1

(CBDP) — the first of its kind in Cambodia.The program added depth to CRC s roleas a relief and response agency by takingon a development approach, and treatingcommunities of Cambodia not as victimsawaiting assistance but as capable peoplewho can prepare for and mitigateagainst flood.

Recognizing CRC s leading approach todisaster management, the AsianDisaster Preparedness Center s (ADPC)Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation

Introduction

Flood along the Mekong River and theTonle Sap Lake and tributaries is arecurring event, sometimes reachingdisastrous dimensions, with severelosses in human lives and foodproduction. The annual flood inCambodia reached catastrophicproportions in 1996, prompting theCambodian Red Cross (CRC) and theInternational Federation of Red Crossand Red Crescent Societies (theFederation) to initiate a Community-Based Disaster Preparedness Program

Abstract

The inside story

Three decades of internal upheaval and warfare in Cambodia have erodedthe traditions of community solidarity and trust. In times of flood andother disasters, families feel virtually responsible for themselves. Acommunity-based approach to flood mitigation and preparedness is nowchallenging this attitude by building the capacities of villagers to actconcertedly in building safer communities.

This case study, the first of a two-part series, is derived from theexperience of the Community-BasedFlood Mitigation and PreparednessProject (CBFMP) (1998-2001). Itfeatures the development of anorganizational framework for floodvulnerability reduction in 23Cambodian villages. The step-by-step process by which this wasachieved involved: (1) selectingproject sites, targeting mostvulnerable communities (2)selecting community members asvolunteers and training them towork with communities in reducingvulnerabilities; (3) organizingcommunities and establishingCommunity-Based DisasterManagement Committees (CBDMCs)as a coordinating body; and (4)identifying, estimating and rankinglocal disaster risks through riskmapping. Building the capacities ofcommunities to mitigate, preparefor and respond to disaster in a self-reliant and cooperative manner isemphasized.

Coping with flood in Cambodian communitiesEnhancing community solidarity through capacity building

Cambodia

C a s e s t u d i e s o n m i t i g a t i n g d i s a s t e r s i n A s i a a n d t h e P a c i f i c

Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program

Community-baseddisaster management

2cSa f e r

i t i e s

June 2002

MekongRiver

Cambodia

Thailand

� Selecting project sites andvolunteers, page 3

� Capacity building, page 3� Community organizing, page 5� Risk assessment, page 6

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center

2

CBDP and CBFMP relied on a networkof Red Cross Volunteers (RCVs) andCambodian Red Cross (CRC) officials atthe commune, district and provincial levelsto tap resources and build capacitiesin flood mitigation and preparednesswithin communities. This unique networkof CRC, together with the strongsupport of the Royal CambodianGovernment and H.E. Lok ChumteavBun Rany Hun Sen as CRC s President,contributed to the acceptance of thisnew community-based initiative.

This case study is the first of a two-partseries about CBFMP. This part exploresthe methodology for establishing and

sustaining an organizational frameworkfor identifying needs and cost-effectivemitigation strategies that will beimplemented and maintained by thecommunities themselves. This processwas carried out by selecting projectsites, training community volunteers,establ ishing local disastermanagement committees, and riskmapping. From these, communitymembers have prioritized, plannedand implemented mitigation solutions(or micro-projects) to minimize theimpact of flood. Lessons from planningand implementing the mitigationsolutions will be discussed in ADPCSafer Cities 3.

Program (AUDMP) worked in partnershipwith CRC, the Federation and PrivateAgencies Col labort ing Together(PACT) to develop a pilot project —the Community-Based Flood Mitigationand Preparedness Project (CBFMP)under CRC s CBDP. The CBFMP aimedto establish sustainable mechanismsfor flood vulnerability reduction in 23villages under three flood prone districts- Kang Meas District in Kampong Cham,Kien Svay District in Kandal, and PeamRo District in Prey Veng (see map onp.1). The success stories and lessonslearned from the CBFMP have beenreplicated to other communitiesthroughout Cambodia.

Issues to consider when implementing community-based initiatives questions to ask �

Where will the project be developed?

What next?

Who will be involved?

What will they do and how will they do it?

How do we find out the problems, needs andresources available?

