Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), Awantipora, on Tuesday observed the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2026 through its Centre for Disaster Risk Reduction, with speakers stressing household preparedness, community awareness and the need to build resilience before a disaster strikes.
The programme was held under the theme “Resilience Starts at Home,” which underlines the role of individuals and families in responding effectively to emergencies and in limiting loss of life and damage to property and infrastructure. The observance, marked every year on October 13 under the banner of the United Nations, seeks to promote a global culture of risk awareness and reduction.
Dr Farooq Hussain Bhat, Dean, School of Sciences, chaired the event, while Dr Irfan Maqbool, Coordinator of the Centre for Disaster Risk Reduction, coordinated the proceedings. Dr Qazi Qamar Iqbal Qari, Dean, School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics, and Dr Ruheela Hassan Sheikh, Dean Outreach, were also present, along with faculty members and students.
Speakers pointed to the growing vulnerability of communities to natural hazards and said disaster management must go beyond emergency response and relief. Advance planning, risk assessment, public awareness and preventive measures, they said, are equally essential, and their absence often determines how severe the consequences of a hazard turn out to be.
The speakers emphasised that households are frequently the first line of defence in an emergency, since families are on the spot well before organised help can arrive. They underlined the need for families to identify potential hazards in and around their homes, plan safe evacuation routes, maintain emergency supplies and acquire the knowledge needed to respond promptly to unforeseen situations. For a region like Kashmir, which lies in a seismically active zone and has repeatedly faced floods, landslides and fires, such preparedness is far from theoretical.
The programme also highlighted the part that educational institutions, government agencies, disaster management experts and local communities must play together. Awareness drives, training, research and coordinated action, the speakers noted, are the foundation on which durable preparedness is built, and universities with dedicated disaster research centres are well placed to supply the evidence and the trained manpower such efforts require.
The observance concluded with an emphasis on sustained awareness initiatives, community participation and collaborative efforts to strengthen disaster resilience and to safeguard lives, property and infrastructure. Participants were urged to carry the message beyond the campus into their homes and neighbourhoods, so that preparedness becomes a routine habit rather than a response reserved for moments of crisis.
