Emi study and other docs

www.ifrc.orgSaving lives, changing minds.

Asia Pacific Disaster

Management Programmatic directions for the Red Cross and Red Crescent in building urban community resilience in the Asia Pacific Region

FINDINGS AND KEY RECOMMENDATIONS.

Submitted by Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative, Inc.

(EMI)

30 April 2012



Management

Strategies and practical recommendations

A number of issues that define the daily struggle of the urban poor determine their priorities. They include lack of land title and proper documentation to have access to public services such as health, education, water, electricity, sanitation, safety and security, and most importantly securing a daily income.



Management


All these issues cannot be addressed by any one organisation. Therefore, each NS must identify and align locally with the ones that are most relevant to their institutional capacities and mandate. Knowledge sharing between National Societies is a strong overall competency in problem solving and strategic intervention. The Federation can support the membership to build in-country capacities, adapt the tools, and facilitate alliances with key national institutions that can accompany them in this process.



Management


Some National Societies are inadequately equipped with knowledge and resources to identify, connect with and maintain relations with urban communities and urban actors. The urban communities were often described as “difficult to identify”, “not homogeneous and stable” and “lacking social support”. In cities, an organisation’s capabilities to understand the nature of this complexity will help determine its success.



Management


Most NS in the region implement programmes in urban areas but require the skills to document their experiences and translate such experiences into tools and guidelines that capture and replicate good practices.



Management

Table 8: Summary of proposed strategies, roles and value propositions

Strategy

RCRC Role in Urban Disaster Risk Reduction

Value Propositions

Multi-stakeholder Partnerships: Adopt a participatory and inclusive approach and reinforce partnerships with local authorities. Define RCRC role in Urban Risk Reduction based on country contexts and NS structure and solidify partnerships/coordination with urban stakeholders.

Leverage working partnerships with national and local disaster management authorities for greater access to

decision-making processes for vulnerable populations.

RCRC should explicitly position itself as informed and neutral advocates for vulnerable and marginalized populations in the overall planning, implementation and evaluation of urban development programmes.

ISDR Essential #1 on Institutional and Administrative Framework

Institutional Capacity: Improve existing institutional knowledge and capabilities on risk profiling and risk mapping.

Adopt simple self-assessment and indicator tools that can quickly build knowledge and skills in the urban context.

Establish linkage with global initiatives such as the Making Cities Resilient Campaign.

Build institutional capacities on risk profiling and mapping to link risk parameters to the conditions of vulnerable populations.

Partner with technical agencies and scientific organisations to transform scientific knowledge into simple planning and risk communication tools.

National Societies are well positioned to serve as a bridge between the most vulnerable communities and the institutions that govern and serve them.

ISDR Essentials # 7 on Training Education and Public Awareness and #9 on Effective Preparedness, Early Warning and Response



Management

Table 8: Summary of proposed strategies, roles and value propositions

Strategy

RCRC Role in Urban Disaster Risk Reduction

Value Propositions

Emergency Response and Preparedness: Build on existing core competencies in emergency response and preparedness and expand them to the urban context through a campaign to recruit/mobilise and train volunteers, especially the youth.

Further develop Community-Based Action Teams. Link these with the Disaster Preparedness programme of the local government to ensure sustainability.

Focus training activities on strength areas such as emergency management and build partnerships for undertaking drills for highly vulnerable urban communities.

National Societies can optimise resources and increase their impact in urban areas by forging partnerships with technical agencies especially on multi-hazard risk assessment to inform their emergency response and preparedness planning.

ISDR Essential #3 on Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment

Tools Adaptation and Knowledge Sharing: Select from existing RCRC tools and experiences and adapt them for use in the urban context.

Focus on adapting tools that have applications on Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships, Institutional Capacity and Emergency Response and Preparedness.

There is a wealth of urban programming experience within the domestic section of NS in developed countries that should be shared with sister National Societies.

ISDR Essentials #1, #3, #7 and #9



Management

Value proposition # 1: RCRC should explicitly position itself as informed and neutral advocates for vulnerable and marginalized populations in the overall planning, implementation and evaluation of urban development programmes.

1)Invest in researching the development processes of cities, the budgetary allocations, and the key programmes for poverty reduction, slum rehabilitation, sanitation improvements, educational access, and others. Typically, the local government authority is the main actor where some of the programmes such as slum rehabilitation are run by local branches of national authorities. These organisations often have stakeholders’ committees and/or public hearings.

RCRC can be members of these committees and work with local and district authorities to participate in the planning and review processes. National Societies serve as an efficient bridge between local authorities and the marginalized communities. At the policy level, RCRC can intervene as a partner of the government in the development of the national strategies and programmes.



Management

2) To be effective National Societies must acquire the knowledge on how urban development programmes are set up, funded, managed and evaluated. Without such information, NS run the risk of operating in a vacuum. In practical terms, the RCRC needs to—

• Investigate and document the working processes of these programmes and to hold meetings, workshops and trainings to ensure that such understanding is validated and becomes part of the competencies of the NS.

• Develop simple guides, brochures and short training courses to explain the inner working of the local and national programmes that are intended to serve the urban poor and the marginalised: poverty alleviation, informal settlement, support to the elderly, disaster risk reduction, etc. The selection should be relative to the most relevant local issues. The documentation would constitute an integral part of the knowledge base on urban risk and urban risk reduction.



Management

GLOBAL and REGIONAL REFERENCE DOCUMENTS



Management



Management IFRC REFERENCE DOCUMENTS



Management

REFERNCE DOCUMENTS FROM AMERICAS



Management SOME PICTURES



Management MORE SOME PICTURES

Emi study and other docs

Business

Transcript of Emi study and other docs