Disaster Risk Reduction
in the Americas
www.ifrc.org Saving lives, changing minds.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
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School children in an earthquake evacuation simulation exercise as part of the Multi-Hazard Disaster Preparedness and Response Capacities Strengthening Project in an urban area of Managua, promoted by the Nicaragua Red Cross.
Cover photo: Nicaragua Red Cross
emergencies. Argentina Red Cross
Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent individuals, communities, organisations and nations to anticipate, prepare for and withstand the impact of shocks, and recuperate from adversity, without compromising their future development. Within this concept, IFRC includes the exposure that atrisk population have to disasters and crisis, their underlying on their lives. Disaster risk reduction aims to support civil society, communities, households and individuals to identify and reduce their
vulnerabilities and strengthen their capacity to anticipate, cope and recover from disasters. Disaster risk reduction comprises: disaster preparedness, disaster mitigation, early warning, recovery and livelihoods, and climate change adaptation to increase the resilience of communities. Disaster risk reduction is anchored in the strategic and operational plans of all National Societies. Knowledge, capacity and actions focus on addressing the direct impact posed by hazards, on reducing underlying causes, such as vulnerability, poor health conditions and insecure housing, all with the aim of strengthening resilience in communities.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
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What we do The Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) programme focuses on the following actions: • Support the efforts and work of the National Societies (NS) to assist communities to adopt integrated and informed risk reduction approaches, and to address their underlying vulnerabilities together with their governments and other actors at all levels • Promote community organization and preparedness, and establish early warning systems to reduce disaster risk and increase disaster resilience • Strengthen the institutional preparedness and response capacities of National Societies in accordance with their government’s national disaster plans • Establish and strengthen regional Red Cross networks to enhance risk management and increase community resilience • Increase education and public awareness for effective disaster risk reduction through the dissemination of key messages and advocacy actions at all levels
The DDR programme promotes actions that enable people, particularly the most vulnerable groups, to address their own needs in their own contexts and strengthen their leadership and capacities Nicaragua Red Cross
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Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience
Priority DRR Actions Strengthening community education/preparedness for DRR •
Promote community organization
•
Provide technical support and advice for community risk assessment (VCA)
•
Apply community resilience approaches in DRR
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Promote installation of early warning systems and the implementation of disaster risk reduction and mitigation actions
Strengthening NS institutional preparedness •
Promote the improvement of emergency and crisis response, adapting to the different contexts and humanitarian scenarios, in coordination with disaster management systems
Advocacy, awareness raising and public education for disaster risk reduction •
Promote work with governments and regional partners
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Implement education and awareness raising campaigns with communities and government agencies to increase resource allocation and behavioural change in communities
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Promote advocacy and coordination with government, NGOs, civil society and other actors to scale up work in communities
Impact data
Multiple donors
+20 projects
Multiple donors have contributed to the development of DRR and resilience promotion initiatives in the Americas region, enabling the Red Cross to directly reach more than 100,000 people every year
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
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Beneficiary story
“My house will be the first to be washed away by the sea if I don’t protect the mangroves” Doney Cliram is well-aware of the effects of marine erosion and coastal flooding. He has seen the sea devour the land, leaving his home in Telescope, Grenada ever closer to the beach. When it rains heavily, the water bypasses the breakwater and covers the stretch that normally separates his house from the shore. “Mangroves protect us. That’s why I planted hundreds of them here – it’s the only thing that can stop us from losing the beach. Otherwise, sooner or later, we’ll have to leave here,” Cliram says as he stares out to the sea from his house, which is built in the traditional way: on columns to protect from the tides. Cliram dedicates his free time to maintaining the beach of dark sand that has not yet been eroded by the sea. “I built this kiosk for visitors. I also try to keep the sand clean.
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Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience
At least 50 people come here on Sundays. It’s a beautiful beach and I hope that people can continue to enjoy it”. The fishermen collect their boats and don’t go out to fish when a storm threatens. The force of the waves when the tide rises raises the roots of the mangrove plants, the goats feed on their tender leaves and the disadvantaged people of the area use their branches as fuel for cooking. “My friends and I are vigilant and we don’t let anything destroy the mangroves. But it’s a constant struggle”, says Cliram. The recovery of the mangroves could not be carried out without support. Small mangrove plants are provided by volunteers from the Grenada Fund for Conservation, who work in partnership with Grenada Red Cross and The Nature Conservancy in At the Water’s Edge, a community resilience
project to curb the effects of climate change on Grenville Bay, which extends from Telescope along the eastern coast of the island to the Marquis community. The initiative is part of the Caribbean Communities Organized and Prepared for Emergencies Project (CCOPE), managed by the IFRC with funding from the European Commission for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection. The first goal of the At the Water’s Edge Project is to motivate people like Cliram, and his neighbours in Telescope, Grenville, Soubise and Marquis, to participate in environmental protection actions as part of a comprehensive community disaster resilience plan.
Doney Cliram sits on his property in Telescope Beach, Grenada, from where he fights to save mangroves every day with support from the Grenada Red Cross. IFRC
Contact information:
Krystell Santamaría M. Coordinator, Disaster Risk Management krystell.santamaria@ifrc.org Julie Hoare Head, Partnerships and Resource Development julie.hoare@ifrc.org
© International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. 2017