Disaster Risk Reduction

• Preparedness activities enhance people’s ability to deal with a disaster. These include ensuring that communities and local governments have emergency plans in place, mapping hazards, making sure people know where to evacuate to, and pre-positioning emergency supplies, such as food and shelter materials in at risk areas.

• Early warning activities give people time to respond to disaster.

• Mitigation activities reduce the risk of disasters. For example, in Myanmar (Burma) Save the Children is helping to reinforce schools so that children and adults will have a safe place for shelter in the event of another cyclone.

• Activities to promote resilience enhance communities’ ability to cope and recover after a disaster strikes.

This brochure outlines how Disaster Risk Reduction 
programs are helping communities prepare for and 
reduce the impact of emergencies.

CLICK HERE to download the brochure

Indonesia DRR

Situated atop a "ring of fire" – three highly active tectonic plates punctuated by a necklace of active volcanoes – Indonesia is prone to a variety of natural disasters. The devastating effect of the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 which killed more than 127,000 and left 500,000 homeless in Aceh, Indonesia, illustrated the importance of helping communities to better understand the risks they face and know what to do when disaster occurs. Understanding the risks that face communities is also an integral part of the healing process after a natural disaster like a tsunami. Many communities expressed fear and panic immediately following the tsunami because they didn’t understand what causes a tsunami and what to do if they think that one will occur.

Save the Children is working with schools and communities in Aceh in order to ensure that people understand the risks they face in their communities and are better prepared to respond when disasters occur. We are training elementary school teachers on how to incorporate DRR into school lesson plans, training youth trainers on child-centred DRR, supporting school children in conducting risk mapping of their schools and communities, and conducting school emergency drills to test action plans developed by children.

India DRR

The state of Tamil Nadu in India is characterized by a long coast line which is prone to natural disasters like cyclones, floods, and to some extent earthquakes. The 2004 tsunami caused extensive damage to four Indian states and one Union Territory, killing more than 18,000 people. Tamil Nadu was the worst affected state on the Indian mainland, with approximately 2,470,000 people affected in 362 villages over 1,000 km of coastline. Waves of 7-10 metres were reported to have penetrated 1.5 km inland. The state suffered a death toll of approximately 8,000.

Save the Children is working in Tamil Nadu to strengthen local community-based structures and reduce the vulnerability of children and their families in disaster-prone areas. We are training 140 "Master DRR Trainers" from local voluntary agencies, and linking these trainers to district-level disaster management authorities, and are also training local community (village-based) disaster management committees. In addition, Save the Children has launched an innovative mobile puppetry show and poster exhibition, which has travelled to over 120 villages to raise awareness on steps children and families can take to protect themselves from disasters.

A puppet show teaches children about Disaster Risk Reduction

Children in India watch intently as the puppet show performs