Introduction

The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Training Course is designed to enhance the capacity of humanitarian actors, local governments, and community leaders to reduce disaster risks and manage the impacts of emergencies. This course covers a broad spectrum of disaster risk reduction strategies, including preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, and resilience-building, with an emphasis on integrating community-based approaches and inclusive disaster management.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will:

1. Understand the concepts of disaster risk: Gain insight into the causes, impacts, and drivers of disasters.
2. Develop disaster risk reduction strategies: Learn to design and implement effective DRRM programs to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience.
3. Implement preparedness plans: Understand how to create and implement preparedness and contingency plans for emergencies.
4. Analyze disaster response and recovery: Learn the best practices in disaster response and recovery, focusing on sustainability and long-term resilience.
5. Incorporate community-based approaches: Develop skills to engage and empower communities in disaster risk reduction.
6. **Understand DRR within the framework of international frameworks: Familiarize with key international conventions and frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Who Should Attend?

This course is designed for:

• Humanitarian professionals and NGO workers involved in disaster response, preparedness, and recovery.
• Local government officials and emergency managers responsible for disaster risk management in their regions.
• Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation professionals.
• Community leaders and activists focused on building resilience at the grassroots level.
• UN agencies and international organizations focused on disaster relief and recovery.
• Academics and students in disaster management, climate science, and humanitarian aid fields.

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

• Morning Session: Understanding Disasters and Their Impact
  • Defining disasters: Natural vs. man-made disasters and their evolving nature.
  • The disaster risk cycle: Prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.
  • Key concepts in disaster risk: vulnerability, exposure, hazards, and capacity.
  • Drivers of disaster risk: Climate change, urbanization, environmental degradation, and socioeconomic factors.
  • Case study: Impact of Hurricane Katrina (2005) on New Orleans.
• Afternoon Session: The Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
  • Introduction to international frameworks and agreements: The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Hyogo Framework for Action.
  • The role of government, civil society, and private sector in DRRM.
  • Disaster risk governance: Legal, policy, and institutional structures for DRRM.
  • Group activity: Analyzing a disaster response plan using the Sendai Framework principles.

Day 2: Risk Assessment and Disaster Preparedness

• Morning Session: Risk Assessment Techniques
  • Risk identification: How to map hazards and assess vulnerabilities in a community or region.
  • Qualitative and quantitative methods for disaster risk assessment: Tools and techniques.
  • Participatory risk assessments: Engaging communities in risk identification and analysis.
  • Case study: Earthquake risk assessment in Nepal (2015).
• Afternoon Session: Disaster Preparedness and Contingency Planning
  • Principles of disaster preparedness: Early warning systems, evacuation plans, and preparedness drills.
  • Designing contingency plans: How to prepare for specific types of disasters (earthquakes, floods, droughts, etc.).
  • Role of humanitarian organizations in preparedness and community resilience.
  • Group activity: Creating a disaster preparedness plan for a hypothetical community.

Day 3: Disaster Mitigation and Risk Reduction Strategies

• Morning Session: Mitigation Approaches to Disaster Risk Reduction
  • Understanding mitigation: Strategies to reduce or eliminate disaster risk, such as building codes, flood control infrastructure, and land-use planning.
  • Disaster-proofing infrastructure: Resilient buildings, roads, and utilities in high-risk areas.
  • Case study: Mitigation measures after the 2010 Haiti earthquake and 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
• Afternoon Session: Integrating DRR with Development and Climate Change Adaptation
  • Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into development planning: Sustainable development goals (SDGs) and DRR.
  • The intersection of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.
  • Community-based risk reduction: Empowering local communities to take action in disaster preparedness and mitigation.
  • Group exercise: Designing a climate-resilient development plan for a vulnerable community.

Day 4: Disaster Response and Recovery

• Morning Session: Effective Disaster Response
  • The phases of disaster response: From emergency relief to recovery and reconstruction.
  • Coordination in disaster response: The role of UN agencies, NGOs, local governments, and military.
  • Principles of humanitarian assistance: Timeliness, effectiveness, and equity.
  • Case study: Sri Lanka’s response to the 2004 tsunami and Pakistan’s flood relief efforts.
• Afternoon Session: Building Long-Term Resilience
  • Recovery strategies: From immediate relief to long-term resilience building.
  • Lessons learned from past disasters: The importance of resilience in recovery, including economic recovery, psychosocial support, and infrastructure rebuilding.
  • Monitoring and evaluating disaster recovery efforts.
  • Group activity: Designing a post-disaster recovery plan for a case scenario, focusing on sustainability and resilience.

Day 5: Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction

• Morning Session: Engaging Communities in DRR
  • The principles of community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR): Local knowledge, participatory planning, and empowerment.
  • Building community resilience: Training, awareness raising, and community-led preparedness activities.
  • Role of women, youth, and vulnerable groups in disaster risk reduction.
  • Case study: Community-based disaster risk management in Philippines and Indonesia.
• Afternoon Session: Building Partnerships for Effective DRR
  • Partnerships between government, NGOs, private sector, and community-based organizations.
  • The importance of cross-sectoral collaboration in disaster risk reduction.
  • Developing a multi-stakeholder DRR network for sustained disaster management.
  • Final group project: Developing a community-based disaster risk reduction strategy for a vulnerable area.