y d Supporting community recovery e and risk reduction in ... · Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago, comprising around 17,508 islands. Forming part of the “Pacific Ring

SummaryIt is generally agreed that a disaster can be transformedinto an opportunity. Rarely, however, is full advantagetaken of the chance to do so that presents itself after adisaster strikes. During the early stages of an emergencyresponse, decisions can be made and programmesdesigned to strengthen a community’s capacity to copewith the impact of disasters and to reduce theirvulnerability to future hazards and shocks.

Awareness of the importance of earthquake-resistantconstruction, for example, is at its highest immediatelyafter an earthquake. Following the May 2006earthquake in Yogyakarta and Central Java in Indonesia,the International Federation of Red Cross and RedCrescent Societies (International Federation) and itslocal partner, the Indonesian Red Cross (Palang MerahIndonesia or PMI), devised an early recovery

programme that capitalized on this heightenedawareness and was designed to draw on and strengthenthe affected communities’ own disaster resilience andcapacities for recovery.

The programme included a number of innovativefeatures:■ making the priority identified by the affectedcommunities – shelter provision – the entry point forthe programme;

■ placing the community at the centre of the recoveryprocess, with PMI playing only a facilitator role;

■ creating the conditions for communities to buildtheir own transitional (temporary) shelters, ratherthan providing ready-made solutions;

■ training volunteers and sending them to live in andwork with the affected communities;

Supporting community recovery and risk reduction in Yogyakarta

Case study

An open and transparent communication strategy ensured all stakeholders had access to relevant andaccurate information on a regular basis.

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2 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

■ adopting a cash-based rather than a commodity-basedapproach to assistance.

The result of this process was a well-designed, durable,seismically safe, Sphere-compliant1 and inexpensivetransitional shelter that community members couldeasily build themselves. Not only did the communitiesbenefit from a decent and dignified shelter with a longerlifespan than a tent or tarpaulin, they also learned howto build safe structures and were able to resume theirlivelihoods much faster.

This case study provides an overview of the earlyrecovery programme in Yogyakarta and Central Java,with a special focus on shelter. It presents the merits ofthe approach and techniques, as well as the challengesencountered, and identifies lessons and principles thatcan help in its replication and contribute to goodpractice in the future.

Background

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago, comprisingaround 17,508 islands. Forming part of the “Pacific Ringof Fire”, it is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions,as well as tsunamis, floods and severe droughts. Since2006, the Indonesian government has placed 10 of thecountry’s 129 active volcanoes on “alert” status. Thecountry has also experienced political, economic, sectarianand social upheavals in recent years. To coordinate theresponse to natural disasters, the government hasestablished a national disaster agency, called Bakornas atthe central level and Satkorlak at the provincial level.

Earthquakes are one of nature’s most brutal andunforgiving forces. Unlike volcanic eruptions or adverseweather conditions, they strike without warning and cancause utter devastation in a matter of seconds. Theearthquake that shook Yogyakarta and Central Java inthe early morning of 27 May 2006 caused widespreaddestruction and considerable loss of life and injury. Theoverall affected area covered 500 sq km, with apopulation of approximately 5 million.

The official death toll was 5,749, with more than38,000 injured. The provincial government’s housingimpact assessment calculated that 303,330 houses weredestroyed or severely damaged and 269,195 houses wereslightly damaged. Given the high population density ofthe impact zone, nearly 1.2 million people were lefthomeless. Villages in remote areas south of Yogyakarta,in and around the district of Bantul, were the worst hit,and bodies continued to be recovered from the rubblemore than a week later.

The programme

Emergency responseOn the day of the earthquake, the InternationalFederation launched a preliminary emergency appeal for12.8 million Swiss francs and provided both initial andongoing relief support during the weeks and monthsfollowing the disaster. The PMI, with the support of theInternational Federation and partner National Societies,provided more than 119,000 families in the worst-affected districts of Yogyakarta and Central Java withessential relief items, including food parcels, family kits,hygiene parcels, baby kits, sleeping mats, tents andtarpaulins.

