Fostering disaster preparedness awareness among the young generation

In response to the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and the 2025 ASEAN Disaster Management Day, the Viet Nam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF Vietnam), organized the “Golden bell challenge: Together with children in disaster prevention - Building a sustainable future” competition for secondary and high school students at Nguyen Tat Thanh School (Hanoi National University of Education).

Opening the competition, Ms. Doan Thi Tuyet Nga, Head of the International Cooperation Department at the Viet Nam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority, emphasized that natural disasters remain one of humanity’s greatest challenges to sustainable development. She highlighted that investing in today’s youth is the most solid foundation for a safe and sustainable future, as equipping the younger generation with comprehensive knowledge of disaster prevention and response is an investment in the resilience of the entire community.

“The competition provides an engaging and educational platform for students to learn about disaster prevention and climate change adaptation in an accessible and vivid way. Through questions related to disaster preparedness, students can enhance their awareness and response skills, enabling them to protect themselves and assist their families and friends during emergencies.

I hope that the positive impact of this competition will further encourage greater attention from authorities, schools, and communities toward disaster prevention efforts, thereby helping to build a resilient and disaster-adaptive society,” she said.

At the final round, Ly Phat Viet Linh, Program Manager for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction at UNICEF Vietnam, shared the message: today’s competition is not just about answering questions, but an opportunity for students to “ring the bell of knowledge, readiness, and action!”

“The competition is held to coincide with the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (October 13), carrying the message Fund resilience, not disaster - invest in building strength before disasters strike rather than just responding to them. This is also the shared vision that UNICEF and Vietnam are pursuing: to cultivate ‘strong roots’ for the future.

UNICEF is committed to working alongside the government, teachers, and students to improve the curriculum and equip children with the knowledge and skills they need to protect themselves, assist others during disasters, and better adapt to climate change while safeguarding the environment. In addition, we aim to create safer and greener schools - spaces where children can learn and play with peace of mind. Most importantly, we always listen to the voices of children, because they are not only those who need protection but also capable of protecting others,” Mr. Linh emphasized.

After answering 20 questions, the organizers awarded the First Prize to Nguyen Thao Nhi, a student of class 6A5; the Second Prize to Le Nhat Huy, a student of class 8A; and the Third Prize to Nguyen Le Huu Nguyen, a student of class 6A5. In addition, the organizers presented 10 consolation prizes to other students and three group awards: the class with the most enthusiastic supporters (6A5), the class with the most impressive cheering (6A7), and the class with the friendliest supporters (6A4).

Since 2009, the United Nations General Assembly has designated October 13 each year as the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has also marked this date as ASEAN Disaster Management Day, reinforcing a strong call for the entire community to take action in building a safer society against disasters.

The theme for this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is “Invest in resilience to reduce disaster risk.” It serves as a decisive call to action, urging a shift in mindset: invest in building resilience now to protect communities and avoid incurring enormous costs in mitigating the impacts of future disasters.