The 9th National symposium on disaster risk reduction and the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDRR) 2023

The IDDR celebrations in Kenya with be preceded by three days of a national DRR symposium on 9th ,11th and 12th of October 2023. 

This symposium brings together DRR practitioners, academia, local communities, UN system and others across the entire country to share their achievements, challenges, and innovations in implementing DRR measures at the national and local levels that support the growth of community resilience in Kenya. It is a great opportunity for delegates to network and exchange ideas of what works and what needs to be improved and on how best to do DRR. The National symposium will the then culminate into the National IDDR celebrations where DDR advocacy messages and the UN secretary message to world will be delivered.

Background

Kenya is vulnerable to natural hazards, including drought, floods, landslides, urban and forest fires, terrorism and fatal road accidents, with an estimated 3 to 4 million people being affected annually. The economic impacts of floods and droughts is estimated to create a fiscal liability equivalent to 2% to 2.4% of GDP each year on average. Rapid urbanization and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climate and severe weather events are further exacerbating the impacts of disasters in Kenya

The two main hazards dominating the Kenya’s disaster landscape are droughts and floods. Droughts have led to high mortality rate of livestock and wildlife thereby negatively impacting the economy, power rationing, water deficiency and, more significantly, the livelihoods of pastoral and agricultural communities

It is by invite only and open to the public to attend on the 13 October