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: [email protected] 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.
3
4
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
1