concern_universal_drr_policy_note_v1.1_oct10

Concern Universal Disaster Risk Reduction Policy Note October 2010

A summary of Concern Universal’s global experience and lessons learned on community-managed disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation work.

Photo: The impact of river erosion in Bangladesh: a woman carrying the last remains of her house as she is forced to evacuate because of river erosion (by Monirul Alam)

Concern Universal DRR Policy Note, October 2010 – Version 1.1

Contents 1. Overview and Key Recommendations ................................................................. 3 2. Context .................................................................................................................... 4

3. Guiding principles behind good DRR planning ................................................... 6 3.1 Community owned and managed ...................................................................... 6 Case Study - Reducing conflict-related disaster risks in Senegal ................................... 7 3.2 Disaster resilient infrastructure ......................................................................... 7 Case Study – Disaster resilient water and sanitation in Bangladesh ............................... 9

3.3 Sustainable livelihoods ..................................................................................... 10 Case study – Integrating livelihoods and DRR in Malawi .............................................. 10 3.4 Partnership and co-operation .......................................................................... 11 Case Study – Supporting government DDR planning in Malawi ................................... 12

3.5 Seeing disasters as long term and recurrent .................................................. 12 Case Study - Integrating emergency response with long-term recovery, Ghana .......... 14 3.6 Gender and young people ................................................................................ 14

Case Study – Capacity Development in The Gambia ................................................... 15 3.7 Advocacy and lobbying to enhance effectiveness. ........................................ 16

Case Study – Using advocacy as a tool for improving DRR work, Guinea.................... 17 Annex 1: Number of natural disasters registered in EMDAT, 1900 - 2005 .................... 18

Annex 2: Concern Universal‟s programme response to specific disasters .................... 19

Photo: Disaster resilient water pump and toilet block in Bangladesh


1. OVERVIEW AND KEY RECOMMENDATIONS „More effective prevention strategies would save not only tens of billions of dollars, but

save tens of thousands of lives.‟1 – Kofi Annan

„€1 spent on mitigation typically saves €4-10 in the cost of recovering from disaster‟2

Concern Universal has channelled €8.8million towards 31 disaster risk reduction (DRR) projects in Africa and Asia over the past three years. These projects have been funded by Concern Universal’s own resources and with funds from AusAid, Cordaid, DIPECHO, ECHO, Irish Aid, Oxfam America, UMCOR, and USAID/OFDA. All of these projects have had a major impact on the lives of the most vulnerable people in countries that struggle to cope with sudden on-set and long term disasters.

In the last two years Concern Universal has:

provided emergency relief to 69,892 people.

worked with 270,192 people to reduce vulnerability to disasters.

improved food security for 241,472 people.

improved health of 1,952,994 people including disaster resilient WASH.

Concern Universal has worked for many years at the interface of humanitarian and long-term development work. Concern Universal’s experience shows that the two are inextricably linked and should rarely be thought of in isolation. Effective humanitarian work deals first and foremost with immediate, life-saving needs. However, when seen in the lens of longer term development it can also enable people to rebuild lives and livelihoods in such a way that they will be less vulnerable to future disasters. Long term development work can also strengthen community capacity to respond to disasters.

Concern Universal’s disaster risk reduction work is guided by the principles and objectives of the Hyogo Framework, understanding that DRR and long-term development must work hand in hand. Based on the Hyogo principles and CU’s own programming experience, section three outlines the seven key guiding principles behind good DRR programme planning. In summary these are:

1. Disaster risk reduction must be community managed 2. Development programmes working in disaster prone areas must ensure that all

infrastructure is disaster resilient 3. Sustainable livelihoods are a key part of DRR work and should be prioritised 4. Working in partnership and with co-operation of a range of stakeholders will

improve the sustainability of DRR work. 5. Programmes need to ensure stakeholders see disasters as long term and

recurrent and that promoting DRR is an investment for the future. 6. DRR programmes must be gender sensitive and include a communications

(awareness raising) strategy that will work with young people 7. Incorporating advocacy and lobbying in to DRR work will enhance

effectiveness.

