As the number and severity of natural disasters steadily climbs, NGOs and development agencies are placing increasing emphasis on reducing disaster impact.

Flooding across Asia this year has been the worst in memory, with World Vision responding to severe damage and displacement in eight countries. China’s flooding has displaced tens of millions of people, while in India over 1000 people lost their lives.

With disasters often having the most impact on poor communities, disaster risk reduction is a part of all World Vision’s development programs.

Today, to mark the UN International Disaster Reduction Day, the International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent (IFRC) called on governments to increase their commitment to disaster risk reduction.

According to IFRC, the number of disasters responded to by Red Cross/Red Crescent has increased from 278 to 482 in the last four years alone, with increased flooding a significant factor.

“Disaster risk reduction is a key part of the global response to climate change,” explained John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Emergency Relief Coordinator and Head of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.

“Climate change is already driving an increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves, floods, droughts and tropical cyclones. We believe that more needs to be done to contain these natural hazards at the outset.”

IFRC Press Release  

India’s villages prepared for disaster

Three weeks ago, when a 7.9 Richter earthquake hit off the coast of Sumatra, the world anxiously awaited news that tsunami history was repeating itself. The tremor was severe enough to activate tsunami warning posts in Hawaii.

“When we heard of the tsunami warning that was being broadcast on television and radio, we called the coastal villages we work in and warned them,” says GM Priscilla, Programme Manager for World Vision’s Krupasagar area development programme, Andhra Pradesh. This area was one of the worst affected by the December 2004 tsunami.

In the village of Malakayalanka, the people did not have to worry about missing the message. “The villagers used the public address system that was installed just the day before in the community shelter, and everybody rushed into the shelter that was already prepared,” says Priscilla.

The evacuation was a complete success. People remained in the shelter till the alert was called off and then went home, relieved.

The loudspeakers, microphones and shelters are the latest component of the programme, rolled out in disaster prone villages like Malakayalanka. As well, community disaster mitigation volunteers are prepared for disaster with training in rescue, first aid and assessment for relief distributions. The volunteers also conduct regular evacuation drills to keep families informed and ready.

The public address system is also part of a community information center that will soon have satellite Internet connectivity. This will not only help the communities have instant information about weather conditions and coming disasters, but will also provide market information for fair prices of crops, fish and other goods.

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