Umesh Prasad Dhakal
Executive Director
Nepal Red Cross Society

• The global Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteer workforce numbers 13.1 million : greater than the population of Greece, and equivalent to the population of Tokyo.
• Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers contributed USD 6 billion dollars worth of services worldwide in 2010.
•
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies is calling on governments around the world to continue to increase the protection of volunteers by identifying gaps or barriers in laws and policies related to issues such as liability, insurance, and health and safety.
•

Relieve human suffering and to reduce vulnerability through community participation and mobilistion of an increased number of volunteers, by expanding and strengthening the organisational structure of the Society and building links with governmental and nongovernmental organisations.

• More than 6,000 organisational units (chapters / subchapters, JRC/Y Circles) across the country.
• More than 1 million members.
• Nearly 90,000 trained volunteers in several disciplines.
• Community reach across the whole country
• Diversified programmes which integrate volunteer management.

Volunteers in disaster management
Human Resources (both volunteers and professionals)
FACT: 3
ERU: 1
RDRT: 39
NDRT: 147
DDRT: 1,667 (53 districts)
Simulator: 115
RCAT: 2,625
MFR: 12
CSSR: 4
PHiE: 29
LSAR: Around 2, 000 WASH: 1,642
First Aid Volunteer: 14,016 Dead Body Management: 13
First Aid Trainers: 651
Advance First Aider: 182
Tracing personnel: 255
PSP/ Counseling: 29/53
Regional core group/FA: 41 Emergency shelter trainer:22

• Volunteer Management Policy(2002).
• Volunteer Management Handbook (2006).
• Volunteer management as an organisational development programme.
• Systems and structures for managing and mobilising volunteers:
– On line database
– Training, refresher training
– Recruitment and rotation system
– Frequent mobilisation for emergencies and simulations

Community Based Approach to DRR and DM

A community is a group of households, families or individuals living in a certain geographical area; working together for a common purpose; however, are diverse in terms of culture, gender, age and with differentiated interests.

• Communities are ones who suffer most from these disasters every year:
– Nepal: Country with diverse topography.
– Multitudes of hazards existing in the communities.
– 10,000 families are affected annually by disaster,
2 lives per day - the highest rate in South Asia.
– Communities are first to be affected and first to respond.

• Communities are an effective and cost efficient , frontline force for prevention and mitigation efforts, saving lives, protecting livelihoods, enabling sustainable development.
• The investment in DRR and mitigation yields benefits at the ratio 1:18.6
(Cost Benefit analysis report of
CBDRR, 2010.)

Characteristics of a disaster resilient community
7. Coordination and partnership mechanism
6. Community action team and tools/equipments
5. Community managed Contingency/DRR funds
4. Early warning system
3.DRR/M plan, includes some core/minimum elements/risk reduction
2. Systematic and participatory multi-hazard risk assessment
1.Functional institutional base for DRR initiatives

Reaching the communtities
Site selection Community organization/
Rapport building
Review, evaluation and handing over
Community led
DRM action
Community
Organization process
Community
Disaster risk management planning
Institutional setting/
CDRMO formation
Risk Assessment/
Community
Situation analysis
(CSA)

2. Community
Organisation /
Rapport Building
1. Site
Selection
3. Insitiutional
Setting / CDRMO
Formation
Community
Organisation for DRR
7. Participatory
Monitoring and
Evaluation
4. Risk Assessment /
Situation Analysis
6. Communityled DRM action 5. Community Disaster
Risk Management
Planning

Community Based DRR Project Cycle

• Community based programmes:
– help to build solidarity among community people and strengthens community resilience.
– help to increase community volunteers and expanding organisation.
– ensure optimum utilization of local resources for risk reduction and capacity building.
• Sustainability measures need to be considered right from the planning phase.
• Community/volunteer involvement is the key for success.

1. Make the most out of community knowledge and resources:
– Encourage the use of indigenous knowledge and practices through the engagement of communities.
– Calculate and acknowledge the economic and social value of volunteers.

2. Ensure good volunteer management systems:
– Establish a systematic, institutionalised approach to volunteer management based on a volunteer management cycle
– Integrate volunteer management into all programmes / projects
– System of rewards and recognition

3. Create an enabling environment for volunteers through:
– Improving the protection, recognition and promotion of volunteers.
– Providing insurance for volunteers working in emergencies
– Calculate and acknowledge the economic and social value of volunteers.