How do we involve the community?

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center

3

Safer Cities

Safer Cities 2, AUDMP

CRC headquarters and the provincial RedCross officials, with support from the

Federation, selected the targetcommunit ies based on theextent of damage and rateof recovery from pastfloods, particularly during1996. All selected villagesare situated along theMekong River or nearbytributaries.

Red Cross Volunteers(RCVs) residing at theselected communit ieswere recruited throughcandidates application inresponse to RCVadvertisements posted inthe villages. The selection ofsuitable volunteers was basedon the Red Cross criteria for RCVs(see right box). In some cases, RedCross officials approached potential

volunteers, sometimes to ensure that atleast one woman is in a team of RCVs.

Although most villagers had towork hard daily to earn just

enough for a day ssubsistence, a sufficientnumber of volunteerswere recruited with littleproblems. This isbecause CRC is a wellrespected organizationand communitymembers are generallyproud to be RCVs.Women might havefaced addit ionaldifficulties due to their

mult i - tasked workday,but once appointed as

RCVs both women and menwere committed to the Red

Cross principles and felt a senseof responsibility for the well-being of thecommunity.

Step 1: Selecting project sites and volunteersRed Cross defines selection criteria

At the firstsign of flood, I

worked with othervolunteers to move

children and women to asafe place, and livestock tothe newly raised road . . . Ididn t have to worry aboutmy family because Iknew they were welltaken cared of, saidMr. Leang Thea,Village Chief of Prek

Andong and RedCross Volunteer.

Step 2: Capacity buildingCBFMP trains volunteers

Training curriculum for RCVs: Four Modules

1. Red Cross Values and Responsibilities (3 days) — Encompassing the values ofthe Red Cross Movement.

2. Disaster Management and Hazard Mapping (5 days) — Covering concepts ofdisaster and flood mitigation; the role of RCVs; risk mapping and vulnerabilityassessments; and exposure to techniques for community organization andresource mobilization.

3. Community-Based First Aid (CBFA) (6 days) — Demonstrating First Aid techniquesin case of emergencies.

4. Leadership and Community Organizing (10 days) — Focusing on activatingRCVs to utilize the information gathered in the assessment process to prioritizemitigation strategies and mobilize resources from within the community andfrom outside sources. This module also covers proposal-writing skills.

Financial Management — This module was added later to arrange a system forthe management of funds provided by the community members and donorsin a transparent manner.

Main characteristics ofselected communities:••••• Highly vulnerable to flood••••• Limited capacity to recover••••• Experienced severe damage

by flood••••• Supported by the people in the

community

Criteria for RCV selection:••••• At least 17 years old••••• Cambodian nationality••••• Able to read and write in Khmer••••• Able to do simple

mathematical calculations••••• In good health••••• Has been affected by flood••••• Willing to be an RCV

Composition of RCVs per village:At least two RCVs (one male and onefemale) not from the same family

Volunteers go throughmodular training

By June 2000, the project had trainedseven trainers at the CRC headquarters

and a total of 159 RCVs in 23 villages ofthe three selected provinces. CRC, theFederation, PACT and ADPC developed thetraining curriculum for RCVs under fourmodules (see left box).

Upon completion of Module 2, RCVsreturned to their communities to conductrisk assessments and complete a risk map(see Step 4). This map was intended toencourage participative identification ofproblems and planning of preparednessand mitigation strategies in thecommunities. At the end of Module 4, RCVs

Safer Cities is a series of case studies that illustrate how people, communities, cities, governments and businesses have been able to make cities safer before

disasters strike. The series presents strategies and approaches to urban disaster mitigation derived from analyses of real-life experiences, good practices and lessons

learned in Asia and the Pacific. This user-friendly resource is designed to provide decision-makers, planners, city and community leaders and trainers with an array of

proven ideas, tools, policy options and strategies for urban disaster mitigation. The key principles emphasized throughout Safer Cities are broad-based participation,

partnerships, sustainability and replication of success stories.

