On the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction: "Resilience Starts at Home"

Published on October 13, 2026

Every year on October 13, the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) draws attention to the ways communities can reduce exposure and vulnerability to hazards. Established by the United Nations in 1989, the day provides an opportunity to consider how governments, communities, and professionals can strengthen preparedness and resilience before disasters occur. For its 2026 edition, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has selected "Resilience Starts at Home" as its theme, placing housing at the center of this year's campaign.

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The theme recognizes the home as both a primary site where disaster impacts are experienced and a starting point for building resilience. The location, design, construction, financing, and maintenance of housing can either reduce or create risk, while inadequate building standards and development in hazard-prone areas can increase the consequences of earthquakes, floods, extreme heat, and other events. The campaign calls for risk-informed land-use planning, resilient building codes, accessible early-warning systems, inclusive design, and greater investment in safe and affordable housing, while also emphasizing the roles of local communities, developers, construction companies, financiers, and households.

The focus comes amid another year of disasters affecting homes, infrastructure, and settlements around the world. In June, two major earthquakes struck northern Venezuela within seconds of one another, while four significant earthquakes occurred across Japan, Northern California, and Venezuela within a 36-hour period. In August, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Colombia damaged housing, healthcare and educational facilities, infrastructure, and historic architecture, while a glacier collapse in the Himalayas triggered flash floods that destroyed villages along the Nepal-Tibet border. These events highlight how the consequences of natural hazards are shaped not only by their intensity, but also by the resilience of the built environment and the preparedness of the communities living within it.

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At the scale of the home, resilience increasingly involves designing for environmental conditions that may be recurrent rather than exceptional. Elevated and amphibious structures can respond to seasonal flooding, while robust envelopes, passive cooling, fire-resistant materials, protected openings, and adaptable energy systems can help homes withstand extreme heat, storms, wildfires, power outages, and other disruptions. These approaches shift the focus from repairing or replacing damaged buildings toward anticipating hazards through decisions about site, structure, materials, and everyday domestic spaces.

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