1 Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General 1997 – 2006

2 Twigg et al., 2002


2. CONTEXT In the past two decades, on average, more than 200 million people have been affected every year by disasters3. The total number of disasters reported rose from 73 in 1975 to about 440 in 2007. The number of climatic disasters has almost tripled, from 1280 between 1978 and 1987 to 3435 between 1998 and 20074. Disasters increasingly threaten large parts of the world’s economy and undermine development gains. Disasters are both natural (e.g. earthquakes/ volcanoes) and anthropogenic (e.g. nuclear accident). But in some cases it is difficult to distinguish the two, for example where the incidence of extreme weather events has increased due to anthropogenic climate change. While the number and intensity of disasters fluctuates considerably from year to year, the long term trend is clear: an increasing number of disasters, especially extreme weather events (See Annex 1). The recent floods in Pakistan have highlighted once again the devastation caused by such events, and the need for improved measures to reduce disaster risk. Disasters do not just happen. To a large extent they result from failures of development that increase or ignore vulnerability to hazard events. The impact of disasters can be reduced, and in some instances even prevented, by supporting people’s ability to resist hazard impacts (See Annex 2 for details of Concern Universal’s response to reducing likelihood and impact of disasters). Climate change research has reinforced a shift in disaster management: from response and recovery with a short-term view, towards awareness, preparedness and risk reduction with a long-term, integrated outlook (i.e. to an increased emphasis on disaster risk reduction programmes). Good DRR happens well before disasters strike, but also continues after a disaster, building resilience to future hazards. Risk reduction efforts can promote poverty reduction by helping people avoid the impoverishing effects of disasters. In order to support communities’ ability to resist hazard impacts, human vulnerability and its longer-term societal impacts need to move centre-stage in all approaches to disasters. The sudden dramatic onset of many disasters and the urgent international activity to provide emergency relief commands the attention of the international media for only a few days. However, the consequences of disasters last much longer and are more poignantly measured in isolation – lives lost, livelihoods disrupted, property destroyed and environments damaged. These losses impede human development and often erode previously hard-won individual and national accomplishments. They also compromise current and future resources upon which societies and future generations depend. Disaster reduction policies and measures need to be implemented with a two-fold aim: to enable societies to be resilient to natural hazards and ensuring that development efforts do not increase vulnerability to those hazards5.

3 Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015

4 EC Strategy supporting DRR

5 Living with risk – focus on disaster risk reduction, UN


Disasters can be avoided. There are ways to reduce risks and to limit impacts, for example by addressing the root causes of people’s vulnerability and increasing their capacity to cope. DRR comprises preparedness, mitigation and prevention. It aims to enhance resilience to disasters and is underpinned by knowledge about how to manage risk, build capacity, and make use of information and communication technology and earth observation tools. Effective DRR can reduce the loss of life and property6. While short-term, high-impact events like earthquakes and cyclones are especially deadly, the more hidden impact of long-term or chronic disasters, such as drought or repeated flooding, should not be underestimated. Concern Universal has considerable experience in responding to such disasters, and in supporting communities to reduce their vulnerability. Climate change is likely to lead to a continuous increase of frequency and intensity of natural disasters worldwide. This will exhaust the external capacity to support those affected. Given this, Concern Universal advocates for an urgent increase of support to communities to prepare and manage their own responses through disaster risk reduction, in particular supporting communities to develop their own Community Risk Assessments (CRA) and Action Plans.

Photo: Courtyard DRR awareness meeting in Bangladesh.

6 DFID 2006: Reducing the Risk of Disasters


3. GUIDING PRINCIPLES BEHIND GOOD DRR PLANNING

Concern Universal’s DRR work is guided by the principles and objectives of the Hyogo Framework, understanding that DRR and long-term development must work hand in hand. This section outlines the seven key guiding principles behind good DRR programme planning that have been developed through the implementation of Concern Universal’s disaster risk reduction programmes.

