DRR was not fully "on the map" in World Vision before ECB. Since early 2006, ECB has been one of the main vehicles through which DRR has advanced in World Vision. Continued support through ECB provides a critical vehicle to maintain sustained growth of DRR in World Vision in both policy development and implementation in the field."

Melisa Bodenhamer
Community Resilience Research and Development Officer
World Vision International

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Disaster Risk Reduction

Recognizing that risk reduction activities have a more profound effect than short-term relief efforts, the ECB Disaster Risk Reduction theme supports the exploration of risk reduction models with the objective of helping communities reduce their vulnerability to disasters. ECB also promotes inter- and intra-agency cohesion and collaboration on risk reduction, and the building of links with key stakeholders and networks and emerging actors beyond the IWG.

The DRR advisors group are working on a new Practitioners Guide to DRR and Climate Change Adaptation. Find out more about this initiative here

The major outputs from ECB's Disaster Risk Reduction work in Phase I of the Project are listed below. Click on the links to learn more and access resources.

In ECB Phase II, we will continue to test, develop and refine these tools and knowledge products, particularly in the five ECB consortia in Bolivia, Niger, the Horn of Africa, Bangladesh and Indonesia. Visit the ECB Phase II section of this site to learn more.

DRR pilot projects

ECB agencies piloted innovative, collaborative DRR approaches and models in Ethiopia, Guatemala and Indonesia

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is the process by which disaster risks and vulnerabilities are identified, analyzed, and minimized to avoid or limit the adverse impacts of hazards. DRR often includes the following:

risk awareness and assessment, and vulnerability/capacity analysis
education, training, research, and information
public commitment, policy, legislation, and community action
environmental management, land-use, and urban planning
early warning systems

Our capacity to assess and address the disaster risks before disasters occur can greatly limit the affects of a disaster on vulnerable communities, including physical damage, injury, and loss of life. Reducing the impact of disasters is a critical undertaking if the humanitarian sector is going to meet the growing demands of future emergencies.

For instance, Bangladesh suffers from chronic flooding. Hundreds of thousands of people have died in these floods since the early 1980s. However, DRR and preparedness activities undertaken by a coalition of government agencies and NGOs have proven successful. The numbers of lives lost due to floods in recent years have significantly decreased.

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