Christina AEBISCHER, Anton JOEHR Swiss Red Cross, Switzerland

1. Building community resilience by
integrating DRR and Health system
Strengthening
Example from Honduras
IDRC 2012 Davos

2. SRC International Cooperation
Worldwide Commitment
LRRD
Health

3. Context Honduras
Country  Population
• Harzard-prone • Extreme poverty
• Weak governance • High vulnerability
• Poor • No access to
• Unsafe essential services
 especially in rural
and remote areas

4. SRC Programme in Honduras
Goal
Strenghten resilience of most
vulnerable communities in remote
areas
Outcomes (expected)
• Increased DRR capacities of the
communities
Background
• Improvement of health status
• Hurricane Mitch (1998)
• Established coordination
• 2 intervention areas
mecanisms and synergies
• Different entry points and history Health - DRR
• Parallel components 2005-09
• Partner Honduran Red Cross

5. Characteristics of resilient communities IFRC

6. Key features to resilience building
A safe and resilient community..
.. is knowledgeable and healthy. It
has the ability to assess, manage and
monitor its risks. It can learn new skills
and build on past experiences
• Community-based capacity
strengthening in health and
disaster management in each
community
• Working at household,
community, school and
municipality level
• Science & traditional knowledge
improves ability to new and
changing risks

7. Key features to resilience building
..is organized. It has the capacity to
identify problems, establish priorities
and act.
• Local risk analysis – Input
for regional development
and mitigation plans
• Community mobilization and
empowerment
• Community-based capacity
building relevant in a context
marked by weak
governance and politically
highly volatile situations.

8. Key features to resilience building
..is connected. It has relationships
with external actors who provide a
wider supportive environment, and
supply goods and services when
needed.
• not only linked to but
recognized by the regional
and national health and
disaster management
• bottom up system
strengthening

9. Key features to resilience building
..has infrastructure and services. It has
strong housing, transport, power, water
and sanitation systems. It has the ability to
maintain, repair and renovate them
• Adapted technological
interventions and infrastructure
as important component for
mitigating local risks.
• hardware as a means for
software: communities fully
participating in planning, fund
raising, implementation and
maintenance.

10. Key features to resilience building
.. can manage its natural assets. It
recognizes their value and has the
ability to protect, enhance and
maintain them.
• Local management and
implementation capacities
• Environmental health –
healthy environment circle
leading to comprehensive
 Resource management
 Cooperation of actors
 Wider monitoring focus
on slow onset disasters

11. Challenges
• Volatile security
• Public staff turnover
• Volunteering
• Funding for long term
learning and transformation
processes
• Lack of in-country science
and adapted technology
development

12. Conclusions
Positive intermediate results
• Health status
• Access to health services
• DRR capacities and resources
• Identified interfaces DRR - Health
Ongoing strengthening
community based integrated
DRR & health work, leading to
• Increased effectiveness and
efficiency
• Better use of existing resources
• Community resilience