Project profile — Strengthening Community Resilience to Natural Disasters

• Far East Asia, regional (100.00%)

• Other Multisector: Disaster Risk Reduction (43060) (31.59%)
• Disaster Prevention And Preparedness: Disaster prevention and preparedness (74010) (68.41%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (principal objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (significant objective)
• Climate Change Adaptation (significant objective)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (significant objective)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (principal objective)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (significant objective)
• Nutrition (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

This project seeks to reduce people's vulnerability to natural disasters throughout Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on women and children. The project aims to increase the resilience of Southeast Asians to natural disasters by helping communities to work better with national governments and regional organizations to establish more effective disaster risk reduction plans and policies. The project strengthens the ability of national Red Cross Societies and regional organizations to represent and communicate the needs of vulnerable groups, who are often more severely affected by disasters. It also helps the Red Cross Societies work with national governments and regional organizations, to ensure that laws and policies for disaster risk reduction take into account issues related to vulnerable communities, gender equality, and the environment. The project contributes to developing and implementing work-plans on disaster risk reduction between the Red Cross National Societies and regional organizations. It also supports the Red Cross National Societies to build awareness and skills related to International Disaster Response Law at the regional, national and community levels.

The expected intermediate results for this project include: (i) improved representation of community issues, including gender equality issues, in national disaster risk reduction policies, plans and programs; and (ii) increased effectiveness of Southeast Asia regional disaster risk reduction cooperation mechanisms that address the needs of vulnerable communities, with emphasis on women, boys, and girls.

Results achieved as of September 2018 include: (1) the publication of the report entitled “The Responsibility to Prevent and Respond to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Disasters and Crises: Research Results of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response Before, During and After Disasters in Indonesia, Lao PDR and the Philippines”. The report was launched in July 2018 and further research is now being completed in Cambodia and Viet Nam (report under finalization); (2) the publication of the report entitled “ASEAN Disaster Law Mapping – Implementing ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER): a Regional Stocktake, and ASEAN Country Profiles”. Following its launch in May 2018, an ASEAN Academic Seminar was held in Bangkok in September 2018 with the participation of six ASEAN-based academic institutions; (3) the mapping of the ASEAN Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies’ initiatives on school safety as a contribution to the ASEAN School Safety Initiative, which was presented at the ACDM Working Group meeting on Prevention and Mitigation in May 2018, and at the AADMER Partnership Conference in June 2018; (4) the provision of technical assistance and advice into the development of the Law on Lao Red Cross Affairs, as well as the draft law on disaster management in Lao PDR with a focus on the inclusion of gender and diversity statements, and ensuring gender and diversity inclusion in the emergency operation in Lao PDR following the Dam Collapse in Attapeu Province; and (5) awareness of National Societies in ASEAN of the importance of integrating gender and diversity considerations in disaster management policies, tools and strategies has been increased through, among others, the creation of the gender and diversity network.

• Proactive disclosure