The contents here may be freely quoted with credit given to the implementing institution, Asian Disaster Preparedeness Center (ADPC), and to the Office of Foreign

Disaster Assistance (OFDA) of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily

reflect the views of ADPC or USAID. The information in this series is provided for purposes of dissemination. For more details, please refer to contacts listed at the

end of this material. Publication of this case study was made possible through the support provided by the OFDA, USAID, under the terms of Cooperative Agreement

No. 386-A-00-00-00068.

4

their training. At the same time, theseenabled CRC to monitor progress in thecommunities and troubleshoot individualproblems.

CRC expands training program

As CBFMP came to completion, CRCreplicated its achievements into CBDP.CBDP and CBFMP developed a group ofRCVs and active community members whocould be mobilized to mitigate, prepare forand respond to flood disasters. To furtherbuild on the achievements of CBFMP, CRCplans to incorporate the following in itsCBDP: (1) training for provincial Red Crossstaff to train RCVs (training of RCVs iscurrently conducted by the trainers at CRCheadquarters); (2) extension ofcommunity-based disaster mitigationtraining to Community-Based DisasterManagement Committee (CBDMC)members (more details on CBDMC below);and (3) promotion of public awareness onflood mitigation and preparedness amongvillagers.

existing RCVs to get together; clarifyconcepts on and practices of floodpreparedness and mitigation planning; andlearn from each other s experiences. To

continue to build the capacity ofRCVs, new modules such as

Participatory RiskAssessment and

Community ActionPlanning are beingdesigned.

During CBFMP, additionalsupport after training wasensured. Once the traininghad been completed and

the volunteers had returnedto their communities, CRC

organized regular groupmeetings and site visits (see box

below) over the next several months tosupport the RCVs as they worked in theirrespective communities. The groupmeetings and site visits provided anopportunity for the RCVs to exchangeexperiences in the practical application of

continued to work with communities inreaching a consensus on priority mitigationsolutions. Subsequently, communities wereorganized and resources were mobilized inorder to plan and implement thesolutions.

RCVs getafter-training support

The training curriculum wasdeveloped on the basis oflimited funds and time frame.However, it was wellrecognized by CRC, theFederation and PACT thattraining in itself is not sufficient.CRC considered this training as afirst step in establishing a long-termrelationship with the RCVs andcommunity members. It was also developedas an orientation to disaster mitigation andpreparedness. Continuing support andfuture training for RCVs have beenincorporated in CRC s master plan. Itincludes refresher courses that would allow

A schedule of after-training site visits and group meetingsof Red Cross Volunteers

Mr. SangKee, Chief of Koh

Ta Ngor I Village,said, Every time

t h e r e w a s aproblem, Mr. Kong[District Red CrossOfficer] came andprovided supportand encouraged usto do the work

n e e d e d .

Training of Red Cross Volunteers

CRC and PACT conduct groupmeetings with Red Cross Volunteersand community representatives.

Site visit 1 (after Module 2):••••• Clarify roles and responsibilities of RCVs.••••• Review hazard and vulnerability assessment processes.

Group Meeting 1 (after Module 2):••••• Clarify roles and responsibilities of RCVs.••••• Exchange ideas among RCVs and community members on the profile of exceptional

historic disaster events.

Site visit 2 (after Module 4):••••• Promote awareness of the prioritized hazards and elements at risk.••••• Review preliminary strategies and solution to cope with the hazards.

Group Meeting 2 (after Module 4):••••• Identify and define strategic measures to cope with potential hazards in the

communities through participatory methods.

Site visit 3 (after Module 4):••••• Assess the availability of community capacity and resources for disaster

preparedness and mitigation activities.

Site visit 4 (after Module 4):••••• Verify the prioritized community mitigation solution.••••• Accept the prioritized solution proposal.

Group Meeting 3 (Solution implementation period):••••• Review the basic financial management of the RCVs and the Community-Based

Disaster Management Committee.••••• Disburse funds to support community solution.

Site visit 5 (Solution implementation period):••••• Monitor and follow up the mitigation activities.

Group Meeting 4 (Solution implementation period):••••• Evaluate the completion of community mitigation solution.

