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DocumentDisaster Risk Management Strategy in West Africa and the Sahel | FAO (2011-2013) 2011
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Every year, countries of the West Africa and Sahel subregion are adversely affected by natural disasters, such as droughts and floods, as well as transboundary animal diseases, economic crises and civil conflicts. These events result in losses of life, assets and livelihoods, consequently weakening the food and nutrition security of the populations. Given the increasing frequency and complexity of such crises, a holistic approach is needed. Such an approach would integrate actions intend ed to strengthen crisis preparedness and to prevent and to mitigate risks through effective and rapid response and interventions that facilitate the transition towards conditions of stability and development. In line with this need, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has elaborated a new Strategic Framework (2010-2019). The goals set in the FAO’s Strategic Framework 2010-2019 are to improve preparedness for and response to food and agricultural threats and emergencies through timely action before, during and after a crisis. The Strategic Framework provides the basis for FAO’s Disaster Risk Management Strategy in West Africa and the Sahel (2011-2013). This subregional strategy provides an integrated approach to planning disaster risk management and disaster risk reduction activities for the relevant FAO country offices, while at the same time laying the foundation for the development of national Plans of Action. The strategy will be impleme nted in coordination with other relevant actors, such as regional and subregional institutions, the governments involved, United Nations agencies and other non-governmental organizations. -
DocumentGood Practices for Hazard Risk Management in Agriculture. Summary Report Jamaica 2008
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No results found.The vulnerability of the Caribbean region to hydro- meteorological hazards such as hurricanes, floods, drought, high magnitude rainfall and related hazards such landslides is underscored. The recurrent impacts of these events have wreaked havoc on environment, economy and society throughout the region. Although the contribution of agriculture to Caribbean regional GDP has steadily declined over the last two decades, this sector has remained a major employer of labour and as such a main player in the livelihood profile of the region. The extreme vulnerability of the agricultural sector to a variety of hazards/disaster has been a perpetual focus of hazard/disaster management and interventions in the Caribbean. Over the past decade, the FAO has regular responded to the relief/rehabilitation/reconstruction needs of the sector in the aftermath of hurricane-related disasters. While such response and rehabilitation interventions are important, the extent of devastation caused to the agricultu ral sector by the 2004-2005 hurricane seasons stresses the need to move from a reactive to a proactive mode in order to facilitate more long term and sustainable benefits form interventions. It is in recognition of the immense negative impact of the 2004 hurricane season on the agricultural landscape of the Caribbean region and in response to the urgent call for assistant from regional policy makers, that the Food and Agricultural Organization funded the regional project Assistance to improve lo cal agricultural emergency preparedness in Caribbean countries highly prone to hydro-meteorological hazards/disasters. Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and Grenada were among the worst affected countries by hurricane-related disasters during 2004-2005, hence the urgent need to emphasize preparedness as a mitigation strategy for the impacts of these events. While the aforementioned countries all have Disaster and Risk Management (DRM) frameworks that address preparedness and mitigation issues to different extent and involve a wide cross-section of stakeholders, there are weaknesses in linking long-term development planning within the agricultural sector with the realities and projections of recurrent natural hazards/disasters and improving preparedness and mitigation measures. Until relatively recently, DRM has followed the traditional path of emphasis at the national and regional levels with scant regard for community level needs. Over the last 5 years the Caribbean region has been experiencing a paradigm shift in this regard, with increased recognition of the importance and advantages of community-based disaster management planning. It is this approach to DRM, which was applied in the regional FAO project. The project was organized in two phases. The first evaluated the DRM framework as well as identified and documented good practices employed by Jamaican small farmers in mitigating the impacts of hydrometeorological hazards in three pilot sites as well as in the broader agro-ecolo gical environment. The second phase involved the implementation of good practices – in case of Jamaica the Hedgerow/alley cropping technique in a selected community. The implementation process was undertaken in collaboration with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority and involved the provision of technical training as well as material inputs to participating farmers while at the same time ensuring that the project outputs are sustainable. Over 90 farmers, school children and agricultural extension officers were trained in the implementation of the technique while over 60 farmers benefited form the provision of inputs. Sustainability of project outputs was integral to the implementation process and in that regard various measures were implemented to ensure expansion of the technique beyond the pilot site as well as ensure sustainability. A number of important lessons were learned from the good practice implementation process, the most significant of which related to the role of N GO’s in the implementation of community level projects. Lessons learned and recommendations arising from the project are discussed later in this report -