Situation analysisThe PMI, International Federation and partner NationalSocieties also undertook a rapid assessment of earlyrecovery needs in the affected area from 3 to 15 June.The aim of the rapid assessment was to:■ confirm and prioritize areas selected for inclusion inthe early recovery programme and identify gaps inplanned interventions;

■ carry out detailed targeting of vulnerable groups andcommunities and develop different models ofcooperation and support for early recoveryinterventions;

■ map ongoing or planned support from partnerNational Societies for early recovery activities;

■ draw up a manageable, cost-effective and realisticplan of action for early recovery activities in theearthquake-affected areas and for capacity-buildingsupport to the PMI.

The communities to be directly surveyed during theassessment were selected by correlating high pre-earthquake poverty levels with heavy losses and damagereported through the Indonesian government agencies.Communities were not surveyed where it was knownthat other humanitarian organizations were alreadyconducting such assessments. Graduate studentresearchers − both male and female − from theUniversity of Gadjah Mada (UGM) were recruited tocarry out the assessment, as all of the PMI’s volunteerswere already heavily involved in the relief effort.

The students were trained in rapid assessment and dataprocessing techniques and supported in carrying out in-depth interviews in the sub-districts of Gantiwarno inKlaten (190 households) and Dlingo in Bantul (120households). At the same time, local markets werevisited to assess the impact of the earthquake on theprices and availability of goods and services for peopleliving in the affected area.

1 Sphere refers to a set of quality standards for humanitarian response developed during the late 1990s.

3Supporting community recovery and risk reduction in Yogyakarta

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A situation analysis allowed for timely action in response to evolving needs. Instead of planned distributions oftools, cash was provided for communities to choose tools best suited to their purpose.

4 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Information from many different sources was constantlycollected, updated and reviewed by thePMI/International Federation team members over thetwo-week period of the assessment. This allowed for amore dynamic understanding of the situation faced byaffected people, as the disaster’s impact on their livesbecame clearer over time.

Approach, design and implementationEarly recovery programmes tend to fall into some traps.They frequently set their sights on bringing the affectedpopulation back to “normality”, without taking intoaccount that the population’s “normal” living conditionsoften include the risks and vulnerabilities that allowed ahazard to become a disaster in the first place. Forinstance, if construction standards were poor, simplyrebuilding houses the same way may make themvulnerable to collapse again in the future. Or theprogrammes focus on delivering a “product” (e.g.providing a certain number of houses) rather than onsetting up “processes” (e.g. enabling people to understandand reduce risk by rebuilding their own houses to betterstandards).

The PMI/International Federation early recoveryprogramme in Yogyakarta and Central Java was conceivedto avoid these pitfalls. The need expressed overwhelminglyby the affected communities during the assessment wasfor decent, durable shelter. The rainy season wasimminent. Also, many male family members who wereday labourers on agri-business farms were reluctant toreturn to work until their families were living in lessexposed conditions. The communities felt that theyneeded something to tide them over the substantial timelapse between the emergency tent and tarpaulindistribution and the reconstruction of permanent housing.The overarching goal of the programme was, therefore, toempower community members to rebuild their livesstarting with the construction of a transitional shelter.

People whose houses were still standing after theearthquake were provided with the means to buy tools torepair and modify their homes to make them safer.Families living in tents and under tarpaulins wereprovided with the material and technical resources tobuild themselves a simple, safe and locally appropriatetransitional shelter from which to resume economicactivity. In both cases, the PMI was the implementingagency. The International Federation played a facilitatorrole, assisting the National Society in developing thecapacities of its branches in Yogyakarta and Central Javathrough the training of volunteers in the design andimplementation of community-based early recoveryactivities.