3.1 Community owned and managed No matter how fast or efficient disaster response is, it will be community members themselves who will be on the frontline of disasters and have to respond first to disasters. It is therefore crucial that DRR focuses on strengthening community capacity. The support of outside organisations, including NGOs, is important but DRR needs to be sustained by communities themselves with external actors remaining as facilitators. There is an urgent need to invest more in community-based approaches to DRR; supporting communities to carry out their own risk assessments and make their own DRR and management plans. This is by far the most cost-effective and sustainable approach to DRR. One of the key criticisms of humanitarian assistance is that it is too focused on short-term relief. Assistance is often provided in the immediate aftermath of a conflict or disaster and is designed to save people’s lives by providing basic resources such as food, water and shelter. However, the problem remains that humanitarian relief too often does nothing to address the causes of suffering of those whom it is intended to help7. When assistance comes from external sources it rarely builds on the capacities and capabilities of those involved. This is something that is at the forefront of Concern Universal’s approach to disaster response. If relief is not built on the capabilities and the community’s ability to survive it can result in dependency, particularly if those requiring assistance are internally displaced people (IDPs) or refugees, as they often are displaced with few possessions, assets or access to their previous livelihood. Many organisations now highlight the importance of building on local capacities to build resilient communities and have started to use the term Community Managed DRR (CMDRR)8. Their knowledge and expertise, such as appropriate, locally designed early warning systems, are essential elements in increasing resilience against the risk of disaster. DRR programmes need to build up people’s confidence in their own capabilities, encourage people to understand how difficult decisions are made and priorities chosen, and most importantly, allow local communities to have ownership over their own development. To be effective, knowledge must be presented in a way that relates to

7 Anderson, 1993:23

8 Towards a resilient future (Cordaid 2009).


local conditions and customs with a whole community approach ensuring inclusion of vulnerable groups in planning and implementing activities.

Case Study - Reducing conflict-related disaster risks in Senegal Conflict has been simmering in the Casamance region of Senegal since 1990. In recent years thousands of people have been displaced over the border into The Gambia, where they create additional pressure on already very limited community resources. Concern Universal has implemented a number of projects focused on brokering long term peace-building and practical support, aiming to reduce the risk of disasters relating to the ongoing conflict in Casamance. Concern Universal and partner NGOs have facilitated peace building discussions in 97 villages with members of rebel groups. Over 10,000 community members and 305 rebels have attended these meetings which have built up trust between the communities, rebel groups and refugees wanting to move back to the Casamance region. As a result of the peace building work between the different groups 300 people have returned home to the Casamance region. A ‘no-go’ zone that was previously closed due to fighting is now open. And one of the former presidents of Concern Universal local partner CADP has been elected as President of the Communaute Rurale as a result of his promotion of peace and development work. The peace-building DRR work has also renewed access to almost 350 hectares of farmland both for commercial and subsistence farming, which had previously been closed by the rebel groups. Almost 800 women now have access to land for subsistence and commercial farming (previously, mostly men had access to land for this purpose). Household income has increased between 30-40% for these women. 435 men and women are now involved in income generating activities such as beekeeping and vegetable production through Concern Universal projects. Concern Universal has learnt that actions which change the mindset towards the fighting are a prerequisite to development and peaceful co-existence in the Casamance. Working through local partners, enabling them to organise meetings and negotiations between communities and the rebels, has been crucial in providing a background for further peace building and DRR. As a result of the trust that Concern Universal and partners have gained from the government, civil society and rebels, Concern Universal has become known as a neutral negotiator and facilitator that has been able to reduce conflict.

3.2 Disaster resilient infrastructure Many parts of the world are now vulnerable to periodic and regular natural disasters that occur on an annual or semi-annual basis. Although humanitarian responses to disasters are often short term, with only the largest getting attention in the international media, the suffering caused by disasters, especially to livelihoods, lasts long after the initial shock.


