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DRR Community Voices

The DRR Community Voices share personal stories and perspectives from the disaster risk reduction trenches on reducing risk and building resilience.

  • Our posts from both practitioners and academics reach a global audience and can influence policy, practices and approaches.
  • We invite you to propose your own blog and submit it for review.

Republishing guidelines

  • Please contact us if you wish to republish a blog article.
  • Most articles can be republished under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO Deed.
  • You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
  • You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
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Kingston, Jamaica - October 30, 2025: Aftermath of Hurricane Melissa in the Heart of Kingston
Blog
Adriana Navarro-Sertich
Beyond counting roofs: Why disaster recovery metrics shape the wrong outcomes
If we make destroyed homes the global measure of disaster impact, we risk channelling resources toward the most visible part of recovery while neglecting the systems that make four walls and a roof actually livable.
A man in a reflective vest takes a break amidst hot weather
Blog
Kate Corby Flynn Lebus
Too hot to handle? Building resilience to extreme heat in the private sector
Gaining a better understanding of emerging risks, such as extreme heat, allows us to gather insights about the effects they will have on businesses, and the insurance coverage they will likely need in future.
Group of traditional indian women wearing colorful saree join hands with each other.
Blog
Sanjay Kumar Srivastava
Building community resilience from the ground up
Operating extensively in flood- and climate-vulnerable districts, JEEViKA demonstrates how livelihoods programmes, when rooted in community institutions, can double as platforms for disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation.
Busy streets of Kingston Jamaica at downtown coronation market
Blog
Ruth C. White
Why mental health is core to disaster risk reduction
As DRR frameworks increasingly recognize the importance of mental health in preparedness and recovery, there are some policy actions that can be taken to strengthen the resilience of individuals and communities.
Shinjuku area in Tokyo, full of shopping malls, electrical appliance stores, fashion stores, second-hand goods, and restaurants. It is the largest night entertainment area in Japan
Blog
Patrick Cadwell
Japan’s changing DRR policy discourse and what it means for inclusion
The last two decades in Japan reveal a steady increase in the language of inclusion, and a more detailed consideration of how to engage foreign nationals in DRR. There is a lot of good to take away from this more inclusive DRR policy in Japan.
A group of people walk trought the heat along the Makeni highway in Sierra Leone
Blog
Pious Mannah
Translating risk into local languages: lessons from Sierra Leone
The blog highlights how overcoming language and literacy barriers through translation, audio tools and gamified learning has strengthened inclusive disaster risk communication and community resilience in Sierra Leone.
Woman with white umbrella waiting signal for cross walk during rain in the evening.
Blog
Ilan Kelman
Can risk be managed without measuring it?
Many risks require measurement for management. Just not all of them.
Children in Colombia colouring in COPE Disaster Champion books
Blog
Martha Keswick Lina Suárez
Empowering children with free DRR materials: COPE Disaster Champions, 10 years in the making
In each of the COPE books, the squad heads off on missions to disaster-prone areas to teach other kids how to be ready for disasters, how to become agents of change in their communities and deliver a clear key DRR message.