Following training, the volunteers were deployed to livein selected villages. Their mission was to facilitate earlyrecovery activities by building on the Javanese tradition ofgotong royong or mutual support (see box). Instead ofsingling out individuals or even households for assistance,volunteers helped the community organize itself intoneighbourhood-based groups which would receive anduse the assistance collectively. The groups were mobilizedduring the early stages of the community self-assessmentand familiarized with the programme managementaspects as well as with the shelter prototype.

Gotong royong

Gotong royong has been a part of Javaneseculture for generations. It is a form ofcommunity solidarity involving working togetherfor a common purpose. It is usually applied totasks that are of benefit to the community as awhole, such as the preparation of rice fields forplanting, the maintenance of drainagechannels, or village cleaning.

In Indonesia, each village (desa) of up to2,500 people has a nominal head or kepaladesa, elected by popular vote. Villages aredivided into sub-villages of 100−300 familiesheaded by a kepala dusun. These are furthersub-divided into neighbourhoods of 40−80families overseen by a kepala rumah tangga.Since the earthquake, it is at theneighbourhood level that the community hasrallied together in the spirit of gotong royong.

The facilitation approach adopted for the programmeinvolved:■ helping communities to undertake a self-assessmentof shelter needs;

■ training volunteers and community members infinancial management and the establishment of atransparent, open financial reporting mechanism;

■ procuring appropriate tools and materials forhouseholds to build a “minimum safe shelter” basedon a common design and in line with Sphererecommendations.

As the programme focused on building communitycapacity rather than on providing direct aid toindividuals, each neighbourhood community group wasasked to select a “finance team” consisting of a teamleader, a secretary and a treasurer to manage the funds

for the group and to liaise with the PMI volunteersassigned to their village. Banks and other financialinstitutions were approached and consulted on the rolethey could play in ensuring accountability and securityof funds. Once agreement had been reached with acommunity group on its participation in the programmeand a finance team had been established, cash was paidinto a collective account in the name of the communityin three phases:Phase 1: To buy tools and other materials to buildthe first 10 transitional shelters made of traditionalbamboo in each neighbourhood for families whosehouses had been severely damaged or destroyed.Priority was given to the most vulnerable – theelderly, the sick, the disabled, mothers expectingbabies within two to three months, and single-headedhouseholds.Phase 2: Cash for materials to build half of theremaining required transitional shelters in eachneighbourhood.Phase 3: Cash for materials to build the rest of therequired transitional shelters.

Close relationships were forged between thecommunities and volunteers during programmeimplementation. There were daily field support visitsmade by International Federation staff and weeklyreflection meetings held with the volunteers in the sub-districts. Problems which sometimes arose, such as whenmaterials or cash were taken back from families orcommunity neighbourhood groups that decided not toconstruct the shelters, were resolved using theIndonesian system of musyawarah. This involvedholding discussions with the concerned party until anagreement was reached.

Gender considerationsThe importance of ensuring that the early recoveryprogramme reached men and women equally wasrecognized during the planning stage. Gender concernsfeatured prominently in the initial situation analysis andneeds assessment processes. These largely focused on theaccess of women, especially female-headed households,to the resources provided through the early recoveryprogramme and on ensuring women’s directparticipation in needs identification and decision-making on programme priorities.

Gender equity strategies were integrated programmeimplementation by recruiting female volunteers,requiring that the finance team for each neighbourhoodgroup have at least one female finance officer, andinvolving women in the temporary shelter constructionprocess.

Programme outcomesThe programme was completed in April 2007. Throughit, around 17,000 families were provided with tools,funds and/or transitional shelters. A total of 12,250shelters that had been financed were completed,covering 938 neighbourhood groups in 55 villages inYogyakarta and Central Java. An estimated 60,000people were involved in building the shelters. The largenumber of transitional shelters, built in only ninemonths, was a major achievement.

