International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2020

Each year, on October 13, countries around the world acknowledge the United Nations’ International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction – a day to remind the world that disaster risk is man-made and to highlight how at-risk communities are reducing their exposure to disasters.

The Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC hosted a free online event, supported by ABC TV’s Big Weather (and how to survive it) documentary series about natural hazards and the 2019/20 bushfire season in Australia, which launched on the same day.

This year, #ItsAllAboutGovernance.

The aim of IDDRR 2020, based on the Sendai Seven Framework target, was to increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies. We looked at the challenges to good governance in the face of major climate and weather shifts.

Details of the CRC event:

Date: Tuesday 13 October
Time: 1pm AEDT, 12:30pm ACDT, 12pm AEST, 11:30am ACST, 10am AWST
Format: online, registration only
Cost: free

Featuring ABC TV's Craig Reucassel, the event also included a panel discussion between expert speakers who are working at the local, state and national level:

• Kirsten Jenkins: Municipal Recovery Manager, Maroondah City Council
• Melissa Pexton: Director Risk, Capability and Analysis, Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Western Australia
• Prof Lisa Gibbs: Director Community Resilience, Centre for Disaster Management and Public Safety, University of Melbourne & Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC
• John Richardson: National Resilience Adviser, Red Cross Australia
• Stephen Oliver: Manager Documentaries, ABC

The event was hosted by Dr John Bates, Research Director at the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC. You can watch the full recording above or the highlights reel below.

For those requesting access to the preparedness reports mentioned by Melissa Pexton from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, these are available here.

The day is an initiative of the United Nations, and is backed by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction, the International Council for Science and the International Social Science Council. The CRC hosts the Australian National Committee for the ISDR.

Visit the UNDRR site to learn more about the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. Last year, the CRC hosted an event in Brisbane and the previous year in Adelaide. Watch the videos, or read more about the panel discussions.