Title of the success story/case
study
Building Resilient Communities Through Community
Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR)
Context & problem
Briefly state:
- What was the problem and where (locality
description)?
The coastal region of District Badin (Sindh) is highly
vulnerable to floods due to heavy rainfalls and
breaches in the drains. This results in multiplying the
magnitude of the flood as the water cannot be drained.
It also results into stagnant water which contributes to
the outbreak of water borne diseases especially when
disaster strikes.
Despite the district being flood affected and flood
prone local communities or local government never
planned to reduce risk for damages caused by floods
and the havoc wreaked by the ineffective drainage.
The community attributes disaster to Divine action
believing that ‘God sends forth disasters as punishment
for bad deeds committed by the population affected’
The communities due to limited capacities and
knowledge never carried out hazard mapping to
identify potential vulnerabilities and risks, to over the
come the impact of floods which resulted in loss of life
and severe losses in livelihood, livestock, agricultural
produce and assets year after year.
How the problem was addressed
ActionAid Pakistan (AAPk) in partnership with local
organization Badin Rural Development society (BRDS)
started an intervention aimed at disaster risk reduction
in 05 villages. The intervention was supported through
UK appeal fund.
The intervention adopted the following approach:
a. Awareness raising and community orientation
The intervention was introduced to the community
and awareness raising around disaster and what
disaster risk reduction was undertaken. The
intervention specially focused on women
recognizing that; as a vulnerable group women and
children are most affected by disaster and women
are often the first responders in emergency
situations. Awareness raising activities were
specifically targeted at women too; along with
men.
b. Mobilization: Communities were explained the
importance of disaster risk reduction and the
benefits planning and mitigating risks can bring.
The whole ‘a stitch in time saves nine’
metaphor was elaborately explained to the
community and women groups to create
ownership of the intervention.
c. Organization: Women among other community
members were organized i.e. explained how
they could work together and support each
other in identifying community resources and
contribute to risk reduction. Groups were
formed – women groups were also formed so
that womens’ needs can be voiced and the risk
reduction is gender sensitive.
d. Hazard mapping: The groups formed (with
support of BRDS and AAPk) worked together for
contingency planning of each settlement. The
plans identified local resources, potential
threats and hazards, vulnerabilities and
capacities.
e. Plan development: Plans were developed
through a participatory approach. This plan
identified areas of intervention; behavioral
change within the community and actions and
linkages development with government
institutions.
f. Lobbying and Advocacy: The local communities
drafted a letter highlighting the key risks
needing mitigation and sent it to DDMA ,
PDMA, NDMA, President and Prime Minister’s
office.
g. Under the project a set of contingency stock has
been delivered to community, which includes
wheel barrows, spade, picks shovels and rescue
ropes. The community has been sensitized for
reducing risk and vulnerabilities in case of
disaster. Now women and men are both
working together for raising the level of
platforms in front of their homes. These raised
platforms will help communities to save
livestock and other assets during the floods.
The key areas in which women were specifically
addressed were:
 Household level planning to address risk
reduction – as households are a woman’s
fortress and they are the key force which can
take and maintain measures at home-level.
 Women were given first aid training so that the
community can receive first aid immediately if
need arises. Women learnt to take part in
rescue operations, controlling bleeding , CPR for
infants, children and adults )
 Protection management committees were also
formed at village level (these have 5 women
members) as part of implementing the risk
reduction plan to ensure that women and girls
can be ‘protected’ in case disaster strikes and
harassment, abductions and any other type of
assault can be kept at bay by creating vigilance
mechanism at community level.
 Women were represented in camp
management committee (5 women in
committee) so that camp management can be
gender sensitive and women’s needs are
addressed.
Relevance to HFA 1
This case study falls under priority area 1 and 2. Priority
area 1 and its key activities (ii-e) firstly we assess the
existing human resource capacities for DRR at
community level and develop capacity building plans
and programmes for them. As far as the community
participation (iii –h), we promote community
participation at all level specially focus on women
participation in DRR through different activities.
HFA priority area 2, we formed groups (male and
female) and work together for contingency planning.
We developed and widely disseminated risk maps and
related information to decision makers at all level.
Challenges





Results
The DRR project design was not child focused
interventions / or school based interventions,
though children are also vulnerable during
disasters and there is dire need for addressing
‘protection’ concerns in regard to children too.
It is challenging to stick to donors mandates and
scope in time of emergency relief and work on
disasters.
District Disaster Management Authority has
capacity issues in terms of human resource ,
equipment and even linkages for influencing
other public institutions to ensure adaptation of
infrastructure (eg schools, roads, homes etc) to
be flood resilient.
The hazards maps identified major risk
mitigation measures to be taken for the
community’s resilience to be built against
disaster – such mitigation and investment is the
State’s responsibility but the State neither owns
nor addresses the issue. The DDMA lacks
resources to take on such measures.
Time required for proposal writing and making
proposals ‘look good’ on paper wastes
considerable time where needs of community
could be addressed. Proposal formats should be
very simple when in comes to relief and even
initial rehab efforts.
Due to bureaucratic structure and capacity
issues at local govt level – community owned
DRR is difficult to link/add to the State’s
contingency plans.
- Village level disaster management committees
formed in 05 village, each committee has 10
members (05 women and 05) , this committee is
responsible for implementation of community
based risk reduction actions and lead to advocacy
initiatives. These committees comprise of women
members too which is a stepping stone for women
empowerment in the area
- There are more than 30 households with raised
platforms and women are more actively involved in
finishing work of these platforms – which shows
community ownership (in men as they are letting
women engage into these activities and in women
as they are actively participating understanding
that it is their need). There are two women
committees (protection committee and camp
management) which were formed in each
settlement, each committee is composed of 05
women, and these women are trained in first aid
skills and sensitized on protection needs of women
and children.
Conclusion
Contact information in case we
need more details
The community based initiatives are quite effective
and owned by the community, because these are
proposed and implemented by the communities
themselves. There is thus strong ownership among
the community, which makes themeasy to
maintain and replicate within the village or in other
villages .
 Village level disaster management
committees have linkages development
with DDMA and government authorities
 Contingency plans prepared and advocacy
undertaken with government agencies
 Training of emergency response teams ERTs
to management rescue and first aid at
community level
 Demonstrating better and safer housing
models and training of local artisans to
construct resilient and safer structures
 Development of village safety plans and
ongoing advocacy with local government for
incorporation of community DRR needs in
State agenda.
 Linkage development with DDMA , PDMA
and NDMA as per disaster related
institutional framework of NDMA
Yusra Qadir
yusra.qadir@actionaid.org
Programme Funding Coordinator
Action Aid Pakistan
Khadim hussain
92-331-2689045
khadimbrds@yahoo.com