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 Page 2
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)

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
Reducinglikelihood
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.
Reducingimpact
(increasingcapacity,reducingvulnerability)
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).

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