South Africa to commemorate the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR)
The members of the media are invited to the commemoration of the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) as follows:
- Date: 13 October 2017
- Venue: Garden Court Marine Parade, eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, KZN
- Time: 08h00
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996, s.23) mandates government to ensure people live in a safer environment not harmful to their health or well-being. As such, South Africa as a signatory to the UNISDR, participates in its programmes and will in line with resolution 64 of 21 December 2009, commemorate the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR).
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Mr Des van Rooyen in partnership with the MEC responsible for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KZN Province, Ms Nomusa Dube-Ncube and the Mayor of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, Councillor Zandile Gumede will lead the 2017 event which South Africa will convene on 13 October 2017. The event will also be attended by the delegation from the United Nations Office for Disaster Reduction who will have the opportunity to convey the United Nations message on the event.
The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) serves as a global platform to coordinate disaster reduction and to ensure synergies among disaster reduction activities of the United Nations member states and associations.
In an effort to implement the global disaster management vision, the UNISDR implements various disaster risk reduction programmes, including activities around the annual commemoration of the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR). Every year, the UNISDR identifies a specific theme in terms of which the IDDR is celebrated. The theme for the 2017 IDDR is: “Home Safe Home: Reducing Exposure, Reducing Displacement”. It is meant to ensure that all efforts are made to eliminate displacements resulting from disasters.
The objective of the observance of the IDDR:
- is to raise awareness on how people are taking action to reduce their risk to disasters.
- It is also a day to encourage every citizen and government to participate in building more disaster resilient communities and nations.
The event is therefore meant to ensure:
- Understanding of disaster risk;
- Strengthening of disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk;
- Investment in disaster risk reduction for resilience, and;
- Enhancement of disaster preparedness for effective response and to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
The event will explore in detail the following key areas:
- Substantially reduce the number of affected people globally by 2030
- Reduce direct disaster economic loss in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030;
- Substantially reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services.
- Substantially increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020;
- Substantially enhance international cooperation in developing countries through adequate and sustainable support to complement their national actions for implementation of the present Framework by 2030;
- Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people by 2030.
Enquiries:
Legadima Leso
Cell: 083 378 9495
