The International Day for Disaster Reduction started in 1989 after a call by the UN General Assembly for a day to promote a global culture of disaster risk reduction. Held every 13 October, the International Day for Disaster Reduction celebrates how people and communities globally are reducing their exposure to disasters. It also raises awareness about the importance of mitigating the risks they face.

The UN’s International Strategy for Disaster Reduction[1] reflects a major shift from disaster response to disaster prevention as an integral component of sustainable development. The objective is to reduce human, social, economic and environmental losses due to natural hazards, climate change, environment and extreme weather conditions, as well as technological disasters.

The International Day for Disaster Reduction is an opportunity to acknowledge the substantial progress being made toward reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health, as well as in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries. Such an outcome is the aim of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction that was adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan in March 2015. Of its seven targets[2], 2017 focuses on Target B - reducing the number of people affected by disasters by 2030^[3].

CNVP is a leading international civil society organisation that is active in all six Balkan countries. It uses evidence-based analysis to improve the sustainable livelihoods of rural communities affected by the ongoing process of environmental and climate change. It seeks to build a greener economic environment and control the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, as well as improve the management of disaster risk reduction.

CNVP’s four core values focus on:

• Green - intervening to build a greener economic environment
• Clean - promoting renewable energy and improved waste management
• Seen - operating in the Balkans and the European Neighbourhood Space
• Lean - improving the efficiency of service delivery continuously and systematically

CNVP is looking to identify CSOs active in the European Neighbourhood Space, the Caucasus and Turkey with which it can cooperate to build a greener economic environment, including improved disaster risk reduction and management.