Conducting a participatory capacity and vulnerability analysis. In OL 343 you conducted a participatory capacity and vulnerability analysis as part of developing your project. If it was focused on DRR you can move onto Assignment 3. If your assessment was on a different theme than DRR, you can use the same workshop resources and focus a second assessment on hazards and disasters. Examples could be floods or extreme weather events such as hurricanes. In week one you will develop the workshop lesson plans and arrange for the meeting where everyone in the community can better understand how disasters can impact their village.

Leading a participatory capacity and vulnerability analysis workshop. This week you will be facilitating the participatory workshop with the community to assess their disaster related risks, hazards, vulnerabilities and capacities. You will achieve this through a seasonal calendar exercise, a hazard mapping exercise, a timeline exercise, and a summary of hazard impacts on lives and assets. After completing the assessment you will work with the community to prioritize the most important hazards, to pinpoint specific solutions—and to determine community capacity for implementing the solutions.

DRR Overview: Setting up a CBDRR subcommittee. In week 8 of OL 343 you set up a community based project management committee. You can use the same technique to set up a Community Based DRR subcommittee. This subcommittee will be able to work with your NGO to create long-term associations with government agencies that can support long-term DRR activities. The subcommittee will be in charge of developing a DRR plan, and for coordinating disaster teams. Setting up a subcommittee is a much more rapid process than setting up a full committee. We will also explore an overview of common DRR activities.

Developing a DRR plan. Developing a DRR plan may include each of the activities in the surveys above—and maintaining them in perpetuity. This will involve a plan for consciousness-raising among community members about DRR challenges, connecting with an early warning system, organizing teams, DRR training teams in evacuation and search and rescue, and prioritizing mitigation strategies. The plan can include an advocacy campaign for obtaining government support.

Community Engagement. Frequently community members don’t have a clear picture of how and why disasters happen. They also may not know how to react when a disaster is building or is already in progress. Workshops and simple posters or how-to cards need to be developed to help them understand these concepts and to learn that there are things that they can do to reduce the risk caused by disasters, and to mitigate the severity of the disasters.

Organizing Teams. Based upon the results of your community’s participatory capacity and vulnerability assessment, you should now have a prioritized list of hazards and disasters. As part of the DRR plan the committee will prioritize preparedness activities, risk reduction activities and mitigation activities. Teams should be organized for each of the major priorities. If, for example, the type of disaster your community faces necessitates evacuation, an evacuation team should be established that develops a plan to lead an evacuation at the appropriate time—and then lead an actual evacuation if necessary.

Evaluate the results of participatory mapping of disaster risks and hazards—and then select an appropriate disaster risk mitigation technique specifically for community members to learn to implement. Develop an overview for committee members of disaster risk mitigation techniques that could include reforestation of watersheds, gully plugging, secure food storage and a savings plan. Make an appointment to propose appropriate techniques to the DRR Management Committee for feedback.

Workshop Planning. Prioritize which DRR technique should be introduced in the first workshop. Contact a DRR expert of feedback and input. Develop a workshop lesson plan. Draw a how-to card. Arrange the date and location for the workshop with your community contact person. Arrange for supplies and tools for the workshop with your community contact person.

Capacity building for disaster risk reduction and mitigation activities for community members. There are many activities that can be done to mitigate potential disasters. Some, like mangrove plantings along river banks can reduce erosion during a flood season. The reforestation of a watershed can reduce danger from flash floods. Both are activities that communities can do over the span of time. Capacity building workshops give community members the skill sets that they need to do these activities. Other activities like relocating houses to higher ground may be outside of their purchasing power, but committee members can be trained to develop advocacy campaigns for approaching governments for support in more major investments.