Building Resilient Communities: Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction
Description
This course will provide participants with basic understanding of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and its relationship to climate change adaptation and disaster management. They will learn about the basic process and tools to facilitate community-managed disaster risk reduction (CMDRR). CMDRR framework puts premium to building capacities of communities so they can facilitate their own risk reduction process. The facilitation role of development organizations is also emphasized. This course uses a combination of classroom instruction using adult-learning methodologies and community level practicum to conduct exercises using CMDRR tools.
This course is a component of the NGO Disaster Preparedness Project, a joint project of IIRR and Give2Asia involving 6 countries in Asia. The project will connect donors with the most effective community disaster risk reduction programs in six of the most vulnerable South and Southeast Asian countries. It will also publish DRR research, perform online crowd funding for local projects, and make publicly available organizational information of groups implementing innovative local DRR work. A number of participants for this course will come from Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, India and Bangladesh all supported by this project.
Course Objectives
1. Develop a shared understanding of the concepts, principles and practices of CMDRR;
2. Demonstrate the use of selected tools and conducted participatory disaster risk assessment in the community; and
3. Identify strategies to sustain CMDRR in a community
Methodologies
The course uses a participatory training approach. Short lectures are comple-mented by group exercises, case study analysis, plenary discussions and field visits to communities. The trainers are experienced IIRR professionals.
Course Content
Module 1. Concepts, Principles and Practices in CMDRR
This module tackles disaster risk reduction as an emerging development paradigm and framework. Participants will learn of the history and the relationship of DRR to disaster management, climate change adaptation and ecosystems management. Resource persons will present the latest discussions on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Lastly, the participants will learn the four minimum requirements of a CMDRR process in the community.
Module 2. Facilitating CMDRR: Methods and Process
There will be an in depth learning discussion on the four minimum requirements of CMDRR namely, participatory disaster risk assessment, risk reduction planning, community organizing and participatory monitoring, evaluation and learning. Participants will learn how to use participatory learning and action (PLA) tools to conduct participatory disaster risk assessment and analysis (PDRAA) and to translate the disaster risk assessment results into community-level DRR plans and mechanisms for monitoring, evaluation and learning. A guided field practicum will allow participants to interact with community leaders and members and use these various tools.
Module 3: Sustaining CMDRR
Participants will learn how to facilitate documentation and sharing of CMDRR experiences as part of policy advocacy, resource mobilization, networking, monitoring and evaluation, and organizational learning. There will be a discussion on linking community organizations with other actors who are engaged in DRR and in accessing resources for CMDRR. Approaches to integrate DRR in various development programs and plans such as those related to livelihood development, natural resources management, health systems, development and education are also included.
Module 4: Action Planning
Participants will develop an action plan for implementation which are based on the realities of the communities and implemented in line with organizational, program or project thrusts.