Areas that suffer from chronic flooding, droughts and cyclones will often only just be recovering from one disaster before another one strikes, or in some cases may have to deal with multiple disasters at the same time. This is the case in Bangladesh which is highly vulnerable to disasters and frequently suffers from devastating floods, cyclones and storm surges, tornadoes, riverbank erosion, and drought. In countries like Bangladesh the suffering caused by disasters is made greater, and more systemic, by the destruction of infrastructure that was not built to withstand disasters. Although many rural areas have cyclone shelters, flooding still causes widespread damage to housing, water points and sanitation facilities. This has a serious economic impact on vulnerable communities and significantly increases the risk of disease spreading in the aftermath of a disaster. To tackle this serious problem Concern Universal is promoting the concept and practice of disaster-resilient water and sanitation in Bangladesh. Through the use of simple and cost effective designs, as well as appropriate siting, water points and latrines can be made disaster-resilient. The designs can often be incorporated in to technological approaches that are appropriate for rural areas. For example, Concern Universal has had success in designing and implementing earth stabilised raised pit step latrines which are flood proof and water sealed and can be installed at very little extra cost by local artisans. Concern Universal and local partner DAM have also designed tubewells with raised platforms and combined platforms. As well as these community and household level watsan facilities Concern Universal has pioneered shelter based integrated water and sanitation facilities to ensure that latrines are available within shelters above the ground floor and will be operational during flooding.


Case Study – Disaster resilient water and sanitation in Bangladesh

Satu (14) has already experienced two major cyclones and seen the damage they cause to homes and water sources in her village. Seeing that women and girls experienced harassment in the cyclone shelter, and discrimination in the distribution of relief, with the support of Concern Universal she became a member of her Union Disaster Management Committee (UDMC). The UDMC is a powerful advocate for the rights of women in disasters and has lobbied local government to ensure that cyclone shelters are safe for women and are built with disaster resilient water and sanitation facilities. The UDMC has also led community forum discussion groups on DRR, contributed to door to door and school awareness campaigns, and ensured that gender protection is included in the community action plan. Since December 2007 Concern Universal has installed 1095 DR water points and 987 DR latrines, benefitting around 554,000 disaster-threatened people, and about 80,000 school students on a regular basis. Concern Universal has mobilised 1000 NGOs, government departments, UN agencies and donors to join together and commit to installing disaster-resilient water and sanitation facilities in all future work. In July 2010 Concern Universal and local partner DAM secured a commitment from the Bangladeshi Minister for Primary and Mass Education to include DRR in the nationwide non-formal primary education programme, a significant achievement that will directly benefit pupils in 82,000 primary schools9. CU, together with local partner organisation DAM, have also developed a website illustrating the options available and their benefit (see http://www.watsanbd.info for more details)10

Photos: Satu (in blue) advocating for the rights of women at her Union DMC

9 PreventionWeb (2010). Bangladesh to include DRR in education programme. Online article at

http://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/news/v.php?id=14717&a=email 10

Key sources: Community Perspectives on Water and Sanitation: Towards ‘Disaster Risk Reduction’ (DRR), CU Bangladesh (2008), Bangladesh: Environment and Climate Change: Understanding the science, impacts and adaptation CU Bangladesh (2009), For Life: Disaster Preparedness in Bangladesh, CU Bangladesh (2007), Coping Mechanism for Disaster, CU Bangladesh (2008), Disaster Friendly Water and Sanitation Technology: An Introduction, Dhaka Ahsania Mission (CU partner) (2009)

http://www.watsanbd.info/

http://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/news/v.php?id=14717&a=email


