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"Emergencies with Science" event held in Madrid on Monday, October 13, 2025.

Commemoration of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

By project VOLCAN staffPublished on

Members of the VOLCAN Project attended the event “Emergencies with Science” organized by the Scientific Advisory Group on Disasters and Emergencies (GADE) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). It was held on Monday, October 13, coinciding with the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) is celebrated every October 13 and originated from a 1989 United Nations (UN) initiative to raise awareness about the importance of preventing and reducing risks. This year, the IDDRR’s theme is “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters” highlighting that investing in prevention must be a priority to minimize the impact of natural hazards. On the official IDDRR website, several resources have been made available, such as an interactive game (Stop Disasters Game), which allows users to explore the cost of not investing in mitigation measures.

Furthermore, at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction conference, held in Geneva in June of this year and attended by Dr. Marta López on behalf of NRAMS, the importance of avoiding the term “natural disasters” was emphasized, since disasters are not natural as they can be avoided if countries prepare adequately before an emergency occurs.

Members of the Natural Risks Assessment Service (NRAMS) which form part of the VOLCAN Project commemorated IDDRR by attending the “Emergencies with Science” event organized by the Scientific Advisory Group on Disasters and Emergencies (GADE) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). For this reason, on October 13, we traveled to CSIC’s headquarters in Madrid. The event lasted the whole day, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and can be watched in full in this YouTube video.

Although the event mainly focused on how science can contribute in emergency situations caused by natural hazards (such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, or floods), special attention was also given to the importance of prevention and preparedness: that is, everything that can be done “in times of peace,” before an emergency occurs. In this regard, the following actions were highlighted:

  • The fundamental role of science in assessing potential impacts from natural hazards in a given area and reducing uncertainties.
  • The importance of communication and education for the general population.
  • The proper training of first responders (military forces, civil protection, humanitarian aid, firefighters, medical personnel, among others).
  • The importance of conducting drills as an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of the response by different teams.

In the event of emergencies, the following challenges were identified:

  • The diversity of administrative levels and the different ways of operating among autonomous communities.
  • Transforming identified lessons into learned lessons, for example, through concrete protocols or plans.
  • Facilitating practical and useful scientific communication for decision-making.

Our line of work at NRAMS also supports the development of scientific and technical analyses that generate useful tools for decision-making and proper planning before an emergency.