Ghana: International Day For Disaster Reduction

Source(s): Ghana - government

Ghana, under auspices of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), joins other United Nations (UN) member countries to celebrate the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) which falls on October 13, 2012.

The aim of IDDR is to raise awareness about the importance of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

It is the most widely-observed day for raising awareness about disaster risk reduction, creating social demand and mobilising the wider public to get involved and take ownership of the processes to create disaster resilience. This day will also build partnerships with organisations involved with gender and disaster risk reduction.

The observance of IDDR, which is seen as a way of promoting a global culture of disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness, started in 1989, with the approval of the UN General Assembly.

Originally celebrated on the second Wednesday of October every year, according to UN Resolution 44/236 of December 22, 1989, the UN general Assembly decided to designate October 13 as the date to celebrate the IDDR (UN Resolution 64/200 of December 21, 2009).

Ghana’s participation in the celebrations of IDDR began in 1997, after the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) was established by Act 517 of 1996 to manage disasters and similar emergencies in the country. NADMO then became the secretariat for the celebration of the IDDR in the country.

The International theme for IDDR 2012, ‘Women and Girls –The [In] visible Force of Resilience’, draws attention to the fact that women’s contributions to protect and rebuild their communities before and after disasters are often unrecognised while too much of the work and achievements of women and girls is of low visibility and taken for granted.

The aim of this year’s celebration is to acknowledge and appreciate the millions of women and girls who make their communities more resilient to disasters and climate risks and thus reap the benefits of and protect their development investments.

Source: ISD (G.D. Zaney)

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