Standard 4: Disaster Risk
Our Commitment:
We are committed to reducing the
risk of future disaster by
strengthening local capacity and
reducing future vulnerability to
disaster hazards as well as meeting
short-term needs.
A teaching aid supporting earthquake preparedness
in schools, Indonesia
Quality Standards Field Guide – First Edition, December 2009
Standard 4: Disaster Risk
The issues
In the past, NGOs have often focused on quick relief responses to save lives and
reduce suffering in disasters, but they have not used the opportunity to invest in
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). A DRR approach in emergency response means
strengthening local capacity and reducing future vulnerability as well as meeting
short-term needs. These principles are enshrined in the Red Cross Code of
Conduct (see page 138).
One of the strongest examples of the impact of a DRR approach has been seen in
Bangladesh. Bangladesh early warning systems have reduced the death toll
caused by cyclones – allowing people to evacuate to safe cyclone shelters before
the cyclone makes landfall. This has drastically reduced their death tolls – from
300,000 deaths during Cyclone Bhola in 1970 to 3,000 during Cyclone Sidr in 2008.
The model below demonstrates how hazards and vulnerabilities can come
together to create disasters:
Vulnerability
D
I
S
A
S
T
E
R
Hazard
Hazards are natural or man made events, which will result in disaster if people
are vulnerable. In some countries, this ‘disaster’ model is referred to as a ‘crisis’
or a ‘catastrophe’ e.g. a food crisis in the Sahel region. Examples of hazards
include Drought, Flooding and Earthquake. Vulnerabilities are conditions which
reduce people’s ability to withstand or respond to particular hazards. In contrast
Capacities are strengths or resources belonging to individuals, households and
communities, which increase their ability to withstand or respond to those
hazards. Some donors, the UN and NGOs prefer to use the language of
‘strengthening resilience’ which is a positive and alternative way of describing a
DRR approach.
Quality Standards Field Guide – First Edition, December 2009
Standard 4: Disaster Risk
Vulnerabilities and Capacities are often considered under five categories: Human,
Social, Constructed, Natural and Economic. Examples of vulnerabilities and
capacities under these categories include the following:
Category
Human
Vulnerabilities
• a lack of skills or knowledge
• widespread health problems
(eg. HIV prevalence)
• fatalism
• age, gender and ethnicity
Social
• a disorganised or fragmented
society
• poor leadership
Constructed • poorly constructed buildings
• weak structural design
• location of houses on an
unstable slope or in a floodprone area
• bad quality roads and bridges
Natural
• lack of natural resources
• restricted access to natural
resources
Economic
•
•
•
•
a lack of money
fragile livelihoods
no credit & savings facilities
few saleable assets
Capacities
• a high level of skills and
knowledge
• a strong, able bodied
population
• strong motivation & hope
• resilience, empowerment
and support
• strong social support
structures
• a sharing culture
• good leadership
• well constructed buildings
• good structural design
• well located buildings
• good roads and bridges
• abundant water supply
• good forest cover and
wood availability
• available wild foods
• good alternative livelihood
options
• credit & savings facilities
• saleable assets
Biblical foundations
The Old Testament includes two examples of disaster preparedness. In the
Genesis flood (Gen 6-8), Noah saves his family and a wide selection of land
animals and birds by constructing a large boat. In the story of Joseph, Joseph
interprets the dreams of Pharaoh, King of Egypt. He is made Prime Minister and
entrusted with a nation-wide famine preparedness programme (Gen 41 and 47:1326). His actions saved a nation from starvation.
Quality Standards Field Guide – First Edition, December 2009
Standard 4: Disaster Risk
Good Practice commitments
Our commitment in emergency responses is to design our projects in ways that
build on peoples’ capacities and reduce underlying vulnerabilities as much as
possible, thus equipping them to face future hazards. In the absence of this kind
of developmental approach, local capacities can be neglected or even
undermined and poorly designed projects can create a dependency mindset. This
basic approach can be applied to all emergency responses; whether relating to
natural disasters or complex political emergencies, as well as development
contexts, especially where the emergency and development divide is blurred by
ongoing chronic vulnerability.
Close links to other Quality Standards
There are close links with Technical Quality, as we need to address underlying
vulnerabilities in our technical design (e.g. earthquake resilient buildings); Child
Development and Protection as children are particularly vulnerable due to their
young age and less able to speak for themselves; Gender, as we need to consider
the different underlying vulnerabilities faced by women and men and their
different capacities; HIV, in recognising the particular considerations of HIV and
vulnerability; Environment, recognising the close connections between disaster
risk, climate change and environmental degradation; Sustainability, as reducing
disaster risk and sustainability go hand in hand; and Advocacy as the root causes
of vulnerability are often issues of policy, practices and cultural traditions.
