Facilitating community managed disaster risk reduction

International Institute of Rural Reconstruction 

Tue, 10 Jun - Fri, 20 Jun 2014

The global climate system is undergoing constant change leading to evident climatic patterns. Over 40% of the population in the horn of Africa lives in drought-prone arid and semi-arid areas. Most African countries prone to drought continue to experience widespread challenges like: high precipitation, floods, conflicts, HIV/AIDS, diseases, epidemics, and environmental degradation. As a result, these disasters continuously wipe out the accumulated gains of development efforts. This course shall therefore, focus on the Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) framework which establishes the relationship between disaster and development. This framework asserts that disasters can be avoided and the effects of hazards can be reduced significantly. This is by increasing the individual’s capacity towards survivability and the community’s capacity towards preparedness to disaster. The goal of CMDRR is to build resilient communities.

You will learn:
• Module 1: Concepts, Principles and Practices in CMDRR
This module will lay the theoretical foundation of the community managed disaster risk reduction approach, how it has evolved over time, and its unique features that promote community self-sustenance and resilience. In addition to participants’ experiences, IIRR will share their own and partners’ experiences from the region on implementing CMDRR approach.

• Module 2: Facilitating CMDRR – Methods and Process
This module explains the CMDRR model or process from community entry to identification of DRR measures. It also exposes participants to Participatory Risk Assessment (PRA/PLA) tools that can be adopted for use during participatory disaster risk assessment at community level. It has simulation exercises that allow participants to conduct disaster risk assessment under classroom situation. The exercises include the four step process; hazard, vulnerability, capacity assessment and risk analysis of drought and other related hazards in Arid & Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) areas.

• Module 3: Facilitating Planning for DRR Measures
This session exposes participants to DRR community planning processes and will also involve classroom simulation exercises. The outputs will be DRR strategy, community action and contingency plan and a Participatory Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and Learning (PPME& L) plan.

• Module 4: Field Practicum
This is a two-day field work in a drought-prone community to conduct participatory risk (hazard, vulnerability and capacity) assessment to gain confidence in use of PDRA tools. It is an integral part of the training and trainees are expected to compile a comprehensive report after the field visit. The outcome of the fieldwork will also be used to help participants in learning how to identify risk reduction measures and integrate them into development plan and contingency plans.

• Module 5: Implementing and Sustaining CMDRR
This module focuses on building the capacity of participants in implementing and sustaining THE CMDRR approach. This is to ensure that local communities are alert, prepared and able to respond in the event of drought or related hazards. Best practice cases will be shared from experiences in the region.

• Module 6: Action Planning
The participants will develop action plans on how they will use the newly acquired knowledge and skills to improve practices in their respective districts.

Course highlights
• Field practicum to learn how CMDRR can be applied in practice.
• Free Toolkit: Building Resilient Communities - CD

Diredawa
English