3.3 Sustainable livelihoods Improving sustainable livelihoods should be a major consideration within DRR projects because development projects need to enable communities to be self-reliant. DRR reduces dependency on external assistance by building capacity and co-operation within communities. Encouraging the development of sustainable livelihoods within DRR work ensures that communities are able to develop coping mechanisms for their livelihoods so that can withstand disaster shocks. The need to re-focus the provision of humanitarian assistance through a ‘development lens’ viewing it not as ‘charity’ but as an investment in the maintenance of human and social capital is a key reason for the need for more emphasis on sustainable livelihoods within DRR11. As the case study below exemplifies, Concern Universal’s DRR work in Malawi encompasses a livelihoods approach by strengthening household capacity to grow food and generate income within a DRR framework. In Malawi Concern Universal has catalysed and closely supported the development of District Disaster Preparedness and Management Plans in four districts which include an analysis of the impact of disaster on livelihoods. With support from Irish Aid, Concern Universal is now focusing on the implementation of those plans.

Case study – Integrating livelihoods and DRR in Malawi

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. Although now food secure, there still remain a high number of rural households who are vulnerable to hunger across the country. A recent survey in Dedza district, for example, showed that seven months after harvest 72% of households in the district survive on only one meal per day. Concern Universal has been working with farmers in Dedza district to reduce the impact of hazards such as insect infestations and drought and improve food security. Insect infestations, such as armyworm larvae, cause damage to newly planted maize crops, the main staple for households in Malawi. Outbreaks of armyworm larvae can happen if there are dry spells in the early weeks of the rainy season. When damage is severe, farmers require new seed to replant their fields, resulting in additional costs as well as more work. In December 2009, farm families in low-lying hot areas of Kachindamoto in Dedza district experienced an armyworm outbreak. Due to community sensitisation around the risk of pest infestations, facilitated by Concern Universal and Dedza District Council, farmers were able to identify the armyworm larvae in its early days and report it to the Ministry of Agriculture. Concern Universal worked with the District Agricultural Office to repair mist blowers for application of pesticides and deliver them to affected communities. Concern Universal also supported demonstrations on use of the mist blowers, and provided fuel for operating them.

11

Cohen & Deng, 1998:290


The area affected was approximately 2239ha. Without the sensitisation and training provided with Concern Universal's support, communities would not have recognised the larvae at such an early stage and containing the armyworm at a later stage would only have been achieved after serious damage to crops. The sensitisation was also helpful in terms of informing community leaders to report such cases urgently and guiding them on which are the right institutions to report to. Thanks to the joint response by communities, district government, and Concern Universal, the outbreak was contained and the crop damage level was minor.

Photos: samples of armyworms collected in the farmers‟ fields; and (right) mist blowers being delivered to affected communities.

3.4 Partnership and co-operation Concern Universal’s partnership approach is a critical strength of the organisation. Partnership is defined as working with, rather than through, local organisations. This may be working with local government, local NGOs, or community based organisations (CBOs) who have common mission, goals and values in order to jointly improve the lives of people living in poverty. Concern Universal regards partnership as a long-term relationship, where the focus is not on delivering a specific project but rather on developing the capacity of the local organisation to become a more effective facilitator of sustainable development within their constituency. Complementarity of strengths is the key to our work with partners. There are certain things we do well and others that our partners do well. Both partners in this relationship aspire to take the best of what the other has to offer and combine it with their own strengths. In this way Concern Universal makes a lasting contribution to the building of a strong, vibrant civil society and to the strengthening of local government. Promoting a partnership and co-operation approach by getting communities, government, CBOs and NGOs to come together to plan and develop disaster risk


reduction work is fundamental to the implementation and sustainability of good DRR work. Communities that participate fully in their own development processes, including disaster risk reduction planning, will be more likely to put planning in to action when disaster strikes. Building strong partnerships may involve capacity building for local government and non-government organisations and good DRR planning will confront and tackle existing capacity constraints.

