Disaster Risk Reduction – DRR

Impact at a Glance

Disaster Risk Reduction – DRR

32

DRR Projects

12

Countries

100 K

Beneficiaries

50%

Female
(Women & Girls)

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyze and manage the causal factors of disasters by reducing exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property, sustainable management of land and the environment, and improving preparedness and early warning systems. 

RET’s Interventions

Through a range of approaches, RET not only reduces the number of lives and livelihoods lost or adversely affected during a disaster, we help capacitate and empower youth, women and communities to become more resilient to future crises. 

Through participatory and community-based approaches RET´s programs aim to help vulnerable populations anticipate and prepare for disasters in the education system and at the community level. RET intervenes in disaster and emergency affected environments to mitigate the impact of disasters by ensuring the protection of the most vulnerable by guaranteeing their access to protection serves as well as to adapted education opportunities and learning environments.

Moreover, RET has DRR programs to reinforce the preparedness and mitigation capacities of national, local stakeholders, families, and communities in the event of a disaster. 

RET has raised awareness about the cycle of Disaster Risk Reduction and its implementation at national, regional and local levels across the Americas region. We have provided capacity building to a range of national and local authorities in Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico and conducted pilot projects in multiple vulnerable local communities. 

RET has implemented DRR capacity building initiatives incorporating methodologies that adhere to international conventions, such as the Sendai Framework as well as the Central American Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction. 

RET focuses on the active participation of marginalized and vulnerable populations, whilst also keeping a clear focus on the “Build Back Better” approach to ensure risk is not replicated after disasters and adhering to relevant aspects of sustainable development practices that link to climate change and wider development initiatives (ODS, CBD, Paris, Climate Charter). 

Nature-based Solutions (NbS)

RET has been integrating an inter-sectional approach to address the needs of the most vulnerable populations, an approach which helps understand how the different layers of vulnerability interact between at-risk populations. 

To incorporate Nature-based Solutions (NbS) into our programming, we predominantly build capacity amongst communities and authorities to help them recognize the powerful role that the environment can have in terms of increasing resilience to disasters and climate change and help them understand the utility of incorporating such approaches in their Disaster Risk Reduction strategies. 

We also implement NbS directly in projects drawing on themes of disaster and climate resilience and self-sufficiency, with community food production, the promotion of plant-based diets and Eco-efficiency initiatives that help reduce risks whilst simultaneously supporting livelihoods. 

RET has been active in the Americas Region providing DRR programming since 2011, working to reduce disaster risk vulnerability, focusing especially on the most vulnerable populations, such as Young People, Youth with Disabilities, Displaced and Remote Indigenous Communities. 

RET is active in many inter-sectoral networks and clusters promoting inclusive disaster and climate resilience, including the UN Educational Cluster, the LAC Network for Disability Inclusion in DRR (GIRDD LAC-Red de Gestión Inclusiva del Riesgo de Desastres y Discapacidad), GNDR (Global Network of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Reduction), GADRRRES (Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector) and the regional PEDRR platform for Latin America and the Caribbean (Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction.

Zero Project Innovation Award – 2020

RET was awarded the Zero Project Innovation Award in 2020 for its outstanding efforts to develop a multi-sectoral and inclusive approach to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Panama.

Panama is particularly vulnerable to several natural hazards and climate variability. Natural hazards have a greater impact on high-risk populations such as young people with disabilities, often limiting their access to health, food, water, and education. The government enacted policies to address the situation. However, despite the progresses among international, national, and local actors, institutional gaps remained at the local and community level in the implementation of disaster risk management by first response agencies that appropriately address the needs of young people with disabilities. 

Moreover, young people with disabilities were not sufficiently aware of the risks posed by natural hazards nor were they adequately trained to prevent and manage the consequences of natural hazards on their lives, their families, and the community. 

RET won the “Zero Project Award” 2020 for Innovative Practice for “Including Children, Adolescents & Youth with Disabilities in Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Practices.” 

RET designed an integrated project to (1) increase the resilience of the education sector, (2) enable young people with disabilities to be agents of change in Disaster Risk Reduction and First Response, and  (3) make Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Response more inclusive. 

Thus, since 2011, RET has been building the capacities of students with disabilities, their teachers, their community, and first responders to prepare for and manage the risks associated with natural hazards in Panama. RET together with the MoE and the Panamanian Institute for Special Training (IPHE) developed different approaches to mainstreaming inclusive, approaches in DRR within the education sector. This is the first time an intervention in Panama has integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and management into public schools to both address the needs of children and youth with disabilities as well as empower them to be active agents and first responders to natural disasters within their school and their community. RET´s project contributed towards the institutionalization of an inclusive community-based disaster risk management (CDRM) and first response at the national, provincial, and local level in schools and education communities.

An Inclusive Approach in RET’s Response to Disaster Risk Reduction!

  • RET has implemented 32 Disaster Risk Reduction projects, to date.
  • RET has implemented projects with a Disaster Risk Reduction component in 12 countries across the Americas region.
  • 100K Participants (50% female) targeted in RET programs with Disaster Risk Reduction component to date.

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