Disaster Risk Reduction

Natural and man-made disasters continue to have an enormous impact on large segments of the world’s population, but of course tend to have a disproportionate effect upon the poorest and most vulnerable people in society. In some countries natural disasters such as flooding or drought are cyclical and predictable events, which can be prepared for, both by the communities that are directly impacted, as well as governments and civil society groups that have responsibility to assist them.

The effect of a disaster is often linked to the capacity of people to prepare for, survive and recover from a specific event. Those without the livelihood opportunities and assets to recover from a disaster are often pushed into a deeper cycle of poverty and indebtedness. Disasters are now understood to have a political and economic dimension and solutions include integrated efforts to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience.

Aguaconsult has a proven track-record in disaster risk reduction and in assisting in the development and evaluation of programmes which are designed to mitigate the effects of disasters. Working at both the community level and with government agencies, the company has experience in a range of services such as:

• The design of integrated risk reduction strategies and policy development
• The design, development and evaluation of community-based disaster preparedness programmes
• Strategic support to disaster risk reduction planning
• The provision of disaster management personnel for real-time responses
• Humanitarian needs assessment services
• The development and strengthening of emergency preparedness capacities