Caritas: Launch of regional DRR project in South-East Europe

The Caritas Organizations from Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Romania, and Serbia have announced the launch of a regional project entitled, 'Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction in South-Eastern Europe'.

The project proposal has been developed by the regional SEECEG (South Eastern Europe Caritas Emergency Group). Community based disaster risk reduction is a systematic approach empowering communities to identify and assess the risk of disaster and to minimize their vulnerability to disasters. In this way the adverse impacts of hazards are avoided (prevention) or limited (mitigation and preparedness).

In recent years, South Eastern Europe, like many other regions, has been affected by a growing number of disasters (floods, forest fires, landslides, earthquakes). Caritas organizations of the region provided support for those most affected by these events. Analysing this situation the organizations concluded that in the future rather than only reacting to disasters, a focus should be set on reducing the disaster risk.

Starting in November 2010, the participating organizations will develop their capacities to implement community based disaster risk reduction programs and will implement pilot projects in five local communities, one in each of the participating countries. The Romanian Caritas Confederation, which is coordinating the project, will set up a resource centre offering training, consultancy, working instruments and useful documents for all five organizations. An internet-site will facilitate the communication between the project partners and will offer publications and other documents.

In the local communities, where the pilot projects will be implemented, groups of volunteers will be formed and trained in methods of disaster risk reduction. They will assess hazards, vulnerabilities and resources in their own community. Following this they will design and implement small projects to reduce the vulnerability of their community and will develop action plans in preparation for a possible emergency situation.

At the end of the project (April 2012) documentation on the project activities, methods used and the results will be published.