Case Study – Supporting government DDR planning in Malawi

The Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS, 2006) aims to reduce the socio-economic impact of disasters as well as build strong disaster management mechanisms. Until recently the approach to disaster management has been reactive, with emphasis placed on coordinating and implementing emergency response. However, the key strategy in the MGDS is to put in place adequate disaster risk management measures that go beyond emergency response to preparedness, prevention and mitigation as well as rehabilitation and reconstruction. In support of this shift to DRR Concern Universal assisted three disaster prone districts, Balaka, Dedza and Ntcheu, to develop participatory District Disaster Risk Management (DDRM) Plans in 2006 and 2007 in order to reduce the socio-economic impacts of disasters on vulnerable communities. The activities that led to the development of the plans were funded as part of Concern Universal’s strategic funding partnership with Irish Aid. Working with local government institutions Concern Universal developed capacities in disaster risk management planning and implementation at the district level, and facilitated the integration of disaster risk management into district development planning and budgeting processes. The District Civil Protection Committee (DCPC), with support from the Department of Disaster Management (DoDMA) and Concern Universal, led the process of developing plans and practices to mitigate risk of disasters. The development of the Plans has shown how much can be achieved in disaster risk management through close collaboration between NGOs, district level authorities (ie DCPC) and central government (ie DoDMA).

3.5 Seeing disasters as long term and recurrent Focusing on the prevention of disaster risk is far more cost effective than re-building communities after a disaster has struck. More effective prevention strategies would save tens of thousands of lives and tens of billions of dollars. However, getting funding for prevention is difficult12. Whilst the cost of prevention has to be paid in the present, its benefits lie in the distant future, a future beyond the time frames of the institutional donors that provide funds for humanitarian and disaster relief. Given this, it is imperative that development stakeholders create a culture that understands and prioritizes prevention over reactive humanitarian aid distribution. Communities understand the importance of good preparedness and prevention strategies and it is the responsibility

12

Kofi Annan in Venton & Venton, 2004:ii


of all development agents to advocate on their behalf to keep prevention of disaster risk as a key priority. There is a need to challenge the traditional ‘relief-development continuum’ that sees relief and development as exclusive and separate activities. Humanitarian assistance is often too focused on short-term relief. Assistance is provided in the immediate aftermath of a conflict or disaster and is designed to save people’s lives by providing basic resources such as food, water and shelter. However, humanitarian relief too often does not address the causes of suffering13. Concern Universals ‘developmentalist’ approach to relief prioritizes timely relief interventions that build local capacities while addressing underlying causes of vulnerability and poverty. Concern Universal relief and development programmes include capacity building for emergency prevention and preparedness and the reduction of vulnerability to hazards. It is an integral part of the way Concern Universal operates, not an add-on or one-off. It is clear that mitigation and preparedness can help reduce the impact of emergencies: if development programmes are designed with awareness of emergency preparedness then vulnerability will be reduced and local capacities strengthened.

13

Anderson, 1993

“The project gave us food, and seeds and cement as well as some building materials to rebuild our collapsed houses. Most importantly, the new borehole has helped to solve our water problems. There has been a total change here because the seeds that were given to us were planted and we were able to harvest this year even though the rains wanted to spoil them again”. John Abasok, Kom village, Ghana, December 2008.


