Project funded by the European Union

Collaboration with governmental and municipal representatives: capacity building of local and regional government members in DRR (awareness raising seminars on climate change impacts, environmental protection and natural resources management; experience-sharing exchange visits, etc). Seminars and advocacy for replication of resilient community-based DRR model; conducting community vulnerability assessments using common tools (Local Level Risk Management). Advocating with other DRR stakeholders and DRR National Platform for inclusion of DRR in development plans and strategies.

Supporting Community Resilience in the South Caucasus is a programme implemented by Oxfam and its partner organizations Support to Communities (STC) in Vayots Dzor and Bridge of Hope (BoH) in Tavush Region. Oxfam is an international organization affiliated to Oxfam International, a global confederation of 17 independent Oxfams

which share the same purpose and rights based approach.

Oxfam has been working in Armenia since the early 90s, fighting poverty and making sure that people’s voices are heard. We work with more than 140 communities across six regions of Armenia to develop projects that bring lasting change to people’s lives. We work with the government to ensure the rights of poor people are put first, and conduct extensive research to help advocate for changes. We are working to improve the health sector, support small holder farmers to cope with the impact of climate change, address gender equality, and help communities respond to natural disasters. We are empowering women and youth to have a say in the decisions affect them most. Oxfam works with others to overcome poverty and suffering through humanitarian assistance, direct programme interventions, and advocacy and campaigning work.

DRR programme contact details: Zaruhi Tonoyan- ztonoyan@oxfam.org.uk Anna Palonka- apalonka@oxfam.org.uk

Supporting community resilience in the SouthCaucasus is the 3rd phase of a programme

supported by the Disaster Preparedness

SUPPORTING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE IN THE SOUTH

CAUCASUS

July 1, 2014- September 30, 2015

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVE

To increase disaster resilience of local communities and relevant national institutions by supporting strategies that enable them to prepare for, mitigate and respond to disasters in the South Caucasus region; specifically, to institutionalize government support for the community based DRR model at the local, regional and national levels in Armenia and Georgia

THEMATIC FOCUS

• support to disaster preparedness of local communities• strengthening women’s participation in DRR• increasing youth and children’s engagement in DRR

introducing innovation and innovative solutions in DRR and CCA

• collaboration with community, regional and national• authorities, leaders and decision makers to replicate

and institutionalize developed DRR models and to incorporate DRR into relevant policies.

AREA FOCUS

• Armenia and Georgia• Armenia- Tavush and Vayots Dzor

PEOPLE FOCUS

• 35 communities - 16 communities in Armenia and 19 communities in Georgia

• 30 organizations• 63.898 direct beneficiaries and 116.932 indirect

beneficiaries.

ACTIVITIES

Communities: strengthening local communities in preven-tion, mitigation and response to natural disasters- provide relevant skills and basic emergency equipment, trainings/seminars in DRR, climate change adaptation and first aid; community drills; school evacuation drills; support to village emergency groups; strengthening advocacy skills of volunteer community emergency groups; carrying out small scale mitigation infrastructural projects; develop-ment of village emergency plans and family emergency plans; local level risk management (LLRM) methodology assessment at community level; public awareness activi-ties of Youth clubs, Civic Centres, and Continuing Educa-tion Community Resource Centres.

Women: Increasing women engagement in DRR work through engagement in volunteer Community Emergency Groups, promotion of gender in DRR.

Children and Youth: educational activities for children and youth such as school emergency drills, quizzes/the-atres, awareness raising seminars, trainings on adapta-tion technologies, communication and leadership, inclu-sive DRR training sessions for youth.