International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015

The slogan for International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is announced " Knowledge for life".

 The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) launched a search for communities that demonstrate excellence in managing disaster risk in order to draw attention to the importance of local knowledge, traditions and customs in the struggle against extreme weather events, climate change and earthquakes. 

Margareta Wahlström, the head of UNISDR, said: “We want to identify and honour communities which exemplify the use of traditional, indigenous and local knowledge and practices, to complement scientific knowledge in disaster risk management. Over 19 million people from communities across the globe were newly displaced by disasters last year and we need to improve our understanding of how local practices can contribute to better management of disaster risk. 

“Under the campaign slogan, KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE, we are seeking nominations from governments, local governments and civil society organizations for communities which should be declared Champions of Disaster Risk Reduction for their efforts. The first communities to be designated Champions will be announced on International Day for Disaster Reduction, Tuesday, October 13, this year.” 

The newly adopted global agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, contains several references to the need for a strong focus on communities and indigenous peoples, their traditional, indigenous and local knowledge and practices, in the design and implementation of policies, plans and standards for disaster risk management. Nominations and queries should be addressed to iddr2015@un.org by COB September 14, 2015.  Source:    http://www.unisdr.org/archive/45245

NEPAL and International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

In this scenario, Nepal is also celebrating the International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction. Nepal should utilize the slogan to make government, CSOs, Community people understand gaps, challenges and learning during April Earthquake 2015 and able to prepare or design the plan for the resilient communities.

It is observed that the Duck, Cover, Hold is the best method in the world applied during the earthquake to make oneself protected but the use of such method was misunderstood or mis-transferred to Nepalese communities so that numbers of death cases are related due such knowledge. Some cases recorded from the Sindhuplachowk district of Nepal stated that many people standing outside the ground went inside the home for Duck, Cover and Hold  and none of them were alive after the collapse of the house. Most of the people stand under the pillar of the house to make them protected but the strength of Pillar was not studied and people died. Government, NGOs, INGOs including all stakeholders started to transfer the knowledge from the other country where the structure were safe  but the other factors like pillars, our topography and building structure were not considered while tranfering the knowledge.

Thus, I think Nepal government should focus Knowledge for life  slogan more effective to make realize on the proper  knowledge transfer and support for the resilience community.

 Rajan