International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction

The World Disaster Reduction Campaign 2006-2007 has been under way for a year. Various initiatives, such as making schools safer, developing educational materials, educating disaster risk reduction at schools, developing training manuals, have been carried out worldwide since the campaign was launched in 2006.

Some of the initiatives made immediate impact; others laid the foundations for future successes. But all helped in particular school children fulfil a role envisioned for them: to serve as agents of disaster risk reduction and to become agents for sustainable development.

Schools often celebrate the day by organising earthquake drills, fire drills, evacuation drills, prepared survival and evacuation kits.

If children can do it, then youths can do it. If children can do it, then adults can do it. If children can do it, then elderly people can do it.

Teaching our children today is empowering the next generation to address disaster risk more effectively tomorrow.