Disaster Risk Reduction - Bolivia

DRR IN

Bolivia Heavy rainfall from early January through mid-March causes flooding and associated landslides, mainly in six of Bolivia’s nine departments, including Cochabamba, Beni, Chuquisaca, La Paz, Santa Cruz, and Tarija. In addition, Bolivia is vulnerable to drought, landslides, extreme cold, fires and earthquakes.

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Save the Children’s Presence in Bolivia Above: Children in San Borja.

Cover: Children cleaning the river in San Borja.

Save the Children began working in Inquisivi Province in 1986 during Bolivia’s transition from a politically and economically tumultuous period. Today, Save the Children programs bring hope and help to children and families in the departments of La Paz and Oruro on the Altiplano, and our newer adolescent programs extend to every department of Bolivia. Save the Children helps girls and boys and their families with food security, newborn care, school health and nutrition, primary education, healthy adolescent development, and emergency relief.

Over the past 4 years in Bolivia Save the Children has implemented 4 DRR programs with over $1.5 million USD from DIPECHO, and ACCD and from the Regional Emergencies Coordinator (CRE), Save the Children in Latin America and Caribbean.

Collectively the programs have reached over 13,400 children directly. There has been a total of nearly 40,000 direct beneficiaries and nearly 140,000 indirect beneficiaries. Our DRR work has effectively built resilience in communities through early warning systems , preparedness and mitigation.

Early Warning Systems (EWS) Bolivia experiences flooding, drought and fires yet there was no EWS that existed in the most vulnerable areas. Therefore, Save the Children developed an EWS, working with the local community to develop actions to strengthen coping capacity, preparedness and response to emergencies with the support from a local NGO, PAAC.

Capacity Building Save the Children supported capacity building activities for government authorities, public institutions and community leaders on disaster preparedness. In line with the United Nations campaign ‘Disaster Risk Reduction Begins at School’ , Save the Children’s program focused on training and mobilising school boards, teachers and students in disaster preparedness, strengthening early warning systems and supporting awareness raising and lessons learned campaigns at the national and regional level.

DRR & Education In some of the most hazardous areas in Bolivia, information on disaster preparedness and mitigation is greatly lacking. Save the Children has focused on the rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged schools post disaster. Through a child protection framework Save the Children has focused on preparedness plans and raised awareness on the cycle of poverty and vulnerability. In addition, Save the Children worked in schools to teach students about the handling of water, waste, compost, sewage, recyclables reusables.

Cross-cutting issues Save the Children in Bolivia ensure that disaster risk reduction and climate change and its effects on programs are considered. Climate change effects the world – particularly indigenous communities – and therefore Save the Children has worked with indigenous communities to minimise the negative effects on the environment and start to introduce ways to prevent risk of disasters.

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