October 13 marks International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
Baku, October 13, AZERTAC
To ensure homes remain safe for everyone, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has selected "Resilience Starts at Home" as the theme for the 2026 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), observed on 13 October.
According to the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), at the household level, people have a clear stake in their own safety and must be empowered to take action to protect themselves. However, the ability to act is often shaped by unequal access to information, resources, land tenure, finance, social protection and decision-making power within households and communities. When households are able to access and understand the risks they face, respond effectively to early warnings, make informed housing decisions, and engage in local planning processes, they become active agents of resilience.
Global advances in early warning systems, driven by the Early Warnings for All initiative, mean that more people are receiving hazard alerts than ever before, yet early warnings are only effective when they reach all members of a household in accessible and understandable formats, when people understand how vulnerable their homes are to specific hazards, and when they know what protective actions to take. Bridging the gap between receiving a warning and taking appropriate action at the household level - including through accessible risk communication, inclusive evacuation planning, and recognition of the disproportionate caregiving responsibilities often carried by women during disasters - remains a critical challenge that this theme seeks to address.
The theme aligns with the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in 2026, organized by UN-Habitat and the Government of Azerbaijan, under the theme "Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities." It also aligns with the New Urban Agenda's commitment to adequate, safe, and affordable housing, and with Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable).
Building resilience at home also requires recognizing and strengthening the leadership, knowledge and contributions of women and local communities in reducing disaster risk and protecting households.
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