My husband has passed away and my children aregrown and married, raising their own families, and soI live alone. After the earthquake, my house wasdestroyed and I had to live in a tent. Though it was aplace to lay my head, the tent was oppressive in theheat. I had been injured in the earthquake when thebrick walls of my house fell onto my leg. I was aloneand I had to move the wall off my leg in order tomove to the street and call for help. Living there, afterthe earthquake, I was so uncomfortable.

PMI came into our district and built me a house, abetter house. Everyone thinks that it is perfect for me.Because of the crossed poles and the pyramid shapedroof, it will be strong enough to withstand anotherearthquake. It is wide and there is so much room formy grandchildren to come and play and for myneighbours to stop by and visit. Best of all, because itis made with bamboo, it is shaded and cool. I feelcomfortable here, in this house.

Granny Poncoiguno, Mlese village,Gantiwarno, Klaten

Lessons learned

For the International Federation, the early recoveryprogramme in Yogyakarta and Central Java represents anew approach to programming following a majordisaster. Overall, it has proved successful in addressingthe needs of the most vulnerable within the disaster-affected communities, strengthening the widercommunity’s long-term resilience and ensuring thesustainability of recovery efforts and accountability todonors. In these respects, the disaster was turned into anopportunity. At the same time, with such a newapproach, there were inevitably some aspects of theprogramme that did not work out as well as expected.Both the strengths and the challenges of the programmeoffer valuable lessons for future recovery operations.

Supporting community recovery and risk reduction in Yogyakarta 5

Conduct ongoing assessment and analysisand revise program design By carrying out a situation analysis which progressivelybuilt up a picture of the situation, as opposed to a “one-off” needs assessment, the International Federation wasable to design a recovery programme that took accountof the changing situation rather than relying on a staticsnapshot of a given moment. The situation analysis wasfollowed by more in-depth consultations with recipientcommunities of the programme. Taking this dynamicview allowed for timely action in response tocommunities’ evolving needs in the early stages ofrecovery. For example, a planned distribution of certaintools was stopped when it became clear that differenttypes of tools were needed and cash was providedinstead, so that communities could choose which toolsbest suited their purposes.

During the situation analysis, extensive consultationtook place with PMI on the programme design and theNational Society’s capacity to implement it and therecommended activities were approved by the CentralBoard of PMI. This helped to create a sense of

ownership by the National Society of the situationanalysis and its results.

Experience has shown that targeting individuals orselected households for assistance and bypassingchannels that promote collective action can engenderjealousy, conflict and division within communities.Capitalizing on traditional practices such as gotongroyong contributed to fostering a community spirit,whereby community members rallied together to assistthe most vulnerable individuals and families in theirmidst.

Start with clear objectives and seek aholistic approach Disaster risk reduction was incorporated into therecovery situation analysis and plan of action at an earlystage. Although the reduction of risk and vulnerabilitywas not a stated objective of the programme, it becameone of its greatest strengths. All aspects of the shelterprogramme contributed to risk reduction. The waycommunities were approached and organized to workcollectively with the support of the PMI/International

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies6

Training and mentoring PMI volunteers at the village and district levels and placing them within thecommunities led to a high degree of trust. It was also an effective way of accurately identifying beneficiaries.

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Federation, the seismically safe transitional shelterprototype not requiring prior knowledge of buildingtechniques, the step-by-step building manual, themobile construction clinics, and the range of awarenessmaterial made available all ensured an easy transfer ofthe required skills and knowledge to communities in arelatively short space of time. Together, they have gone along way towards ensuring that the next time a hazardstrikes, it is less likely to turn into a disaster.

The strength of the programme is reflected most in thedesign of the transitional shelter. The bamboo shelter isdurable, resistant to the elements and to seismic activity,and will provide safe shelter until such time as thegovernment’s permanent housing programme gets underway. It also meets the Sphere standards with regard tosafety, size, durability, hygiene and, most importantly,the dignity and privacy of the occupants.

