What is Disaster Risk Reduction?

A few months ago I wrote about the new program that Food for the Hungry is implementing world-wide, called Child Focused Community Transformation or CFCT. The  aim of CFCT is to equip community leaders and families with the skills and knowledge needed to transform their communities into places that nurture and contribute to children reaching their full potential.  The CFCT program is holistic, partnering with communities for 6-10 years to carry out  initiatives in four key sectors: health, livelihoods, education, and disaster risk reduction (DRR).  In my current role with FH/Peru, I am serving as the DRR Technical Advisor.  My job is to support the program manager and field staff by providing technical information and guidelines for implementing the DRR activities we will be carrying out with leaders and families.  So what is Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)?

Disaster risk reduction is an essential component to the development of any community.  Disasters can destroy communities and set back their development.  However, if communities include in their development plans initiatives to reduce disaster risks, then communities will be able to better protect not only lives but also progress they have worked so hard to achieve.   

When I first came to Peru in 2006, I was asked to help start a project related to helping churches be prepared for disasters and be prepared to serve others affected by disasters.  God, however had other plans for me, and that particular project did not go past the planning stages.  However, now I am glad to be able to return to working on DRR initiatives that include disaster preparedness activities. 

The overall goal of FH's DRR initiatives is to increase the capacity to reduce disaster risks in communities where FH serves.  In order to realize this goal, FH/Peru works alongside community leaders to facilitate the development of community DRR plans.  By working with community leaders to assess their disaster risk and develop and manage their own plans FH hopes to increase the resiliency of these vulnerable communities.  

One of the aspects of my work with FH DRR initiatives, has been to serve on an FH/International work group that has been developing the DRR training materials that fields are using to help leaders learn to identify threats to their community, and assess their vulnerability, capacity and risks so that they are able create community DRR plans.  This training material which was finalized last year is now being implemented in several communities in Peru and other countries. Through the training, communities develop plans for how to prepare and respond to disasters, and also how to mitigate their effects through initiatives like, building retaining walls in areas affected by earthquakes, or teaching children to swim in areas affected by flooding.  Each community plan is different taking in to consideration the risks each community faces, and building on the skills and capacity each community already has.  

(community members identifying some of the potential disasters that face their community)

Just as God used Joseph to warn Pharaoh about the impending 7 years of famine and also used him to help Egypt prepare in advance for that disaster.  FH hopes that God will use us to help communities identify, become prepared for and mitigate disasters that could potentially destroy lives and the development of their community.  

Please pray for FH as we walk with communities to help them prepare for disasters and reduce disaster risks, and for me as I continue to learn more about how I can support FH/Peru implement these activities.