Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Community Based Disaster Management

Increasing frequency and intensity of disasters in India, has highlighted the gravity of the problem and prompted greater emphasis on pre-disaster preparedness and mitigation as an integral part of Climate Change Adaptation. This entails a shift in focus away from conventional fire-fighting approach to disaster management towards anticipatory local-level initiatives involving a range of stakeholders.

WOTR’s concept of DRR and CBDM is a cross cutting theme of the Climate Change Adaptation Project. Since every individual is vulnerable and is threatened by natural and man-made disasters, every individual is required to be aware and also have a minimum capacity to counter such crisis. This implies that the entire population of a settlement or a village community has to be involved in the event of a crisis which has the potential to affect all or a majority of them. Community based disaster management has to start through local groups in order to reach out to each family and neighbourhood; and local institutions have a crucial role in this process of mobilizing people in various situations and stages of evolving crisis. Community participation and community ownership in disaster risk reduction is a key factor in reducing vulnerabilities of people and minimizing losses.

WOTR’s DRR and CBDM activities involve awareness campaigns and Village sensitization to motivate the community in preparation of disaster management plans, review and analyse past disasters, create a seasonality calendar of disasters, map their resources and assets, risk and vulnerability areas and work out safe and alternate route maps, and setting up and training local bodies in basic and immediate disaster response.

These initiatives and interventions are funded by Swiss Agency for Development Co-operation (SDC).