Building Resilience: A Guide to Facilitating Community-Managed Disaster Risk Reduction in the Horn of Africa

Published by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, this manual describes how to help communities implement disaster risk reduction activities. It was written for development workers and community-based organisations in the Horn of Africa, but practitioners can use it to implement activities around the world. This field practioner’s toolkit provides staff from local community-based organisations the tools needed to lead communities through community managed disaster risk reduction (CM-DRR) activities.

According to the authors, by undertaking disaster risk reduction activities, communities can significantly reduce their vulnerability to disasters and better achieve sustainable development. This shift in focus is particularly relevant in the greater Horn of Africa. In this region, climate change and a growing number of natural and man-made disasters have led to an extensive loss of lives, livelihoods, and property. Compounding problems, a majority of communities in the Horn of Africa lack sufficient coping mechanisms, making them highly vulnerable to hazards.

The manual consists of the following modules:

• Module 1: Basics of Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CM-DRR)
• Module 2: Facilitating CM-DRR at the Community Level
• Module 3: Participatory Disaster Risk Assessment and Analysis (PDRA&A)
• Module 4: Disaster Risk Reduction Measures
• Module 5: Strengthening Community Organisation
• Module 6: Participatory Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (PME&L)