Disaster
Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness
FOCUS
works on a broad spectrum of measures to help communities
prepare for, survive and respond to disasters. Among FOCUS'
major longer term programmes are Prevention, Mitigation,
and Preparedness (PMP) initiatives in regions and communities
prone to natural and man made hazards.
Disaster Prevention,
Mitigation and Preparedness (PMP)
Prevention,
Mitigation, and Preparedness (PMP) is the channel through
which FOCUS works to decrease a community’s vulnerability
to natural disasters such as landslides, floods, mudslides,
epidemics, and earthquakes, catastrophic rain or snow, and
prepares them to respond rapidly and effectively to natural
disasters. In this way, the initiative also seeks to ensure
that communities are empowered in the learning process.
There are a variety of activities in each category, including:
building community awareness, the provision of communications
equipment (two-way radios), and mitigation projects, such
as flood retaining walls.
FOCUS
PMP programmes are currently active at various levels in
India, Tajikistan and Pakistan and are implemented in partnership
with the AKDN, Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA), the European Union (DIPECHO), United States government
(USAID) and the Japanese Social Development Fund.
PMP in India - Preparing Families
and Communities in Schools and Hospitals
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Practical experience
in basic fire-fighting skills for local community
volunteers
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In
India, FOCUS PMP initiatives operate in seven states. FOCUS
facilities the development of annual, comprehensive disaster
response plans in local communities enabling families to
be better informed about the potential consequences of natural
and manmade disasters. FOCUS works in collaboration with
local schools, hospitals, specialist institutes as well
as their stakeholders to ensure these communities are increasingly
aware of what can be done to minimise potential dangers.
Recently, FOCUS designed a training module on “Disaster
Preparedness in Hospitals” aiming to enhance awareness
in the medical fraternity for external and internal disaster
responses. FOCUS will begin disaster preparedness training
for hospital staff across Western India helping create safer
environments.
PMP in Tajikistan - Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness in Tajikistan
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Building a flood retaining wall
under FOCUS’ Japanese Social Development Fund project |
Fostering disaster-resilient communities in isolated mountain areas is a primary goal for FOCUS. In Tajikistan, FOCUS builds disaster-resilient communities through programmes funded by the Disaster Preparedness Agency of the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (DIPECHO). These programmes operate in vulnerable areas of Vanj, Ishkashim, Roshtkala and Shugnan. Awareness-raising programmes, community disaster management planning and disaster-mitigation projects have reached nearly 37,000 beneficiaries. FOCUS also implements projects to strengthen the abilities of local communities and institutions, especially those of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense (MoESCD), to cope with disasters through scientific knowledge generation, information management, capacity building, and community-based risk reduction initiatives.
A further DIPECHO grant will enhance risk management capacities in Tajikistan through the refinement of a risk model; risk assessment and risk reduction activities in villages; two-way radio communication systems; further strengthening of MoESCD’s capacity; and knowledge dissemination among institutions of higher education.
In collaboration with the Japanese Social Development Fund, FOCUS is implementing a programme aimed at reducing poverty in high mountain areas. This programme intends to further FOCUS’ mission of enabling disaster resilient communities not only through disaster preparedness and mitigation, but also with the added element of prioritised small-scale community-based investments identified by the communities themselves. To date, FOCUS has implemented structural mitigation projects, road rehabilitation, communications and income generation projects.
In partnership with Geo Hazard International (GHI) and funded by the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), FOCUS has implemented the Central Asian Republics Earthquake Safety Initiative (CARESI). The programme entails seminars which target government, urban communities, NGOs and research institutes and identify and implement measures to reduce the impact of seismic activity in Dushanbe. Some of the activities under this programme include the preparation and distribution of a Risk Reduction Framework in Russian and English; completion of 641 training sessions for 9,532 participants in Dushanbe; training of MoESCD representatives on Community Disaster Volunteers; and training professors from Tajik Technical University on Urban Community-Based Disaster Mitigation in Istanbul.
In 2006, FOCUS partnered with Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to extend the geographic coverage of the CARESI project to the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO). FOCUS is implementing awareness and training activities in six cities (Dushanbe, Khorog, Khojand, Kurgan-Teppa, Kulyab, and Garm) and 200 villages, thus benefiting at least 50,000 families. This programme will include the production and distribution of disaster awareness materials to all participants.
PMP in Pakistan – Towards
Disaster Resilient Communities
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Practical experience in basic first aid skills for local community volunteers
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FOCUS
Pakistan’s Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness
programme is based on a strategy of community preparedness
and local capacity building which aims to reduce the vulnerability
of over half a million people living in the mountainous
Northern Areas of Pakistan against natural disasters.
FOCUS
designed the Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM)
programme to enable disaster resilient communities by training
men and women in vital skill sets and empowering them with
basic technical knowledge required to respond, survive and
recover from disasters.
In
the Northern Areas, in population of nearly 700,000, FOCUS
has trained over 25,000 community volunteers to utilise
local resources to respond and manage local disaster situations.
Volunteers undergo organisational, basic first aid as well
as vigorous mountain search and rescue training. At community
level, the volunteers are divided into planning and response
groups ready to be deployed at short notice. FOCUS also
provides stockpiles at community and regional level to support
a community’s timely and effective response.
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