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center

5

Trained RCVs electcommittee members

Trained RCVs established a Community-Based Disaster Management

Committee (CBDMC) in each targetedcommunity by election. The CBDMC iscomposed of at least four persons - theCommittee Chair, the Treasurer, theSecretary and a member. However, thesize of the CBDMCs varied from 3 to 19members. The nominated CBDMCmembers were well respected, givingcredibility to activities initiated by theCBDMC. Committee members(predominantly male) often included thevillage chiefs, village deputy chiefs, villagegroup leaders, elders, monks and membersof the wat (or temple) committees, theRCVs, teachers, and health workers.According to the CBFMP evaluation(August 2001), the composition of theCBDMCs had a great impact on theeffectiveness of the project process.

On the contrary, the size of the CBDMCsdid not seem to have an impact on theireffectiveness in resource mobilization or inimplementing the project. Committee sizeslikely reflected the level of villageorganization. Undoubtedly, communitiesthat were well organized had an easier timemobilizing local resources. Furthermore,community bodies that had demonstratedtheir ability to achieve results on prioroccasions were more likely to be effective,

Step 3: Community organizingVolunteers establish Community-Based Disaster Management Committees (CBDMCs)

Safer Cities 2, AUDMP

as some level of trust within the groupexists.

CBDMCs go beyond the call of duty

Initially, CBDMCs were set up for themanagement of the project, morespecifically, for the managementof funds from donors andcommunity contributions.However, at the end of theproject, many committeemembers felt responsible tocarry out further disastermitigation and preparednessactivities in collaboration withthe RCVs. This could be dueto the completion of asuccessful project demonstratingthe benefits of such an initiative tothe community. As a result, suchcommittees are supported and sustained inmany communities.

Highlighted below are the experiences ofCBDMCs in communities of Kampong Chamafter CBFMP had ended (see box onpage 6). Two cases show that communitiescontinue to rely primarily on their own

families but a sense of communitysolidarity seems to be emerging.

In some communities, CBDMCmembers and RCVs tookupon themselves theaddit ional role of raisingpubl ic awareness oncommunity-based f loodmitigation and preparedness.As an i l lustrat ion, Koh

Ta Ngor II CBDMC membersand RCVs reminded the

community to store foodsupplies and purify water with

cholarmine from CRC and other reliefagencies during flood. The impact oftheir awareness promotion efforts could

Insights on capacity building

Training could be used as an entry point into thecommunity.Empowering RCVs through training is strategic inreducing communities vulnerability to flood andimproving communities quality of life in the long term.

Complementing training of RCVs with public awarenesscampaigns is crucial.

Supplementing training with on-site practical work isessential.

Providing additional support after training is helpful.

Composition of CBDMC for effective implementation

Number of members may vary.

Should at least compose of the Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and a member.

Should include accepted individuals (e.g., elderly, monk, teacher and membersof religious groups) to add credibility.

Should capitalize on the existing social structures.

CRC s replication of training through DIPECHO (DisasterPreparedness - European Community Humanitarian Aid Office)funds in Prek Kreh Village of Kampot Province:

With funding support from DIPECHO, CRC conducted training onCommunity-Based Disaster Preparedness to other communitiesin the three demonstration provinces of Kampong Cham, Kandaland Prey Veng as well as to communities in four otherprovinces - Kampong Speu, Kampot, Kratie and Pursat.

We wereadvised to

stockpile foodand animal fodderin preparation forflood and to purifywater duringflood, said Ms. BeeSavong, a 28-year-old villager in

Koh Ta Ngor II.

lessonslearned

lessonslearned

6

be felt in other sites. For example, theyencouraged mobilization of human and financial resources to raise the road inneighboring Angkor Ban Village.

The CBDMC members were keen to betrained on improving public speaking and

presentation skills to promote awarenessnot only in their own villages but also inneighboring villages.

I t was suggested by a number ofcommunity members and RCVs duringthe 2001 evaluation of CBFMP that CRC

staff at the provincial office and the head-quarters should also be involved in pro-moting awareness and providing adviceon flood mitigation and preparedness. Itwas believed that this would boost thecredibility of the messages conveyed.

