Empowering youth for a disaster risk reduction future

Businesses of all shapes and sizes are ideally placed to inspire and educate young people in their communities about disaster preparedness and building resilience.

Young workers, those new to the workforce and work experience candidates can all be effective agents of change in their communities. By including them in conversations and planning supports them sharing their new-found knowledge and capabilities through their own networks.

This year’s theme for the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) 2024, which falls on 13 October, is: Empowering the next generation for a resilient future.

The IDDRR raises awareness around the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s goal through its Sendai Framework of reducing global disaster risks and losses.

While the theme is mainly focused on school-aged children, at Resilient Ready we recognise it’s just as important to build risk reduction capabilities in those transitioning into the workforce – on a full-time, part-time or casual basis.

By training younger staff members and including them in disaster preparedness and planning we are fostering a future culture of disaster prevention.

Young workers bring their own unique lens to disaster preparation, planning and recovery with their access to age and interest-based social networks, and connecting otherwise disparate groups, which may differ to that of older employers and coworkers.

Enabling young workers to build all-hazards preparedness in their everyday business as usual practices contributes to local, national and international wellbeing.

Young people can be uniquely impacted during disasters with the loss of social networks and the importance of social connection on their health and wellbeing.

By recognising the unique perspectives and networks young people bring to their communities, businesses can not only better support them during times of crisis but involve them in their own preparation and recovery in a way that is also beneficial to the wider community.

Resilient Ready is a social enterprise delivering innovative solutions to enable every organisation to thrive before, during and after disasters. To keep updated on news and current projects, sign up to our newsletter.