Where to look for further information:
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Good Practice Guide on Disaster Risk Reduction
ROOTS 9 on Reducing Disaster Risk in our Communities
ROOTS 13 on Environmental Sustainability
PILLARS guide on Preparing for Disaster
UNISDR
Hyogo
Link:
www.unisdr.org/eng/hfa/docs/HFA-brochureEnglish.pdf
www.fews.net
FAO GIEWS Crop prospects and food situation:
http://www.fao.org/giews/english/cpfs/index.htm
FAO National basis food prices – data and analysis tool by country:
http://www.fao.org/giews/pricetool/
WFP Food Security Assessment reports by country:
http://www.wfp.org/food-security/reports
UN Coordinating Body: www.unisdr.org
Info portal: www.preventionweb.net
Global network of civil society org in DRR: http://globalnetwork-dr.org
Quality Standards Field Guide – First Edition, December 2009
Standard 4: Disaster Risk
Practical Steps for carrying out our Disaster Risk commitment
Identification
Step 1: Understand the
context of the emergency
situation, people’s
capacities and
vulnerabilities
Design and Implementation
Step 2: Identify and build up
existing community
capacities
Step 3: Identify and address
long term vulnerabilities
Step 4: Support
preparedness for future
disasters (if applicable)
Step 5: Identify underlying
causes of vulnerability and
address them through
targeted advocacy
Quality Standards Field Guide – First Edition, December 2009
Standard 4: Disaster Risk
Step 1: Understand the
context of the emergency
situation, people’s
capacities and
vulnerabilities
Assessment
It is important that you understand the context fully in order to ensure your
projects are designed appropriately:
• Carry out an analysis of the Hazards, Vulnerabilities & Capacities. If it is a
disaster situation resulting from natural hazards such as flooding, drought or
earthquake then a comprehensive assessment should be carried out using
the PADR methodology. In a man-made disaster situation, a simple analysis
of vulnerabilities and capacities will help to ensure appropriate project
design.
• Is this an unpredicted emergency, or part of a predictable cycle? What are
future trends expected to be and will further emergency response be
needed in the future?
• What is the potential impact in the future of climate change and how should
this be taken into account in designing the emergency response?
• What steps can be taken to avoid undermining longer-term development
work or creating dependency upon external resources?
Quality Standards Field Guide – First Edition, December 2009
Standard 4: Disaster Risk
Step 2: Identify and build up
existing community
capacities.
The community has traditional methods for coping with a hazard. In a disaster
situation, these capacities are often overwhelmed, but not wiped out. Some
examples of strengthening local capacity:
• Use community members for involvement in work projects whenever
possible, rather than contracting labourers from outside.
• Strengthen local leadership structures, problem solving mechanisms and
support structures for more vulnerable members of the community. (At the
same time, be sensitive to issues of gender and exploitation; these may
need to be challenged if they are increasing vulnerability of the poor or
marginalised).
• Use local suppliers of goods to boost the local market economy.
• Identify and revive traditional coping strategies, e.g. drought-resistant crops
for drought areas.
• Identify and strengthen local mechanisms for solving disputes.
• The local church, where present, can have strong capacities and knowledge
of the community, including its complex social and political networks.
Through its relationships in the community and its experience of bringing
people together, it can play a very strong role in community facilitation and
organisation. The local church has assets and resources that it can put at
the disposal of disaster response teams. People are a key resource, and can
be mobilised into a willing body of volunteers. Buildings are also valuable
assets that can shelter displaced people or be used to stock relief materials.
As congregations meet regularly, messages can be communicated to a
significant number of people. Information can be instructive in
emergencies, or more educational when preventative measures are
required. In situations of conflict, the local Church can be well placed to
support reconciliation and build peace.
Quality Standards Field Guide – First Edition, December 2009
Standard 4: Disaster Risk
Step 3: Identify and address
long term vulnerabilities
By carefully designing projects, some long term vulnerabilities can be reduced
in addition to meeting immediate needs. Some examples:
• Using Food for Work (FFW) and Cash for Work (CFW) to provide immediate
food or employment, but at the same time, addressing an underlying
problem – such as digging an irrigation ditch, constructing a water-retaining
cross dam, building a flood embankment, terracing of slopes, etc.
• Rebuilding houses in a different (safer) place or according to a stronger,
more hazard-resistant design.
• Carrying out health promotion activities will help families and animals not
only to stay healthier in the short term but will help them to be less
vulnerable in any future disaster.
