Community-based disaster risk reduction

Introduction

Disasters continue to wreak havoc in various parts of the world, especially in the poor and developing countries. In response, Citizenry-Based Development Organizations (CBDOs) develop innovative approaches to cope with recurring disasters. In South Asia, CBDOs have tremendous experience on community resilience and knowledge to mitigate adverse impacts of natural disasters. They are together with Non Government Organizations (NGOs)2 at the forefront in promoting Disaster Risk Reduction through advocacy and concrete actions on the ground.

However, there is a very limited space for these CBDOs to discuss, share and learn from each other and the academic fraternity in the region. Their lateral links are of great value but often under resourced. Regional and international conferences and meetings are gatherings of mostly international, regional and national figures. Unfortunately, these are not the ideal venues for CBDOs to share and learn. The “South-South Citizenry- Based Development Academy” is conceptualized to initiate this local, lateral, direct dialogue of sharing and learning between those who matter the most in reducing risk and making development safer. This Academy is meant to continue the aim of the Training and Learning Circle, a South-South Collaboration between the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) and the Philippines' Center for Disaster Preparedness, facilitated by the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center and funded by the ProVention Consortium.

The “South-South Citizenry- Based Development Academy” is derived from the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation's three Global Platforms: namely; Global South-South Development Academy; Global South-South Development Expo; and Global Asset and Technology Exchange. The Citizenry-Based Development Academy is the local translation of these three global platforms to bridge the gap between global and local efforts in the area of disaster risk reduction.

Objectives of the South-South Citizenry Based Development Academy.

The main objective of the South-South Citizenry Based Development Academy (SS CBDA) is to strengthen abilities of young academics, researchers, and CBO/Community leaders in Asia and the Pacific to understand community resilience against natural disasters and to interpret diverse viewpoints on disaster risk reduction by:

-Sharing knowledge and showcasing community based DRR practices and South-South development solutions, including strategies for scaling across and scaling up good practices.

The 2001 earthquake recovery efforts and lessons are shared with other Southern communities and yet the demand continues from Aceh in Indonesia to Khulna in Bangladesh to Kabul in Afghanistan. Thus, the academy will be held in the Kutch District of Gujarat in India. Kutch is one of the districts most affected by natural disasters (droughts, cyclones, earthquakes etc.). It is also however a district with a vast amount of local know-how and strong resilience capacities. Communities in Gujarat are best known for their cooperative resilience and tradition of active volunteerism.

Learning methods for the first South-South citizenry based development academy

The objective is to link theory and practice, involving the use of a wide range of tools, lectures, casestudies, in-depth field trips, individual projects, and presentations. Participants will have the opportunity to visit community projects and interact with people implementing those projects. The final schedule will be available in January 2010. The Academy will be structured around five case studies on Community Resilience. Facilitators are drawn from the organizing institution (AIDMI) and a range of academic and civil society organizations from India. The organizer continue to try change or modify the present programme at any time to achieve better impact and greater results.

Learning outcomes

The expected learning outcomes for the participants of the First South-South Citizenry Based Development Academy on Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction include:

-In-depth understanding of 2001 Gujarat earthquake community response and recovery actions
-Improved understanding of risk identification and examination of community managed approaches to reduce disaster risks
-Sharpened analytical and problem-solving skills
-Intellectual interaction with a wide-section of lecturers and fellow participants from around the world from diverse academic and professional backgrounds
-Social interaction with fellow participants from diverse cultural backgrounds

Language:

Medium of instruction and academy materials are in English but most of the working language will be in Gujarati by local communities.