13 October 2026 | Ecosphere News
Kathmandu: The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is urging households, communities, governments and the private sector to strengthen disaster preparedness and invest in safer homes as the world marks the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) on 13 October 2026, under the theme “Resilience Starts at Home.”
The campaign highlights the importance of preparing for disasters before they occur, emphasizing that resilience begins with informed families, safe housing, reliable early-warning systems and practical emergency plans.
According to UNDRR, housing accounts for 43 per cent of reported direct economic losses from disasters, underscoring the urgent need to make homes safer and more resilient. The loss or destruction of a home can also displace families, interrupt livelihoods, disrupt access to essential services and undermine people's physical and psychological well-being.
The international observance calls attention to the role of household preparedness alongside stronger housing policies, risk-informed land-use planning, resilient construction standards and public investment in disaster risk reduction.
Household preparedness can save lives
UNDRR's household preparedness guidance emphasizes that having emergency supplies is important, but preparedness involves much more than simply packing an emergency bag. Families need to understand the hazards they face, receive trusted warnings, safeguard important documents and agree on what to do when an emergency occurs.
A household disaster preparedness kit should include essential supplies to support family members for at least three days, including:
Safe drinking water: Approximately four litres per person per day, where feasible, with additional water for specific needs.
Food: Non-perishable, long-lasting food and supplies appropriate for household members.
Medicines and first aid: Essential prescribed medicines and a basic first-aid kit.
Communication and lighting: A battery-powered radio, spare batteries, a charged mobile phone, a power bank and a flashlight.
Important documents: Identification papers, key records, emergency contact details and copies of relevant documents kept in a safe, accessible and preferably waterproof location.
Families should also prepare an evacuation route and identify a safe meeting point in case members become separated. Plans should take account of children, older people, persons with disabilities and household pets.
From warnings to action
Receiving a warning does not automatically guarantee safety. People must understand the message, know which actions to take and have the resources and confidence to respond quickly.
New findings highlighted by UNDRR on 13 October 2026 from the Lloyd's Register Foundation's World Risk Poll 2026 illustrate this gap. Among people who had experienced a disaster and received an advance warning, 27 per cent of those with neither a household disaster plan nor confidence in their ability to protect their families were able to act on the warning. This rose to 83 per cent among those who had both a plan and confidence in their ability to respond.
The findings underline the value of family discussions, evacuation planning, preparedness drills and access to understandable, timely and trusted risk information.
A shared responsibility for safer homes
The 2026 campaign also stresses that household preparedness must be supported by wider institutional action. Families cannot reduce every disaster risk on their own, particularly when they lack the financial resources, secure land, adequate housing or access to reliable information needed to protect themselves.
Governments have a crucial role in ensuring that homes are built in safer locations, enforcing disaster-resilient building standards, improving early-warning systems and supporting vulnerable communities. The private sector, civil society and local institutions can also contribute through resilient construction, public awareness, technical support and investment in risk reduction.
For disaster-prone countries such as Nepal, where communities face multiple hazards, including earthquakes, floods, landslides and extreme weather, household preparedness needs to be complemented by effective early-warning systems, safer infrastructure, community-level planning and coordinated disaster response.
The message of this year's International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is clear: preparedness begins at home, but building resilience requires collective action. A well-prepared household, supported by safer housing and reliable public systems, can reduce avoidable losses and help communities recover more effectively when disasters strike.
