on Emergencies and Disasters
Bangkok, Thailand

For more information, please contact:
Le Huu Ti, Water Resources Section, Environment and Sustainable Development, UNESCAP
ti.unescap@un.org
www.adpc.net

School lecture programmes at the University of Bab Ezzaouar (USTHB)/Faculty of Civil Engineering, Algeria; NSET Nepal
Disaster Management and Sustainable Development Centre,Kathmandu University; and Seaton Valley Community Education Centre,Seaton Delaval,Northumberland,UK

For more information, please contact:
Komal Aryal, Disaster and Development Centre, Northumbria University
komal.aryal@unn.ac.uk

School education activities
Vanuatu

For more information, please contact:
Alan Mearns, SOPAC
Alan@sopac.org
www.sopac.org

World Risk Reduction Day
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

For more information, please contact:
Allison Ali, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies
ifrctt07@ifrc.org

Media event to commemorate the International Day for Disaster Reduction
Panama City, Panama

For further information, please contact
Robert Cohen, UNICEF TACRO
The Americas & Caribbean Regional Office
rcohen@unicef.org


 

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