If governments, communities, and individuals in hazard-prone areas prepare to manage disasters effectively, impacts and losses can be reduced.
In Vietnam, GFDRR has supported the training of over 500 government staff (in Vietnam’s agriculture, education and health ministries) in early warning, preparedness, and recovery. The methodology for damage and loss assessment (DaLA)—including the preparation of recovery plans for flood situations—has been institutionalized within the government and is expected to be replicated at the provincial and district level, in partnership with other development agencies. In the aftermath of a disaster, when there is the greatest opportunity to build back better, risk reduction is to be at the core of the country’s recovery and reconstruction process.
Following floods hitting Central African Republic during the summer of 2009, a GFDRR-funded project is training community health workers in the capital city of Bangui on the maintenance of drainage systems, solid waste management, health and hygiene, and flood preparedness. In partnership with municipal authorities, the project is also rehabilitating drainage and basic sanitation infrastructure using community labor.