Building safercommunities in the

South Caucasus

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection

Disaster RiskReduction

European solidarity with the most vulnerable

The Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) is part of the European Commission, the European Union's executive arm. Through ECHO funding, millions of people are helped each year in more than 70 countries through 200 partners (international NGO's, the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, and specialised UN agencies).

Aid is channelled impartially to the a �ected populations, regardless of their race, ethnic group, religion, gender, nationality or political a�liation.

'By including Disaster Risk Reduction inour funding, we are reducing vulnerability and building resilience of the most vulnerable people. This helps to avoid humanitarian and economic losses, as well as securing development gains and providing a sustainable basis for other adaptation actions over the long term'.

Kristalina Georgieva,European Commissioner forInternational Cooperation,Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response

Photos: cover: Armenian Red Cross – simulation exercise, Shirak Region, Armenia;1,2 UNICEF; 3, 4, Oxfam

©European Union, 2011

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection

Helping whenneeded most

European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department - ECHO

ECHO Tbilisi O�ce

Tel.: (+995 32) 291 0058E-mail: lomsake@echo-tbilisi.org or echo.tbilisi@echo�eld.eu

Website: http://ec.europa.eu/echowww.facebook.com/ec.humanitarian.aid

Commissioner Georgieva's web site:http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/georgieva/index_en.htm

The communities selected for the DIPECHO South Caucasus programme are a �ected by recurrent disasters such as earthquakes, forest �res, �oods or landslides. Most of these disasters are small scale. Their damaging e �ect to public infrastructure, houses and livelihoods can be signi�cantly reduced through the implementation of basic mitigation works. These include the construction of canalizations, the reinforcement of bridges and the protection of river banks to prevent �ash foods or the reforestation of unstable soils to prevent landslides.

A Community Emergency Group draws up a hazard map, Adjara Region, Georgia.

A reinforced bridge to reduce the impact of �oods, Vayots Dzor, Armenia.

Risk mapping and risk reduction through mitigation works

It is impossible to prevent natural hazards, but their impact can be limited through the identi�cation of risks, the increase in preparedness of the population and investments in e �ective response mechanisms at local, regional and national level.

Often the poorest and remotest communities su �er most when disasters strike as they tend to live in greater density in badly-built houses on land at risk. They also have limited resources to deal with the risks they face.

The �rst step for communities to prepare for natural disasters is to know their environment, the natural hazards threatening them and the capacities they have to respond. This analysis is not only to be done comprehensively at community level but also at household level.

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A house damaged by �ash foods in Khashuri, Shida Kartli, Georgia, June 2011.

“Riskland”, a board game on natural hazards and disaster preparedness designed to help children grasp the most important issues, Tbilisi, Georgia.

Before disaster strikes: raising awareness and ensuring preparedness

Preparing for natural disasters saves lives and livelihoods. This is the principle on which the European Commission has based its Disaster Risk Reduction Programme – DIPECHO, which funds projects in the world's most disaster-prone regions.

Community-based projects increase the resilience of the population through simple, inexpensive measures such as disaster mapping, evacuation plans, building of safe havens or the pre-stocking of food. Projects also include the training of search and rescue teams.

DIPECHO strongly advocates with authorities at regional and national levels to include disaster risk reduction into policies and long-term planning, for example education curricula or construction requirements.

In April 2010, the DIPECHO South Caucasus programme was launched in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The emphasis was on community-based preparedness and the introduction of disaster risk reduction into the education system.

By August 2011 through projects implemented by UNICEF, Oxfam and the Danish Red Cross in cooperation with the Georgian and Armenian Red Cross, DIPECHO achieved the following results:• 59 communities - 20 in Georgia, 19 in Armenia and 15 in

Azerbaijan - have developed maps of the threats posed by di �erent types of natural disaster, of the damage that such disasters can cause and of the best way to prepare for and mitigate their impact.

• 'Volunteer Community Disaster Preparedness and Response Teams' were formed, trained and equipped in these 59 communities. Protocols of cooperation in case of a disaster were de�ned between the Volunteer Teams, civil protection, �re brigades and local authorities.

• 27 simulation exercises were held to improve search and rescue capacities as well as the coordination between the Volunteer Community Disaster Preparedness and Response Teams as well as regional rescue services, �re brigades, health departments, police and local authorities.

• 42 small mitigation works - 25 in Georgia, 8 in Armenia and 9 in Azerbaijan - have been carried out to reduce the risk of recurrent natural disasters a �ecting livelihoods, infrastructure and homes in the villages most exposed. This includes the reinforcement of canalization and bridges in addition to tree planting to prevent landslides.

• Children in 172 schools received education on disaster risk reduction (DRR) - 90 in Georgia, 57 in Armenia and 25 in Azerbaijan. Most of these schools developed evacuation plans, simulated disaster scenarios and were equipped with �re-�ghting equipment and �rst-aid kits. 941 teachers received DRR education training - 365 in Georgia, 306 in Armenia and 270 in Azerbaijan.

22 communities inAdjara Region

10 communities in VayotDzor Region

15 communities in Ismayilli, Shamakhi,Salyan and Nefchala

Districts

10 schools in 4 maincities Baku, Shaki

Zagatala and Shamakha

In cooperation with theArmenian Red Cross:

Shirak Region: Azatan,Arapi, Pemzashen,

Beniamin, Panik, NorKyang, Metc Mantash,

Pemzashen andSarnaghbyur communities

24 schools in Shirak,Gegharkhunik,

Aragatcotn, and VayotsDzor Regions

In cooperation with theGeorgian Red Cross:Racha Lerchumi and

Kvemo Svaneti Regions:Oni, Ambrolauri andSageri municipalities

8 schools in Adjara,Saamtskhe-Javakheti,

Kvemo Kartli, RachaLerchumi, Kvemo

Svaneti, Shida Kartli,Samagrelo, ZemoSvaneti and Tbilisi

DIPECHO project sites and partners in the South Caucasus

Black Sea

TURKEY

AZERBAIJAN

Nakhichevan

ARMENIA

•Yerevan

IRAN

Caspian Sea

Baku•

AZERBAIJAN

•TbilisiGEORGIA

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

AZERBAIJANARMENIAGEORGIA

Preparing for disasters begins at school

Children are particularly vulnerable when natural disaster strikes. However, they can also play an important role in spreading information on disaster preparedness measures to their families and communities.

Working with schools is therefore one of the cornerstones of the DIPECHO programme. The ultimate goal is to promote a culture of prevention and disaster resilience.

With specially designed activities including workshops, theatres and pantomimes, UNICEF, Oxfam and the Danish Red Cross created awareness among thousands of children in the South Caucasus, and built their knowledge on disaster preparedness measures. By providing �re- �ghting equipment and �rst aid kits, by developing evacuation plans and simulating measures to be taken when disaster strikes, they made 172 schools safer.

DIPECHO also strongly advocates with local and national authorities to integrate disaster risk reduction into school curricula and general school activities. Starting with the school year 2011, all schools in Georgia will integrate DRR into their teaching programmes.

Improving local capacities to respond

The �rst 12 hours following a natural disaster are crucial in order to save lives. The quicker the search and rescue operations start, the better the chances of �nding survivors. Building-up local human resources and equipment means ensuring a timely and e �ective response when disaster strikes.

The European Commission funds projects that focus on building up the skills of local rescue groups. In the South Caucasus Oxfam and the Danish Red Cross created, trained and equipped 59 volunteer teams so that they can search, locate and rescue people in their communities and provide �rst aid.

DanishRed Cross

Nagorny-Karabakh

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