Bang Sang Lech

In Bang Sang Lech community, theproject to raise 500 meters of road andconstruct an 800-meter long and 0.5-meter high berm reduced the speed offlood onset on houses further inland,provided elevated grounds forcommunities to evacuate their livestock,and provided road access during flood.Following this success, more mitigationprojects have been planned by theCBDMC with community members,including the construction of higher wellcaps to prevent contamination of

drinking water during flood and thebuilding of safe areas for individual familiesnear their homes. These safe areas are4x6x2-meter structures costing Riel120,000 (USD31.20) including materialsand one-week labor charges.Communities in this village prefer to haveindividual safe areas rather than a publicone.

Prek Andong

Concern for one s family only continuesto be typical of the communities inKampong Cham but we could see hints

Experiences of Community-Based Disaster Management Committees in Kampong Cham communities

of community collaboration. For example,Prek Andong was completely inundatedin 2000 and most people had to helpthemselves. Only families with relativesand friends in other communities inlandwere able to move temporarily to a saferplace. However, the 2001 flood was metwith a more concerted effort in thiscommunity, led by the CBDMC and RCVsin evacuating families in 15 small housesto a nearby community of Andong Ong.With the help of the Village Chief ofAndong Ong, these families moved tostay with those who had strongerhouses for more than a month.

Step 4: Risk assessmentRisk mapping goes wrong

What is a risk map?

A sketch or a scale model that:

••••• shows geography (e.g., location of rivers and mountains)••••• shows settlements and infrastructure••••• identifies location of high-risk areas in the community••••• employs symbols to identify key places that serve as reference points

(e.g., Red Cross, Health Center, police, temples, schools and so on)••••• identifies location of high-risk areas in the community••••• highlights location of resources (e.g., wells and boats)••••• marks safe areas for evacuation

One of the reasons for non-use of hazardmaps may be the absence of a scenario-building exercise for extreme disastersituations as an integral part of the riskassessment. It is vital for communitymembers to discuss community risks andhazards or even take a tour of thecommunity to identify these risks andhazards. Following the recent anddevastating high floods of 2000 and 2001,communities are beginning to learn theimportance of mitigation and preparednessplanning.

As a result, these maps were neithervisually displayed nor updated. However,they could be useful tools for identifyinghazardous areas and mitigation planning.For example, residents of Koh Tah Ngor IIVillage of Kampong Cham Provinceperceived the nearby Mekong riverbankto be eroding at a rate of as much as 200meters per year. The regular update ofthe risk map would clearly demonstratethe increased vulnerability of thecommunities (see map and photo onpage 7).

RCVs were trained to facilitate a mapping exercise in their communities to

identify hazard-prone areas in order todiscuss and reach consensus on planningand implementing mitigation solutions. Thisprocess, however, was conducted in sucha way that had no identifiable value toany of the people in the communities(CBFMP Evaluation Report, August 2001,p. 13).

Often, the RCVs felt responsible to leadthe production of the risk map, thus, therewas limited community participation andsome community members had not evenseen the map. Moreover, these maps wereoften not risk maps but sketch maps ofthe villages. Understandably, the localvillagers felt they did not require a map tolocate or designate hazardous areas attimes of flood. These people were bornand raised in the community and have anintimate knowledge of the local geography.Therefore, the RCVs and the CBDMCmembers felt that the map served moreof the needs of the CRC staff and NGOrepresentatives who visited theircommunity.

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center

7Safer Cities 2, AUDMP

Conclusion: What next?

solutions will be made in the second ofthe two-part series about CBFMP (seeADPC Safer Cities 3). The people in eachcommunity were evidently proud of whathad been achieved and recognized thatownership of the end result of the projectresided with them. During the flood of2001, villagers of Bang Sang Lech inKampong Cham protected their newlyraised road by topping the community-raised berm with sandbags made of soilfrom their own paddy fields. When itwas realized that this measure wasinsufficient to protect the road,the community s insistence onprotecting the road led themto buy additional sandbags oncredit from CRC.

