UNDRR announces "Resilience Starts at Home" as the theme for the 2026 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

Of all physical assets impacted by disasters, nothing is more personal than one’s home. It is where we sleep, care for families, and build our daily lives. At the same time, households are the smallest unit of society, where everyday decisions influence how well people can anticipate, withstand and recover from disaster risks. 

To bring this reality to the global stage, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) today announced that the theme for the 2026 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), observed on 13 October, will be “Resilience Starts at Home.” 

Rooted in the people-centred focus of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, the theme underscores that home is both where disasters are most acutely felt and where resilience must begin. Globally, disasters damage or destroy millions of homes each year, displacing families and deepening poverty. Yet resilient housing is achievable, and the choices that determine whether homes are safe involve every level of society.

Governments play a central role in setting risk-informed land-use plans, enforcing building standards, and ensuring that risk information reaches all communities. The private sector shapes where and how homes are built, financed and insured, while households themselves are key agents of their resilience when equipped with the knowledge and resources to act, from understanding local hazards to knowing what to do when a warning is issued.

The theme also highlights the importance of addressing inequalities and strengthening household preparedness, including ensuring that early warnings reach everyone at risk and that people know what early actions to take.

We invite partners worldwide to amplify these messages and share examples of how people, governments and the private sector are strengthening resilience at home. We especially welcome stories that make resilience visible, illustrated with photos and videos, and ask that you tag them with the hashtags #ResilienceStartsAtHome and #DRRDay. Campaign materials, official statements, videos, logos and social media assets will be available at the IDDRR website in the coming months.