More time spent clarifying the objectives with differentstakeholders would have cemented the overall goals ofthe programme, as well as aided in determining realistictarget numbers, timelines and the development ofmonitoring and evaluation plans. The generosity of the

donors and the low cost of the transitional sheltersprompted a desire to increase the number of shelters tobe built over a short time period, but this would havepushed volunteer and staff capacity beyond its limits.

There is no doubt that making the most pressing priority– shelter – the entry point for the recovery programmewas a successful strategy. However, once the programmereached the point where it had fulfilled communities’temporary shelter needs, one of its biggest challenges wasto find ways to incorporate other community needs intothe design of the ongoing recovery programme. Theoverall PMI/International Federation recoveryprogramme was divided by sector (e.g. separate health,water and sanitation projects) and targeted differentgeographical areas. Months spent implementing activitiesindependently of each other created dynamics within theprogramme that later made it more difficult to work inan integrated way in responding to diverse communityrecovery needs and priorities. In future, it isrecommended that recovery programmes begin with astrong focus on a community’s leading priority such asshelter, but still include and integrate other sectors suchas health and water and sanitation from the outset.

Supporting community recovery and risk reduction in Yogyakarta 7

Shelters were built to meet Sphere standards with regard to safety, size, durability, hygiene and mostimportantly, the dignity and privacy of the occupants.

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Cash based assistance need be no morerisky or complicated than commoditybased assistance The nature of the earthquake damage, the communities’priorities and the conditions of local markets all pointedto the appropriateness of using a cash-based model.Providing finished contractor-built shelter or providingtools and building materials without technical assistance(commodity-based approach) would have been lesseffective in this particular case. The community-ledconstruction process empowered communities to takecontrol of their own recovery and raised awareness ofrisk and safe building techniques within the recipientcommunities. Feedback from the neighbourhood groupsindicated that the programme had helped them to feelthey could return to work and restored a sense of“normality” in the community. Moreover, without thecollective organization of construction (through gotongroyong), the most vulnerable may not have received helpwith the construction of their shelters nor have beenable to afford to pay someone to build them.

The International Federation’s experience has alsodemonstrated that, done on a manageable scale andproperly designed, cash-based models are no more riskyor complicated than commodity-based assistance. Thefinance system, in terms of transfer of cash to acommunity account, phasing of payments, andprocurement and purchase of tools and materials, waswell designed and implemented. It was also flexibleenough to adjust to changing circumstances. Forinstance, the number of planned payments toneighbourhood groups was reduced from four to threewhen it became apparent that the four-phase system wasplacing unnecessarily high administrative burdens onboth the beneficiaries and the programme administrators.Where less than ten shelters were required in a particularneighbourhood, funding disbursements were reduced toone instalment. Transparency of decision-making andespecially of financial management ensured communityparticipation, trust and accountability to bothbeneficiaries and donors.

A mid-term review of the early recovery programmenoted that bottlenecks in the financial reporting hadhad an adverse effect on the pace of construction andoverall progress. There were delays in reporting on fundsreceived, and some reports were rejected because theydidn’t meet the strict guidelines laid down to ensureaccountability. Both the PMI volunteers and theneighbourhood groups found it difficult to produce thiskind of precise financial reporting. However, with timeand support, their reporting became more accurate, andthe rejection rate was gradually reduced to almost zero.

The risk of misuse of funds perceived by some led tomore stringent controls over distribution proceduresthan was really required. That said, it was also a newand experimental approach, with initially a strongelement of risk. This suggests that financial controls andprocedures could be simplified to make them moremanageable for communities to fulfil. Properly preparedand supported, communities will report accurately andhonestly.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies8

The procedures for using cash as an aid deliverymechanism were new to the PMI/InternationalFederation team. The International Federation’shumanitarian aid delivery systems were not designed toswitch easily between commodity- and cash-basedapproaches. This meant that the earthquake responseoperation had to go through a steep learning curve.Implementing a recovery programme based on acomplex cash-based model and a community-built

shelter prototype also placed great demands on the PMIvolunteers. These volunteers rose to the challenge, withonly 1 out of 350 leaving the programme because ofdifficulties coping with the high accountabilityrequirements. The PMI also gained considerably incapacity through having to deal with these challengesand through the “learning by doing” coaching andmentoring approach taken by the programmemanagers.

