Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on the occasion of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025; October 13th.




As the climate crisis accelerates, disasters are multiplying and amplifying - devastating lives and livelihoods, erasing decades of development gains in an instant. The cost to the global economy is staggering: an estimated $2 trillion every year, when indirect costs are taken into account.

Yet funding to reduce repercussions remains dangerously low. Just 2% of development assistance and often less than 1% of government budgets are dedicated to disaster risk reduction. That's not just a gap - it is a miscalculation. Every dollar invested in resilient infrastructure in developing countries saves $4 when disasters strike.

The theme of this year's International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction reminds us of the imperative to fund resilience. Governments and donors must scale-up investments in disaster risk reduction. The public and private sectors must integrate risk into every decision - to reduce exposure and vulnerability to hazards. And resilience must be embedded into the foundations of development.

On this Day, let's commit to meet surging risk with a surge in funds, and build a safer and more equitable future for all.

António Guterres.
In French:
MESSAGE PUBLIÉ À L’OCCASION DE LA JOURNÉE INTERNATIONALE POUR LA RÉDUCTION DES RISQUES DE CATASTROPHE.
Location: 405 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017, USA

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