DocumentPakistan. Initial Floods Emergency Response Plan August 2010 2010
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No results found.Over the course of July and early August 2010, Pakistan experienced the worst monsoon-related floods in living memory. Heavy rainfall, flash floods and riverine floods have devastated large parts of Pakistan since the arrival of seasonal monsoon rains on 22 July. Assessments of losses and damages are ongoing, but estimates place the number of affected people at more than 14 million. Over 1,200 people have died, and at least 288,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province, intense rains during the last week of July and in early August were compounded by the swelling of major rivers due to rainwater surging down from the highland areas. The Pakistan Meteorological Department reports that within one week in late July, KPK received 9,000 millimetres of rainfall - ten times as much as the province normally receives in the course of an entire year. Baluchistan, Pakistan-Administered Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, also experienced extreme weather, resu lting in widespread losses and damages. As the flood waters began to slowly recede in the northern provinces, rivers continued to swell to unprecedented levels and travel southwards by way of the Indus River. By early August, flood waters breached the river bank in at least eight districts of Punjab, devastating homes, and crops and livestock. At least eight million people in Punjab have been affected by the disaster. The flood wave continues to make its way through the southern province o f Sindh, where millions more are expected to suffer from the combined impact of torrential rains and unprecedented water levels in the rivers. The Government, especially deploying the Armed Forces' logistical capacity, has led the response to the disaster with the deployment of preparedness, rescue and relief actions. Hundreds of thousands have been rescued or preventively evacuated from riverine areas. In light of the devastation caused by the floods and the ongoing threat to lives and live lihoods, the Government (through its National Disaster Management Authority) requested the United Nations agencies and the humanitarian community to prepare an initial floods emergency response plan. Response Plan Key Parameters Affected population 14 million people Baluchistan Federally Administered Tribal Areas Gilgit-Baltistan Affected areas Khyber Pakthunkhwa Pakistan-Administered Kashmir Punjab Sindh Food Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Key sectors for response Health Shelter/Non-Food Items Total funding requested $459 million While the Government of Pakistan (National Disaster Management Authority and the Provincial Disaster Management Authorities) will lead the relief and recovery activities in flood-affected areas, the humanitarian community has been asked to support the response by covering gaps where the needs exceed the government’s response capacity. This means that the humanitarian community will be assisting only a portion of the overall caseload of affected peopl e, focusing on the most severely affected. The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) expects that critical needs of the severely affected families will include food, clean drinking water and purification materials, emergency health services, tents and shelter kits, cooking sets, mosquito nets, and other non-food items (NFI). Over the medium to long term, the food security situation in the country is likely to be affected by the significant loss of crops and agricultural land. Compounding the deli very of this aid will be the issue of access to areas where destroyed infrastructure has made it impossible for aid to reach people by road. In addition, the security situation in some of the affected areas – especially parts of KPK – remains unpredictable. Considering the size of the area hit by the floods, the number of people who will be found to need assistance is expected to rise as assessments continue and access improves. The combined population of the affected districts is around 43 m illion (out of a total estimated Pakistan population of 168 million). Currently, UN agencies, NGOs and the International Organization for Migration are planning to assist vulnerable flood-affected people in up to seven different geographical areas (Baluchistan, Punjab, Federally Administered Tribal Area, Gilgit Baltistan, KPK, Pakistan-Administered Kashmir, Sindh). The emergency response plan therefore seeks US$460 million1 to enable international partners (UN organizations and non-governme ntal organizations [NGOs]) to support the Government of Pakistan in addressing the needs of flood-affected families for the duration of the immediate relief period. The plan will be revised within 30 days to reflect assessed needs as the situation evolves and will include strategies for assisting people with early recovery from the floods.
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