Preparing for disaster saves lives
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Material Information

Title:
Preparing for disaster saves lives
Creator:
European Commisssion Humanitarian Aid (ECHO)
Disaster Risk Reduction Program, Florida International University (DRR/FIU) ( summary contributor )
Publisher:
European Commisssion Humanitarian Aid (ECHO)
Publication Date:
Copyright Date:
2008
Language:
English

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Risk management ( lcshac )
Humanitarian aid ( lcshac )
Emergency housing ( lcshac )
Emergency management ( lcshac )
Sanitation ( lcshac )
Genre:
non-fiction ( marcgt )
Spatial Coverage:
Asia -- Bangladesh
Asia -- Tajikistan
Asia -- Vietnam
Africa -- Eritrea
Africa -- Sudan
Africa -- Ethiopia
Africa -- Somalia
Africa -- Kenya
Africa -- Uganda
Africa -- Rwanda
Africa -- Tanzania
North and Central America -- Dominican Republic
North and Central America -- Nicaragua
Latin America
South America -- Peru

Notes

Summary:
This pamphlet is a testament to the Disaster Preparedness component of the European Commission for Humanitarian Aid Office’s (DIPECHO) mission to “save lives and relieve the suffering of people caught up in crises” (p. 4). As a people-centered organization, it focuses on implementing disaster risk reduction (DRR) initiatives that will strengthen resilience to disasters at the community level. It promotes disaster awareness, disaster preparedness, and disaster prevention. DIPECHO supports community-based DRR by equipping local communities with the skills to prevent and prepare for disasters. It works to incorporate DRR into its relief procedures in six regions: Latin America and the Caribbean; Central Asia; South Asia; South East Asia; and is expanding its operations into the Southern Africa/Indian Ocean region. It provides technical assistance and training in: 1) launching and maintaining early warning systems; 2) procurement of water and the importance of sanitation; 3) creating local rescue groups; 4) building emergency shelters; 5) socializing youth and vulnerable groups towards DRR; and 6) disaster preparedness. Emphasis is placed on assisting the most vulnerable, particularly those who live in remote areas where assistance is not readily available; those who live in conditions of poverty; minority populations that are often marginalized; women and girls; those vulnerable to disaster due to their age, whether very young or elderly; and populations with physical disabilities. The next section of the document looks at “DRR in Action” by presenting cases studies of work being done in Bangladesh, the Dominican Republic, the Greater Horn of Africa, Latin America & the Caribbean, Nicaragua, Peru, Tajikistan, and Vietnam. While DIPECHO assists vulnerable populations that face disaster risks, it emphasizes that these populations not be viewed as potential victims but as potential actors with the agency to save their own lives and to act as partners in the building of safer more resilient societies. Thus, a growing element within DIPECHO’s work is building the capacity of local populations to reduce disaster risks, to prepare for disasters, and to respond effectively when they do occur. ( English )
Subject:
General Risk Management
Subject:
Development
Citation/Reference:
(2008?). Preparing for disaster saves lives. European Commission Humanitarian Aid Officce (EU/DIPECHO).

Record Information

Source Institution:
Florida International University
Rights Management:
Refer to main document/publisher for use rights.
Resource Identifier:
FI13042622

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Aggregations:
Disaster Risk Reduction