Case Study - Integrating emergency response with long-term recovery, Ghana

In August 2007, Northern Ghana was hit by major floods, affecting approximately 260,000 people. Thousands of homes, and thousands of hectares of farmland, were destroyed. As one of the few organisations working in the area, Concern Universal was able to respond rapidly, assessing the needs and delivering practical assistance within a few days to those most vulnerable. With support from Irish Aid and other donors Concern Universal provided emergency food, non-food aid and water supplies in 24 communities. As part of the DRR strategy Concern Universal facilitated community-led total sanitation within the target communities and trained people in more durable methods of house construction to reduce the risk of buildings being washed away. Concern Universal also led participatory hazard assessments; planning response to disasters; resilience measures such as tree planting; and using microfinance to support alternative livelihoods. Three years on there are much higher levels of awareness and knowledge on disaster preparedness and response both at community and at local government level. The five District Disaster Management Committees that were created in 2007 with Concern Universal support are still active and have increased awareness and government support to DRR initiatives. For example, in September 2010 Concern Universal’s local partner and the District Disaster Management Team received warning of flooding affecting 180 hectares of farmland in six communities and were able to warn local communities. Livelihood diversification means that people are now less vulnerable to disaster. For example, about 160 households in eight villages have adopted dry season gardening, meaning they now get two crops per year and are much more food secure. Integrating DRR with disaster response makes very good sense; it builds on heightened awareness of disaster risk to ensure that people and communities are stronger and less vulnerable in future. It also acts as a bridge between relief and long-term development. One-year projects can kick-start significant changes – but longer term support is very important to ensure that new knowledge and practices are fully adopted. Key source: Ghana Annual Report, Climate Frontline: African Communities Adapting to Survive, CU and others 2009

3.6 Gender and young people Successful implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action requires the full, active and balanced participation of women and men, girls and boys. When DRR programmes are gender-inclusive they are more likely to reduce vulnerability for all members of the community14. A practical first step to highlighting gender equality will be working with

14

Gender Perspective: Working Together for Disaster Risk Reduction UN, June 2007. http://www.unisdr.org/eng/about_isdr/isdr-publications/09-gender-good-practices/gender-good-practices.pdf


both women and men, together and separately, to think through what gender roles exist within their community. To facilitate this, a gender balanced staff team should collect gender-disaggregated data. Because of the reproductive and productive roles they play in their families and communities, women are natural but often invisible disaster responders and mitigators. Effective disaster risk reduction, recovery and resilience building must involve the long term support of women´s groups, to build up the capacity and confidence for women to play a full part in DRR decision-making. Particular attention also needs to be paid to protection issues. Women and children’s vulnerability will often increase during and after disasters, particularly if they are forced into temporary shelter outside their homes and communities. As well as gender, DRR planning needs to consider the role of young people and their role in disaster preparedness planning. Young people are powerful advocates for change, especially in contexts where adults find it hard to imagine life in any other way, for example, where conflict or flood losses are simply accepted as part of normal life. Young people recognize the wider dimensions and complexity of risk reduction, for example how seemingly unrelated external factors such as climate change can greatly influence their vulnerability. Young people can offer immense creativity and the will to reduce risk. When given the resources, encouragement and the opportunity to take action, young people can become catalysts of simple yet significant strategies to make their communities safer. Working with children through schools, youth groups and community committees provides informal forums for mobilisation which offer powerful spheres of influence whereby the influence of political or other means of bias can be minimized. Advocacy and lobbying to include DRR within national curricula has the potential to reach out to millions of young people and create DRR -youth advocates in each community.

Case Study – Capacity Development in The Gambia

With funding from Irish Aid, Concern Universal and local partners have supported 7195 women and young people in 35 communities of Wuli and Sandu districts in the Upper River Region of The Gambia to increase their resilience to disasters (drought, floods, locust invasions, environmental degradation and epidemics). The hazards profile and the vulnerability and capacity assessment report completed at the beginning of the project highlighted the gendered impact of disasters and the severe consequences that they had for women in the community. The project, now completed, increased access to water for 747 women involved with horticultural activities and had an immediate impact on household income levels. The direct involvement of women’s groups in the provision of emergency pest management training and other services has increased disaster resilience across the community. The vulnerability and capacity assessment, led by target communities, highlighted the need for better transport services to reduce health risks in the community. The community decided that it would be appropriate to buy five horses and five horse carts in Kuraw-Arafang, Misereh, Jagarri, Dasilami and Kussi to transport patients to health


centres, which are 5-10 miles away from the villages and off the main roads. However, it was clear that this would be unsustainable if there was no way to raise any income from the horses. Because of the project focus on DRR and livelihoods the women’s groups decided that they could ensure the sustainability of the health transport by also using the horse and carts to transport vegetables to local markets. The contributions now given on market days ensure that the horse and carts are available to transport patients to health centres at a subsidized rate.

