DIPECHO Meetings

November 18, 2009

DIPECHO Regional Consultations Conference:Tajikistan Partners' Overview Presentation

2

Purpose of discussion

• SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS:

– DP ACTVITIES IN TAJIKISTAN

o State of Preparedness: How far along are we?

• LESSONS LEARNED :

– IS THERE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT?

o Collective approach to DRR

o What does DRR deliver anyway?

• DRR STRATEGY FOR TAJIKISTAN:

– KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

o Integration of DRR

o Advocacy for coordinated approach

o Long-term investment in disaster prevention

DipECHO V Presentation _18Nov 2009 Regional Conference

Tajikistan and Disasters

DipECHO V Presentation _18Nov 2009 Regional Conference3

DIPECHO projects core focus:

• Community Mobilization for Disaster Management

• Institutional strengthening through capacity building

• School Based Disaster Preparedness

• Hospital Based Disaster Preparedness

• Public Awareness Raising

• DRR through Small Scale Mitigation projects

• Development of Emergency plans

• Development of Risk Reduction plans

• Reduction of Gender imbalances through the creation and training of Women Groups

DipECHO V Presentation _18Nov 2009 Regional Conference4

DipECHO V Presentation _18Nov 2009 Regional Conference5

State of Preparedness:What did DipECHO V help create in Tajikistan

• DRR MAINSTREAMING

– Increased knowledge and application of the concept of Disaster Risk Reduction by the communities

– Awareness raising and Prioritization

• HAZARD VULNERABILITY & RISK ASSESSMENT

– Increased understanding of the level of exposure of the communities to natural disasters regionally

• VILLAGE EMERGENCY OPERATING STRUCTURES

– Community based disaster preparedness and response group were formed

– Alignment to existing govt. Institutions such as CoEs for disaster response defined

• TEAMS AND TRAINING:

– Certified trained volunteer rescue brigades teams across the country

– Standardized tools and a “common language” (ex. through CoEs training of Resc. Brigades)

• INFRASTRUCTURE & SMALL SCALE MITIGATION PROJECTS:

– Flood risk along Yokhsu basin addressed with network of safe havens, radio coms. systems

– Introduction to small-scale mitigation projects as past of the community DRR planning

• INTER AGENCY COORDINATION STRATEGY:

– Joint bottom-up / top-down planning process both at the community and at policy levels

DipECHO V Presentation _18Nov 2009 Regional Conference6

Lessons Learned

• MESSAGES ( in DRR context)

– Systematic multi-hazard assessment /analysis of risk in the community or district level needs to be undertaken

– DRR activities need to be more closely linked to development activities, as there is currently little integration of the activities conducted

– There needs to be an overall district level DRR management structure

– Government –community dialogue on DRR needs to go beyond the current practices and become regular, comprehensive and more responsive to community needs

– There needs to be considerably more initiative on the part of the government in relation to the initiation and development of risk reduction activities at community and district level

Should we continue with DRR? Is it simply too hard to address? What benefits does it deliver anyway?

• Humanitarian point of view

• Every single disaster event that occurs shows us the consequences of not addressing the problems

• DRR may seem difficult to implement , but it is essential to address existing problems so the overall number of DRR programs can be increased

Our success will be measured in terms of lives saved, reductions in debilitating injuries, less distress and hardship

and more productive and energised communities !

DipECHO V Presentation _18Nov 2009 Regional Conference7

DipECHO V Presentation _18Nov 2009 Regional Conference8

DRR STRATEGY FOR TAJIKISTAN: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

• Retain currently used approaches, where individual DRR activities and works being implemented at community level

• There is a need for a changed approach to the way in which DRR projects are conceived and constructed, particularly in relation to project timeframes and the need to promote paradigm shifts in the way in which disaster risk is addressed

• Longer projects with more community- level funding are an important first step in this process

• Usage of right terminology to describe various aspects of DRR could be a limiting factor if left unaddressed, but it is easy to fix!