Communities may tapexternal funding

The most common problem forcommunity-based disastermanagement initiatives is thelack of resources. It could beargued that seeking funding fromoutside sources create communitiesdependence, but most villages have noother resources and so are compelled to

Sustainable disaster managementrecognizes community capabilities

The aim of community-based disastermitigation and preparedness is to reducevulnerabilities and strengthen people scapacity to cope with hazards. In thisprocess it is essential to recognize people scapacities. Communities are not helplessand they have lived with flood for centuries.They are capable of preparing, respondingto and recovering from disasters. Whenthe capacities of communities arerecognized, the solution comes from withinthe community itself, making it strongerand more self-reliant. The solutions arerealistic and the community feelsresponsible and involved in the disastermanagement process. This leads to moreeffective and sustainable mitigation ofdisasters. Implementing the programthrough the existing structure of theCambodian Red Cross contributedsignificantly to the success of the activities.

Communities need to implementmitigation solutions

Discussion on the process of planning,designing and implementing the mitigation

depend on outside charity for anythingabove their basic needs. The project hasallowed the communities to recognize thatthere are outside resources that could betapped.

Community-based approach buildssafety and solidarity

All in all, CBDP and CBFMP had not onlycontr ibuted towards bui ld ing safer

communit ies but also towardsbuilding trust through working

together on a common problem— f lood — to redevelopcommunities. The evaluationof CBFMP revealed thatalmost every villager tookpride in what had beenachieved in his or hercommunity. Some villagersexpressed sentiments thatthe project had served to

build community solidarity andbring people together. The

village elders recognized aspectsof this important social element

resurface in the process of this project.This provides the foundation for furthercommunity initiatives.

Mr. PengEourn, a 63-

year-old villager,stated, As we

completed ourproject, our com-munity becamecloser. This issomething I havenot seen in along time.

Communities should have a risk map NOT a sketch map.

Riverbank erosion is a major concern of villagers inKampong Cham. The village map clearly shows housesand roads as elements at high risk.

Key points in risk mapping

Risk mapping is not necessarily the panacea to allproblems of hazard identification.

It is important to get into the social psyche of howperceptions of risk are quantified and represented.

Full involvement of all groups in the community (e.g.,elders, monks, women, children, and others) isfundamental.

The map has to be initiated and drawn by villagers(not by RCVs).

Mapping is an effective tool to encourage participationin the community.

Agreeable ideas or conflicts can be identified duringthe mapping process.

Usefulness of risk mapping needs to be incorporatedinto community planning over a continuous periodthrough training and practical application.

lessonslearned

8

CARE CambodiaHouse 52 St. 352Quarter Boeung Keng Kang 1Dist. Chamcar MornPhnom Penh, CambodiaTel. (855-23) 215-269Fax: (855-23) 426-233Contact: Ms. Kate AngusE-mail: care.cam@bigpond.com.kh

Oxfam Great BritainP.O Box 883, No. 54, Road 352Boeung Keng Kang 1, ChamkamonPhnom Penh, CambodiaTel: (855-23) 720-036Fax: (855-23) 720-929URL: http://www.oxfam.org.ukContact: Mr. Phoeuk SokE-mail: psok@oxfam.org.uk

Editorial Board

Dr. Suvit Yodmani, ADPCCol. Brian Ward, ADPCMr. Aloysius Rego, ADPCMr. Kamal Kishore, ADPCDr. Apichai Thirathon, ADPCMr. Touch Thearat, ADPC (formerly at PACT)Dr. Uy Sam Ath, CRCMme. Seija Tyrninoksa, IFRCMs. Megan Meline, USAID

Author: Christine Apikul, ADPCEditor & designer: Lichelle Carlos

On community-baseddisaster management

ADPC Community- Based Disaster ManagementCourse Curriculum (including Trainer s Guide,Coordinator s Guide, Participant s Workbookand Reading Materials).

ADPC Information Resources on Community-Based Disaster Management (CD-ROM),September 2001.

Nee, M., 1995, Towards Restoring Life:Cambodian Villages, JSRC Phnom Penh.