Photo: Gambia women‟s garden

3.7 Advocacy and lobbying to enhance effectiveness. Advocacy is about influencing people, policies, structures and systems in order to bring about change. It is about influencing those in power to act more fairly. Advocacy is an essential component to a DRR strategy because it tries to identify the root causes of why communities are at risk to disasters, and strives to bring long-term change by helping people to see themselves as agents of change in their own communities. Advocacy has the ability to change power structures and systems of injustice as well as helping to generate more resources for development work15. Advocacy is vital to DRR programming because it allows implementing agencies and communities the opportunity to share best practice, lessons learnt, and highlight the serious challenges that still remain to ensure that all disaster prone areas have invested in disaster planning and preparedness. As disasters become more prevalent and are threatening the progress made to sustainable poverty reduction in more and more countries, the need for advocacy and lobbying strategies becomes crucial. All countries that CU works in have signed up to the Hyogo Framework. Governments at every level are responsible for reducing disaster risks and they need to be held accountable to their promises as outlined in the Hyogo Framework for Action.

15

Why Advocate for Disaster Risk Reduction? Tearfund 2007


Consistent advocacy and lobbying work in Bangladesh has ensured that over 1000 civil society and government groups have agreed to incorporate disaster resilient technologies in to their water and sanitation programmes in disaster prone areas. Concern Universal has also been able to influence policy and decision makers to take the issue of emergency planning more seriously, to recognise the importance of integration with development programmes and to mainstream emergency preparedness.

Case Study – Using advocacy as a tool for improving DRR work, Guinea Guinea is currently politically and economically unstable as the military government plans the first democratic elections since independence. As Guinea threatens to become a ‘failed state’ attention is focused on the promotion of fair elections and good governance. Amidst this turmoil poverty in Guinea continues to rise and it remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Guinea receives very little attention in the global media. Concern Universal has been at the forefront of gathering data for situation reports that have been distributed to international NGOs working in Guinea and West Africa and to international donors supporting programmes in the region. This information has fed in to disaster preparedness and planning.


Annex 1: Number of natural disasters registered in EMDAT, 1900 - 2005


Annex 2: Concern Universal’s programme response to specific disasters Exposure to risk can be expressed using the shorthand: <risk = likelihood (of hazard) x impact (capacity - vulnerability)> The following table gives indicative intervention frameworks for potential risks:

Flood Drought Pest infestation Conflict

Red

ucin

g lik

elih

ood River bank

protection. Channel management. Investment in drainage. Re-forestation. Awareness of climate change.

Re-forestation. Irrigation. Raising awareness/ research of climate change.

Farmer education. Diversification/ rotation of crops. Understanding of organic solutions.

Promoting respect for human rights and equitable socio-economic development.

Red

ucin

g im

pa

ct

(in

cre

asin

g c

ap

acity, re

du

cin

g v

uln

era

bili

ty)

Where possible, avoiding building in flood-prone areas. Establishing early warning systems. Establishing evacuation procedures. Establishing flood shelters. Ensuring that infrastructure such as water and sanitation facilities are flood-resilient. Training and equipping rescue teams.

Investment in irrigation. Promotion of drought-tolerant crops. Promotion of moisture management (e.g. use of swales).

Provision of seeds. Farmer training and sensitization. District government training. Use of mist blowers.

Supporting mobilisation of civil society – peace sensitisation, radio programmes, peace meetings, strengthening local NGOs and CBOs. Rehabilitating infrastructure (eg health, schools, water supply).

concern_universal_drr_policy_note_v1.1_oct10

Documents

drr work

disaster2 concern universal

disaster resilient water

good drr planning

specific disasters

impact of river erosion

key recommendations

number of natural disasters