Porto marks the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) 2025
Ribeira area of Porto, including Fontainhas and the riverside route between Luís I Bridge and Praça do Cubo.
The Serviço Municipal de Proteção Civil do Porto (SMPC Porto) marked the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) 2025 with an in-person awareness-raising and educational activity held in Porto's historic riverside area. The initiative brought together approximately 50 students from the Escola Profissional Raul Dória, aiming to strengthen their understanding of local risk contexts, including flood response and slope stabilization measures, as well as the safeguarding of classified built heritage.
Participants were divided into two groups to facilitate mobility in the public space, ensuring that all students engaged with both key thematic components: (i) technical measures for slope and escarpment stabilization in the Fontainhas area and (ii) civil protection operations and risk mitigation measures along the Ribeira riverfront, between Luís I Bridge and Praça do Cubo.
Expected outcomes
- Strengthen participants' knowledge and awareness of local risk contexts;
- Promote understanding of civil protection measures for flood response and slope stabilization;
- Encourage active citizenship and engagement in disaster risk reduction;
- Foster a culture of prevention and resilience at the community level.
This initiative aligns with the 2025 IDDRR global theme - "Invest in Resilience, Not in Disasters" - by showcasing how preparedness, prevention, and targeted investment in local resilience strategies can protect lives, heritage, and critical infrastructure. It contributes to advancing the overarching objectives of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) by translating global principles into concrete local action.