• Seeking new or alternative livelihoods to diversify sources of income such as
market gardening, or adjusting farming or herding methods, in order to be
less affected by a future hazard.
• Incorporating peace-building elements into the project so that the risks of
future communal violence or escalating conflict are decreased.
• Wherever projects are constructing buildings, such as houses or schools, in a
situation where there is a vulnerability to a hazard, such as an earthquake
or cyclone, then it is critical that the design of the building is resistant to
the hazard, e.g. earthquake resistant or cyclone resistant.
• The underlying causes of people’s vulnerability are often connected to the
issues of cultural values and beliefs. A fatalistic mind-set can significantly
hinder both disaster preparedness and disaster response work in
communities. Where there are local churches, they are well-placed to
address these issues given their positive vision of the future. Churches have
experience of wrestling with values, behaviour and differing worldviews,
and of seeing transformation in these areas.
Quality Standards Field Guide – First Edition, December 2009
Standard 4: Disaster Risk
Step 4: Support
preparedness for future
disasters (if applicable)
Where there is a significant
risk of a repeat disaster in
the future e.g. an area
subject to annual flooding,
cyclical drought, or located
in
an
area
prone
to
earthquakes, then assess with
communities how they can be
better prepared for any
future hazards or shocks. This
could include:
• Carrying out a review of what happened in the recent disaster and what
essential needs/services were missing. This can lead to developing a
contingency plan which will enable the community to cope better next time.
Contingency plans can be drawn up at both the community and family level. It
may be necessary for a Community Disaster Committee to be formed to
develop and implement the plan.
• For rapid onset hazards like flooding, preparedness can include establishing an
early warning system, evacuation plans, evacuation routes, evacuation
shelters, stockpiles of food, stockpiles of rescue equipment, and training of
able bodied disaster volunteers in First Aid and other skills.
• For slow onset hazards like drought, preparedness can include establishing an
early warning system, destocking arrangements for livestock, use of grain
banks, and planning for reduction in available water supplies.
• Providing education and support in disaster preparedness.
Quality Standards Field Guide – First Edition, December 2009
Standard 4: Disaster Risk
Step 5: Identify underlying
causes of vulnerability and
address them through
targeted advocacy.
The root causes of vulnerability and risk are
often associated with failures in the
development process, or with government
inability to provide the rights and
entitlements of its people. Advocacy is often
necessary to engage with authorities and
other people taking key decisions at
different levels on disaster risk reduction issues.
• At higher levels, NGO networks may be able to remind the government of their
commitments to the Hyogo Framework for Action (a UN agreement which
describes 5 areas of disaster-reducing activity) and runs from 2005 – 2015).
• Locally, an NGO may be able to influence the operation of a government
Disaster Management Committee; stimulating pre-disaster activity and not just
post-disaster response. Landowners or business interests may also be
contributing to vulnerability and may respond to appropriate lobbying.
See Standard 12: Advocacy for more information.
Quality Standards Field Guide – First Edition, December 2009
Standard 4: Disaster Risk
Project Examples:
In Ethiopia, a partner organised cash for work projects with communities
affected by food insecurity. This had the dual effect of providing vitally
needed cash for the most vulnerable families to buy food and undertaking
community projects such as terracing and tree planting to improve soil
quality, so reducing vulnerability.
In Niger, a partner working with a pastoralist group has set up a
comprehensive destocking programme to reduce the vulnerability in
drought. This includes monitoring market prices, supporting the timely sale
of livestock while they have a higher value, and supporting transportation to
the market when the livestock need to be sold.
In Ethiopia, a partner undertook an irrigation project using water from a
river to allow for two or more planting seasons each year. This reduced the
vulnerability of farmers in the area to annual food gaps.
In Kashmir, Pakistan, the reconstruction of homes following the earthquake
included training on earthquake resilient design, and the provision of tools
and salvage equipment in communities in order for them to be better
prepared for future earthquakes.
A partner working in NE India worked with local churches to challenge the
fatalistic mindset of the communities whose land was flooded every year by
the river and the state of dependency arising from repeated relief handouts.
This was a key component to the Disaster Risk Reduction approach.
Local churches in Puno, Peru were mobilised and along with the community
set about building miles of channels to drain away excess water and prevent
the erosion of their land.
Partners in India constructed houses with staircases up to flat roofs so that in
the case of future flooding or another tsunami people would be able to
quickly access a high, safe place. Early warning systems were installed. Small
teams were trained at community level to organise and assist vulnerable
people with evacuation.
Quality Standards Field Guide – First Edition, December 2009