Supporting community recovery and risk reduction in Yogyakarta 9

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Capitalizing on traditional practices such as gotong royong contributed to fostering a community spirit, wherebycommunity members rallied together to assist the most vulnerable individuals and families in their midst.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies10

Plan early for handover and incorporatein capacity building approachesThe focus on facilitation of recovery and on buildingresilience, rather than on the provision of relief items,placed a fair amount of responsibility on PMI’sshoulders. This was a challenge for the National Societybut one that ultimately proved positive. Jakarta-basedPMI staff and the International Federation’s earlyrecovery team trained volunteers in facilitation,community-based mapping, financial management andsafe house construction. A handover approach was used,whereby the trainees who succeeded best in the fieldassisted in the training of successive volunteers. If theyproved adept at it, they were then encouraged to leadtraining sessions. Eventually, the training was fullyfacilitated by PMI volunteers.

After the earthquake of May 2006, I underwent earlyrecovery training and was assigned to PMI’s ShelterDivision. I went to Dlingo as a member of the initialteam to assess the community’s needs. There, I beganas a coordinator for the village and was eventuallypromoted to coordinator at sub-district level. Now, asthe programme has expanded to include Pandak, I amworking as the district coordinator.

The place that a volunteer learns the most is in thefield. There is no substitute for hands-on experience,and there is no mistaking the leadership skills youacquire when making the difficult decisions involvedin helping a community solve its problems.

Jirokhim Soleh, PMI Bantul Branch, Shelter Programme Coordinator

Whilst assessment of PMI’s existing capacity was carriedout at the time of the situation analysis, the programmestill ended up somewhat too ambitious. It aimed toassist PMI in developing various recovery-related skillsduring implementation, but many PMI andInternational Federation personnel felt that their abilityto implement such a new and innovative approach hadbeen overstretched. Some gaps in the skills needed tosupport capacity building were only filled once theprogramme was under way.

This should not be seen as an argument againstinnovation. Rather, the lesson learned is that it isimportant to be realistic as to how much innovation anoperation can take at any given time. Changes should beintroduced progressively and at a pace that is sensitive tothe abilities of the individuals involved. For PMI, thelearning curve was initially too steep, because the

information being received was complicated andchanged so often that it was sometimes confusing.

Give priority to communications anddemonstrate accountability tobeneficiariesThe investment in communication largely paid off, interms of giving clear messages and managingexpectations. The early recovery programme placed agreat deal of importance on the flow of informationfrom PMI and the International Federation to thecommunity. The range of methods used (directcommunication, mobile clinics, notice boards) and theprinted material used (step-by-step construction guideon temporary shelter, awareness posters, calendars, etc.)were highly effective in transferring information tocommunities and left no room for assumptions.

The Yogyakarta earthquake early recovery programmediffered from many other International Federationrecovery programmes in its approach to relating to andworking with communities. Instead of the usual“visiting” professionals or volunteers, trained volunteerswent to live among the community.

Undertaking a detailed community assessment duringthe early stages of the disaster response would have beentime-consuming and possibly counter-productive. Therewere multiple factors pressing for a quick response – theacute and immediate survival needs of the population,the increasing activity of a nearby volcano and theimminence of the rainy season.

The severe states of shock and trauma that are oftenfound in the early days following a major disaster canalso make participation in such a process difficult for thesurvivors. By placing volunteers within the community,it was possible to go beyond the early situation analysisand make some assessments of the disaster’s impacts onpeoples’ vulnerability and means of coping, withminimum disruption to the community.

