Concern Worldwide’s Approach to Disaster Risk Reduction

Concern Worldwide CONCERN Worldwide is an international humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries. Concern implements both emergency and long- term development interventions with poor communities in 30 of the world’s least developed countries. Concern Worldwide in Bangladesh is the part of CWW and is guided by its policies and principles.

Concern and Disaster Risk Reduction On average 60,000 people are killed by ‘natural’ disasters each year and 250 million people are directly affected. There is a strong link between poverty and vulnerability to the impact of hazards. The countries where Concern works are particularly prone to hazards – many of them cyclical and of regular occurrence. The organizational Strategic Plan for has highlighted the centrality of DRR to Concern’s mission to contribute to the eradication of poverty In 2005, Concern’s Emergency Unit prepared its Approaches to DRR paper.

Disaster Risk Reduction DRR is essentially about managing risk Risk is defined as the frequency of an event happening and its impact Magnitude of an impact is related to vulnerability To reduce risk you need to reduce the frequency, scale or intensity of an event happening… or reduce its impact

DRR measures DRR measures seek to protect the assets and livelihoods of communities from the impact of hazards by implementing mitigation, preparedness and advocacy measures that are based on a comprehensive risk analysis. It is seen as key to underpin sustainability of long term development programme..

Explicit Link to Livelihoods Livelihoods model provides a framework where DRR can be seen as part of long- term sustainable development work DRR needs to be mainstreamed into concept notes, programme design, monitoring and evaluation Principles of DRR- Risk Assessment & Risk Reduction

Wider Context: Social Economic Political Environmental Wider Context: Social Economic Political Environmental Sustainable Livelihood Options Emergence of new livelihood activities; Broadening of sources of food and income Sustainable Livelihood Options Emergence of new livelihood activities; Broadening of sources of food and income Improved Livelihood Security Improved Livelihood Security Shocks & Stresses: inter- acting natural and man-made hazards The Six Capitals: Human Social Political Financial Physical Natural The Six Capitals: Human Social Political Financial Physical Natural

Risk Assessment Risk Assessment are carried out to identify which hazards are more likely to occur and to have the biggest impact on a community’s or individual’s assets. It has two distinct components: Hazard Analysis Vulnerability Analysis

Risk Reduction Preparedness activities seek to strengthen the capacity of: – communities to withstand, respond to and recover from the impact of hazard – governments, implementing partners and Concern to establish speedy and appropriate interventions when the capacity of a community is overwhelmed Mitigation activities seek to reduce the frequency, scale, intensity and impact of hazards Advocacy seeks to favourably influence the social, political, economic and environmental issues that contribute to the causes and magnitude of hazards and their impacts

DRR Strategy of Concern in Bangladesh Community-based initiatives for DRR in programme areas. Mainstreaming DRR measures with all development programmes. Enhance capacity of partners for effective and rapid response to emergencies.

Community-based initiatives Interventions will focus on climate-change related hazards (flash floods, seasonal floods and tropical cyclones). Aligned to national PRSP and aims to strengthen the capacity of existing local government institutions, specifically Disaster Management Committees. Implemented through six local partner organizations. Provide ‘micro-to-macro’ linkages.( for e.g., strategic partnership agreement with CDMP)

Mainstreaming DRR In all the projects, DRR has been considered during project design by identifying activities that will help to reduce risk from potential hazards. Examples of project includes Haor Livelihoods, Char Livelihood and Education. The examples of interventions are community –based preparedness & mitigation activities, contingency planning, training partners on DRR and emergency response, etc.

Emergency Response Intervention envisages to enhance capacity of the partners for effective and rapid response through: Emergency contingency plans. Organising trainings and workshops-need assessments, humanitarian practices, principles and standards and DRR approaches. Facilitate partners to collaborate with the local DMCs for any emergency response. Technical support, mentoring and monitoring during emergency response Establish information systems on DMC functioning.