Information
The International Day for Disaster Reduction
This year, United Nations are observing 13 October, the International Day for Disaster Reduction, by remembering the 66.5 million children affected annually by disasters. Because it is difficult for children to cope with unexpected and painful interruptions to their lives, they are often more affected than adults. Victims of disaster and climate change, children and young people can and should be encouraged to participate in disaster reduction and decision making. To give them support and prompt children to participate in ensuring their own safety and safety of their families, this year’s theme of the UN disaster reduction campaign is “Making Children and Young People Partners for Disaster Risk Reduction”.
To learn more about the campaign and the important role young people have in disaster reduction, visit: http://www.unisdr.org/2011/iddr/
Serbia’s own efforts to manage disaster risk have been significant. On 7 September, 2011, Margareta Wahlström, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction presented over 30 Serbian municipalities with certificates of commitment to disaster resilience and participation in the global United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction (UN DRR) campaign “Making Cities Resilient – My City is Getting Ready.” To earn the certificates, Serbian municipalities worked in partnership with the US Agency for International Development’s Preparedness and Planning Program to improve safety and disaster resilience of their citizens and property, receiving the USAID Enhanced Disaster Resilient status. To date, some 50 Serbian municipalities have joined the global UN DRR campaign making Serbia one of the European leaders in the number of participating local self-governments.
To download Secretary-General\'s video message to mark the International Day for Disaster Reduction, go to: http://downloads2.unmultimedia.org.s3.amazonaws.com/public/video/SG_Messages_INTL_RISK_REDUCTION_DAY.mov