Training and mentoring PMI volunteers at the villageand district levels and placing them within thecommunity led to a high degree of trust betweencommunities and the programme implementers. It wasalso an effective means of accurately identifyingbeneficiaries. Vulnerability is an ambiguous concept forcommunities and can lead to conflict as to who istermed vulnerable; everyone affected by a disaster feelsin some way vulnerable.

However, the clear and simple criteria for determiningvulnerability in the context of the programme (elderly,

sick, disabled, mothers expecting babies within two tothree months and single male- or female-headedhouseholds) meant that there was little discord overwho qualified for assistance.

It is important to establish formal mechanisms forneighbourhood groups to communicate informationabout changes in their priorities or preferences to theearly recovery programme. While qualitativeinformation, such as feedback from communities andstaff visits, was gathered and discussed at the weeklyearly recovery team meetings, the follow-up action wasoften not well recorded or tracked. There is a risk ofputting too much emphasis on producing spreadsheetsshowing construction progress rates, rather thanvaluing and capturing qualitative feedback andadapting the programme to best meet changingcommunity needs.

Following the mid-term review of the programme,action was taken to increase and improve formalcommunication and qualitative reporting systems, asthis was seen by PMI and the International Federationto be a key element in achieving successful outcomesfor community recovery programmes.

Identify locally acceptable ways toincrease women’s participationWomen in the beneficiary communities do not usuallyparticipate in formal local decision-making bodies. Thevolunteer placements within communities, combinedwith the use of local notice boards, helped women to getmore direct access to information and share their viewson the programme.

At the same time, the majority of PMI volunteers aremen, and the early recovery programme experiencedsome challenges in attracting and retaining femalevolunteers. The programme recruited a local genderspecialist to help to identify constraints to increasingwomen’s participation. One of the difficultiesencountered in recruiting women, according to severalvolunteers, was that construction was not deemed to bea suitable role for women in Indonesian society. Somefemale volunteers were dissatisfied with the fieldopportunities available to them, for example, beingasked to cook meals rather than facilitate women’sparticipation in community decision-making processes.

PMI and the International Federation have gainedconsiderable insight into the complexities involved and

Supporting community recovery and risk reduction in Yogyakarta 11

PMI volunteers were trained to build model shelters in each village to demonstrate the process and to providethe community with a standard shelter for replication. Volunteers were able to provide first hand technicalassistance with the “learning by doing” approach that was used by program managers.

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the skills required in incorporating a gender-sensitiveapproach into early recovery programmes. The genderspecialist continued to work with the programme andthe broader operation to identify locally acceptable waysto increase women’s participation in decision-makingand activities. At a gender review workshop in January2007, PMI and the International Federation also agreedto embed gender equity objectives fully into the designof the next stages of the recovery programme.

The way forward

The PMI/International Federation Yogyakartaearthquake response and recovery operation achieved itsobjectives and targets for assistance by the end of April2007.

The next challenge was to better integrate the differentrelief and recovery sectoral programmes − health, shelter,water and sanitation, and disaster management capacity-building − into one cohesive programme that respondsto the identified needs and priorities of beneficiarycommunities, as well as the strategic objectives of thePMI for the longer term.

The good relations and strong bond of trust that thePMI has built with the participating communitiesthrough the earthquake early recovery programme offera solid foundation for future disaster preparedness andrisk reduction activities. Community-based disaster riskreduction activities were subsequently expanded intoseveral of the villages that participated in the earlyrecovery programme.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies12

For more information, please contact:

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesDisaster managementP.O. Box 372CH-1211 Geneva 19 - SwitzerlandE-mail: [email protected] site: www.ifrc.org

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Lombok Sumbawa

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3159Gunung Dempo

3428Gunung Slamet

3676

JAKARTA

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Tanjungkarang-Telubketung

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Yogyakarta

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SELATAN

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NUSA TENGGARABARAT

JAWA TIMUR

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AUSTRALIA