On 13 October, the United Nations Secretary-General issued a message for the International Day for Disaster Reduction, emphasizing that “traditional and indigenous knowledge is the indispensable information base for many societies seeking to live in harmony with nature and adapt to disruptive weather events, a warming globe and rising seas”.

In his message, the Secretary-General provided examples of such traditional knowledge from the Pacific, Africa and Arctic regions.

He highlighted that traditional knowledge can complement scientific knowledge in disaster risk management and help efforts to achieve the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals.

See the full statement here.