Every year, shocks, disasters and hazards—such as earthquakes, floods, pandemics and landslides—lead to thousands of avoidable deaths. Information shared at the right time and in an understandable way by trusted sources can save countless lives and help keep people safe.

There are many different steps individuals and families can take to prepare and stay safe in the face of disasters, such as:

• Deciding on a family preparedness plan
• Identifying evacuation routes in the building and neighbourhood
• Knowing to turn the electricity off in the event of flooding
• Remembering to check on older people in a heat wave

In a changing climate, with increased risks of extreme weather and disasters, the public will need to have an even greater awareness of the risks they face and what they can do to be prepared.

These concise and practical messages, which draw upon the IFRC and Save the Children’s long history of helping communities build their resilience, are a tool to help communities do just that.