PfR external newsletter spring 2020

PfR Newsletter, spring 2020

Dear <<Full name>>,

This third PfR newsletter comes in the midst of challenging times. For several months now the world has been dealing with one of the worst crises of our times - and one which severely impacts the poorest and most vulnerable. The COVID-19 outbreak has forced us to take unprecedented measures, but also to critically reflect on the way we work, live, interact with nature, and on the overarching global emergency that is climate change. The links between ecosystems and disaster risks, and the need for early, collective action, for coherent policies and for nature-based approaches and solutions have never been clearer than today. Whilst we have redirected some of our efforts towards responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, we strongly believe that the ongoing work to strengthen communities’ resilience must be continued as much as possible. We are relentlessly thinking of innovative approaches and creative ways to adapt to the current challenging conditions without harming the communities that we seek to support.

The upcoming months will require forward thinking from each of us in order to work together for a greener, more inclusive and climate resilient post-COVID world. This crisis moment is an opportunity to rethink our response models, our relationship between people and planet and reshape our approach to risk management with special attention being paid to vulnerable groups. This period also represents an important time for reflection for PfR, as December will mark the end of the second phase of our programme.

In this newsletter, we will show you the relevance of our work in the most vulnerable communities to reduce disaster risks, supporting people to become resilient and ensuring that their voices are being heard. Discover it through the stories from for example Kenya and South Sudan, and find links to new films, a Podcast on the COVID-19 impact, a PfR photo exhibition "Faces of Resilience" and new resources.

We invite you to subscribe to this newsletter, and in doing so, support us to expand the network of change-makers. Happy reading!

Nok van de Langenberg, Steering Group member Partners for Resilience

Dealing with multiple hazards and COVID-19 crisis

For many communities supported by PfR, the COVID-19 crisis compounds other existing crisis linked to disasters, climate change and environmental degradation. Stepping up efforts on climate change action and response to the environmental crisis alongside response to COVID-19 is therefore crucial.

Hosted by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Regional Office for Africa, the African Union Commission, and Partners for Resilience, the webinar "Addressing Disaster Risk Reduction of multiple hazards during the COVID-19 crisis" discussed emerging issues relating to Disaster Risk Reduction and increasing vulnerability from COVID-19 impacts, and offered recommendations and learnings on how to continue working on DRR and multiple hazards while responding to COVID-19 in Africa.

The webinar has been recorded. Besides a brief report is available here.

Watch the webinar recording →

Empowering Kenya's marginalized

In Isiolo county, lack of understanding the law by Persons with Disabilities used to prevent them from being included in development plans. PfR Kenya has strengthened their capacities, contributing to positive changes and economic empowerment. This resulted in the development and passing of a new policy: the Isiolo County Youth, Women and Persons with Disability Enterprises Development Fund Act and Regulations 2019. The Isiolo county government allocated 18 million KES to a revolving fund. Now there are provisions for people who often have difficulties accessing loans. As it is an interest free loan, Muslim women have access as well. For young people and Persons with Disabilities these funds provide a great opportunity.

New films: local drivers of change

Three documentary films on Partners for Resilience's work in the Philippines were launched in April.

"Voices of Manila Bay" covers PfR's participation in the planning processes to rehabilitate Manila Bay with the goal of making it swimmable again. PfR aims at engaging local people in the planning processes, ensuring they are well informed and have a say in providing solutions. "Building mangroves in Tacloban" stresses on the importance of mangroves, being a natural protection for floods and storms on Leyte island. The film "A resilient island" shows how the community of Guiuan municipality has come together to jointly work on solutions to reduce the impact of possible disasters.

Watch the films here →

Strengthening women in South Sudan

Clean cooking stoves are transforming the lives of South Sudanese women. "It is dangerous to pick firewood near the camp, but with the new stove, I use less firewood. I have more income to help my family, and I am so proud that I can introduce these stoves to the people in Wau town", says Rebecca, who is living in the Wau Protection of Civilians Camp. These new cooking stoves reduce the use of firewood by up to 66% per day, and have positive health benefits reducing indoor smoke and the risk of uncontrolled fires and burns to cooks and children.

Podcast: ordinary lives impacted by COVID-19

This podcast brings you to the lives of ordinary people in various communities around the world. The lockdown due to the COVID-19 crisis in many places has led to increasing vulnerabilities for those already living in difficult situations. The pandemic is showing us how important it is to improve the resilience of vulnerable people and how affected local communities need support. With this podcast we like to tell the story of the most vulnerable people around the world dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. These few voices speak for millions.

Listen to the Podcast here →

Inclusive Resilience

A new “Step-by-Step Guide to Inclusive Resilience” has been developed based on an analysis of the inclusion of marginalized groups in the Partners for Resilience programme. It provides a guide for Disaster Risk Reduction and Integrated Risk Management practitioners to promote and mainstream inclusion of the most marginalized in Integrated Risk Management practices and policy influencing processes.

Faces of Resilience

The photo exhibition “Faces of Resilience: Where will we be in 2030?” shows stories of people and communities who are becoming resilient to disasters and who are adapting to the consequences of climate change. “These pictures are as much a token of hope as they are of the urgency of action needed and serve to remind us all of the importance of resilience building in the wake of climate change’’ said the Director of the Inclusive Green Growth department of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Carola van Rijnsoever, at the opening of the exhibition.

Gender analysis for COVID-19

Disease outbreaks affect women, girls, men, boys, and persons of all genders differently, to say nothing of the wide variety of at-risk and marginalized groups. The compounding complexities of development and humanitarian contexts can have disproportionate effects on women and girls, as well as those at-risk and vulnerable groups. CARE identified the need to highlight the gender and intersectional impacts of the COVID-19 crisis and developed a number of materials to support a gendered response to COVID-19. These materials can be found on CARE's website, through the below link.

IRM advocacy training manual now available in French

This IRM training manual has been developed by the Partners for Resilience in the Horn of Africa with support from experts involved in the Horn of Africa Programme; specifically from Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan. The manual provides an overarching guide for delivering training on Integrated Risk Management (IRM) and particularly to strengthen the capacity to advocate for IRM. This manual is now also available in French. (Find the English version here)

PfR's Annual Report 2019 is out

We proudly share PfR's Annual Report 2019: "Reaching Impact and Ownership". In 2019 the Partners for Resilience Dialogue & Dissent programme, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was moving at full steam at all levels. PfR made significant progress and impact, while ownership and leadership from Civil Society Organisations on policy dialogues continued to further increase, with growing attention paid to gender and inclusion.

PfR Library

The PfR library is a repository of resources on integrated risk management from Africa, Asia and Central America. It provides open access to the public to search for and download resources without the need to sign up for an account. However, if you do sign up for an account then you get access to more advanced features, like being able to create your own collections of resources. Feel free to register - it is easy, free, and gives you access to many resources.

Stay in touch

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