Other relevantSafer Cities case studies

ADPC Safer Cities 1: Community-Based Initiatiesin Kathmandu Valley

ADPC Safer Cities 3: Mitigating Flood Risk inCambodian Communities

ADPC Safer Cities 5: Community-Based Initiativesin Sri Lanka

Action Against Hunger (AAH)15 Street 7 (Okhna Suor Srong)Sangkat Chak Tomok Khan, Doun PenhPhnom Penh, CambodiaTel: (855-23) 426-934; 363-701Fax: (855-23) 361-291URL: http://www.aah-usa.orgContact: Mr. Dominic CarrollE-mail: acfcambodge@bigpond.com.kh

Further references

On CBFMP

CBFMP Training Modules, August 2001.CBFMP Completion Report for Phase 1 and 2

(AUDMP Project Report No. 2), August 2000.CBFMP Completion Report for Phase 3.CBFMP Evaluation Report: Lessons Learned from

Community-Based Flood Mitigation andPreparedness Project in Cambodia (AUDMPWorking Paper No. 3), August 2001.

On community-based disaster management initiatives in Cambodia

Safer Cities 2, AUDMP

The Cambodian Red Cross (CRC) Community-Based Disaster Preparedness Program (CBDP) aimed to reduce the vulnerability of flood-prone communitiesin Cambodia. As part of the CBDP, the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) under its Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program (AUDMP) developedthe Community-Based Flood Mitigation and Preparedness Project (CBFMP) through a partnership approach with CRC, the Federation and PACT. Disasterpreparedness and mitigation activities were piloted in Kampong Cham, Kandal and Prey Veng Provinces. The project brought together a variety ofhumanitarian organizations to address the susceptibility of the general population and its infrastructure, livelihoods and shelter. Together, they focusedon training volunteers and facilitating implementation of mitigation solutions for flood risk reduction in communities.

CBDP and CBFMP

Implementation:

Cambodian Red Cross17 Vithei de la Croix RougeCambodgiennePhnom Penh, CambodiaTel: (855-23) 210-773Fax: (855-23) 212-875Contact: Dr. Uy Sam Ath

Director, DisasterManagement DepartmentE-mail: dmd.crc@bigpond.

com.kh

International Federation of Red Crossand Red Crescent Societies17 Vithei de la Croix RougeCambodgiennePhnom Penh,CambodiaTel: (855-23) 210-162, 362-690Fax: (855-23) 210-163URL: http://www.ifrc.orgContact: Head of Delegation of the Federation

E-mail: ifrckh01@ifrc.org

Funding:

Office of Foreign DisasterAssistance (OFDA),U.S. Agency forInternational Development(USAID)

Asian Disaster Preparedness CenterP.O. Box 4, Klong LuangPathumthani 12120THAILANDContact: Information Scientist

E-mail: ambika@ait.ac.th

Tel: (66-2) 524-5354Fax: (66-2) 524-5350E-mail: adpc@ait.ac.thURL: http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) is a regional resource center dedicated to safer communities and sustainable development throughdisaster reduction in Asia and the Pacific. Established in 1986 in Bangkok, Thailand, ADPC is recognized as an important focal point for promoting disasterawareness and developing capabilities to foster institutionalized disaster management and mitigation policies.

For more information, please get in touch with us at:

ADPC

Project Partners

The Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program (AUDMP) is the first of six regional programs implemented by ADPC. The AUDMP started in 1995with core funding from USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) until 2003. The program was developed with the recognition ofincreased disaster vulnerability of urban populations, infrastructure, critical facilities and shelter in Asian cities. In an environment where goodgovernance and decentralization are high in most countries’ political agenda, AUDMP aims to demonstrate the importance of and strategicapproaches to urban disaster mitigation as part of the urban development planning process in targeted cities of Asia.

AUDMP supports this demonstration by building the capacity of local authorities, national governments, non-government organizations, businesses andothers responsible for establishing public and private sector mechanisms for urban disaster mitigation as part of city management. AUDMP also facilitatesknowledge sharing and dialogue between the key stakeholders to promote replication of the AUDMP approaches to other cities and countries worldwide.Currently, the AUDMP approaches have been introduced and sustained by national partner institutions in targeted cities of Bangladesh, Cambodia,India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

AUDMP

Private Agencies Collaborating TogetherHong Kong Center, Ground Fl.108-112 Preah Sothearos Blvd.P.O. Box 149Phnom Penh, CambodiaTel: (855-23) 217-855-6Fax: (855-23) 217-820URL: http://www.pactworld.orgContact: Mr. Kurt A. MacLeod

Country RepresentativeE-mail: kurtmacleod@pactcam.org

P a c t