Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare stressed that disasters are not merely acts of nature but often the result of human choices. 

Dr. Ngurare was speaking during the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction in the capital.

The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is a day aimed at promoting a global culture of disaster preparedness and resilience. 

The Prime Minister urged all sectors of government and the private sector to mainstream disaster risk reduction into their plans and budgets.

"Your participation and contributions are not just desirable but indispensable to reducing vulnerability, protecting livelihoods, and securing sustainable development for our country and all its citizens. As a country, we are headed on a great trajectory – that of empowering and capacitating our communities and institutions to mitigate the short- and long-term impacts of calamities in our midst."

Ngurare emphasised the importance of practical actions to enhance readiness, like ensuring that every household has a fire extinguisher and every village has a borehole.

 The Mayor of the City of Windhoek, Ndeshihafela Larandja, reaffirmed their commitment to risk-informed action through the Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and Action Plan 2025-2030, which aims to make Windhoek a sustainable and disaster-resilient hub by 2030.

"We have identified clear actions, including the goal to effectively establish and operationalise the City of Windhoek disaster preparedness funds, ensuring sustainable funding is ring-fenced for DRR activities. We are also actively working to identify, establish and regulate a financial strategy to manage and allocate the necessary resources for implementing these priority actions. This investment strategy requires coherence across all stakeholders."

This year's commemoration was held under the theme "Fund Resilience, Not Disasters," highlighting the urgent need to invest in proactive disaster risk management.