Tribute to Zenaida Delica-Willison’s contribution to disaster risk reduction

The webinar in Tribute to Zenaida Delica-Willison’s Contribution to Disaster Risk Reduction was organised by the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) and the Research Network on Disaster, Environment, and Society (ReNDES) to launch the festschrift both organisations have published in tribute to Zenaida Delica-Willison’s contribution to disaster risk reduction.

Zen’s career spans forty years. She has worked with local people, NGOs, networks of civil society organisations, local and national government, and international organisations both in her native Philippines and all over the world. Her continuing advocacy to take actions to reduce disaster risk people-centred and inclusive has been a critical factor in the progressive uptake and success of what is nowadays known as Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction. As a result, Zen is considered a mentor by many current leaders in the field. A panel of stakeholders composed of Zenaida Delica-Willison herself, Lorna Victoria (Center for Disaster Preparedness), Bruno Haghebaert (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies), Andrew McElroy (UNDRR) and Ben Wisner (University College London) discussed how Zen’s and others’ experiences of community-based disaster risk reduction may help deal with the current COVID-19 crisis.