On October 13th, the international community celebrates the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR). This global initiative is led by the United Nations to raise awareness about reducing the risks and impacts of natural disasters. It aims to promote global collaboration in disaster prevention, preparedness, and resilience, encouraging nations and communities to adopt sustainable strategies to protect lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems. The day emphasizes the importance of proactive measures, risk-informed policies, and community resilience in reducing the human and economic toll of disasters, in line with the goals of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Mountains play a vital role in supplying fresh water and sustaining ecosystems, making them critical in the face of climate change. But the impacts of climate risks in mountain regions know no boundaries.

In a recent interview with the United Nations University Institute of Environment and Human Security, our researcher Paola Fontanella Pisa shares insights on how disaster risk reduction strategies need to be tailored to these unique and often vulnerable regions. She highlights the need for top-down and bottom-up approaches, blending global frameworks with local expertise, Indigenous knowledge, and the rich cultural heritage of mountain communities.

Learn more about the importance of mountain-specific disaster risk strategies and the role local communities play in building resilience.

Read the full article here: https://unu.edu/ehs/news/conversation-paola-fontanella-pisa-reducing-disaster-risks-mountain-areas