ON Thursday, October 13, Guyana will join the rest of the world in observing International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. This year, the spotlight is on youths, aiming at ‘ Making Children & Youth Partners in Disaster Risk Reduction …’
What is Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)?
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyse and reduce the causal factors of disasters. It involves reducing exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment and improving preparedness for adverse events. DRR aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as deal with the environmental and other hazards that trigger them.
Disasters often follow natural hazards and their severity depends on how much impact a hazard has on society and the environment. The scale of the impact in turn depends on the choices we make for our lives and for our environment. These choices relate to how we grow our food, where and how we build our homes, what kind of government we have, how our financial system works and even what we teach in schools. Each decision and action makes us more vulnerable to disasters – or more resilient to them.
Disaster risk reduction is everyone’s business.
“The more governments, UN agencies, organizations, businesses and civil society understand risk and vulnerability, the better equipped they will be to mitigate disasters when they strike and save more lives.” Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General

Disaster risk reduction is also part of sustainable development. In order for development activities to be sustainable they must also reduce disaster risk. On the other hand, unsound development policies will increase disaster risk and losses from disaster. DRR therefore involves every part of society, every part of government, and every part of the professional and private sector.
It is often said that there is no such thing as a ‘natural’ disaster, only natural hazards. When a community is affected by flood, for example, we think of it as a disaster and something we cannot control. We may not be able to stop a flood from happening through heavy rainfall, but could we have prevented the waters from getting into our homes? Could our buildings have been built in a way that water would not get in easily? Could our drains have been litter-free so that the water could drain off easily? Is the area particularly low and easily flooded? If so, should we have built there in the first place?
Disaster risk reduction is about understanding our personal and environmental risks and finding ways to reduce this risk so that we are not affected by them, or be able to bounce back quickly if they do affect us.
Disasters do not have to happen; we can all do something to reduce our risk!
Making Youth Partners for Disaster Risk Reduction …
Effective risk management must involve those most at risk and often children are overlooked. Children are often portrayed as victims of disaster and climate change.  However, children can and should be encouraged to participate in disaster risk reduction and decision making. This year’s DRR theme, therefore, seeks to bring attention to children and their potential for valuable contribution to disasters.

The rationale guiding the 2011 International Disaster Risk Reduction Day (IDRRD) is as follows:
·    Natural hazards are increasing and while more and more people suffer from the related catastrophes, children are among the most traumatized as their ability to cope with unexpected and painful interruptions to their regular schedules is still not fully developed. Some 66 million children are affected by disasters every year.

·    Youths are tomorrow’s decision makers and it is essential to include the unique perspectives of children and young people in disaster risk reduction.

Youths as a group will kick start a process that aims to create social demand for DRR between 2011 and 2015 by:

·    Stimulating bottom up community participation in the DRR process;
·    Changing perceptions and current thinking about DRR;
·    Changing expectations and behaviour;
·    Complementing and critiquing ongoing top down efforts in DRR to date;
·    Empowering communities and individuals to take charge of their own DRR.

IDRRD 2011 is part of a broader unfolding strategy to involve more people in DRR initiatives. Each year “The Step UP” initiative will focus on a different group of partners – women – in 2012, the elderly – 2013 and the disabled – 2014. The VOICES and key contributions of the different groups will be finally “heard” during two main upcoming events: the next Global platform on DRR in June 2013 and next World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan in 2015. Youth will also be given a place at the RIO Plus 20 in June 2012.

An exhibition focusing on children and youth will be held at the Sophia Exhibition Site, Annex Building on Thursday, October 13, 2011. The Exhibition which is a collaboration of Stakeholders, will begin at 10:00hrs with an Opening Ceremony which will feature the message from the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon. There will also be interesting presentations from key stakeholders including the Guyana Red Cross Society and Dr. Roger Luncheon – National Disaster Coordinator.

The Exhibition, will adopt a youth friendly approach through the use of interactive materials including games and activities that augur well for youth oriented education. It will include videos, audio, models, and a variety of informative material and will go until 17:30hr. Equipment such as solar cookers, search and rescue equipment, radios, radar phones, rugged laptops, GPSs, plotter and other exhibits will also be added attractions.

For additional information on Disaster Risk Reduction, contact can be made with the Civil Defence Commission(CDC) at Thomas Road, Thomas Lands, Georgetown on Telephone numbers:  226-1114, 226-8815, 225-5847 0r 226-1027 or visit the website at www.cdc.gy
You can share ideas and questions by sending your letters to: ‘Our Earth, Our Environment’, C/o EIT Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email eit.epaguyana@gmail.com