Concern Disaster Risk Reduction: Urban Contexts

This publication is a synthesis of lessons from more than a decade of Concern Worldwide’s disaster risk reduction (DRR) programming in urban geographic contexts. Based on research in Port au Prince, Haiti; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Nairobi, Kenya; and Freetown, Sierra Leone, this publication describes Concern’s approach to DRR and offers lessons and guidance on how to use DRR to address hazards typically found in urban areas.

Important urban characteristics that need to be taken into account for urban DRR include the density and size of population, heterogeneity of community, the orientation of livelihoods towards the market, employment, services and industry, and the complexity of administrative and institutional structures.

In addition, local-level disaster management committees (DMCs) are crucial for linking communities to EWS and for leading emergency responses, but they need to be well linked to intermediate municipal administration institutions.

The publication presents lessons learned in the following areas:

• Risk analysis;
• Building social inclusion;
• Service provision;
• Preparedness and response to crisis.