Message on the International Day for Disaster Reduction

國際減災日致辭

13 October 2018

2018年10月13日

This year’s International Day for Disaster Reduction falls shortly after a devastating earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia showed yet again the urgency of resilience and risk-awareness.

今年的國際減災日恰逢印度尼西亞發生毀滅性的地震和海嘯之後不久，這一災難再次表明迫切需要具備復原力和風險意識。

Disasters have a steep human cost.

災害給人類造成巨大的損失。

Millions of people are displaced every year, losing their homes and jobs because of extreme weather events and earthquakes.

由於極端天氣事件和地震，每年有數百萬人流離失所，失去家園和工作。

However, not all countries report systematically on the economic losses from major disaster events, according to a new report prepared by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

然而，聯合國減少災害風險辦公室編寫的一份新報告顯示，並非所有國家都系統地報告重大災害事件造成的經濟損失。

This year’s International Day aims to highlight the need for Member States to improve data collection on disasters, including comprehensive accounting of economic losses.

今年的國際減災日旨在着重指出會員國需要改進災害數據收集，包括全面覈算經濟損失。

This is crucial for progress on crisis prevention.

這對取得預防危機的進展至關重要。

For example, a better understanding of the economic losses from extreme weather events can help to generate greater action on climate change and increased ambition on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

例如，更清楚地瞭解極端天氣事件造成的經濟損失，有助於在氣候變化問題上採取更大的行動，並增強減少溫室氣體排放的雄心。

Measuring economic losses can also motivate governments to do more to achieve the targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which seeks a substantial reduction in disaster losses by 2030.

衡量經濟損失還可以促使各國政府做出更多努力，實現《仙台減少災害風險框架》的各項目標，該框架旨在到2030年大幅度減少災害損失。

Reducing the economic losses from disasters has the power to transform lives and contribute greatly to the eradication of poverty.

減輕災害造成的經濟損失使人們有能力改變生活，爲消除貧窮做出巨大貢獻。

As we mark the International Day for Disaster Reduction, let us reaffirm our commitment to this vital endeavour.

在我們紀念國際減災日之際，讓我們再次承諾開展這一重要努力。​​​​