The document summarizes the Regional Cluster Approach to Humanitarian Resilience project. The project aims to strengthen WASH coordination mechanisms in South Asia to effectively respond to crises. It is funded by ECHO and led by CARE Germany-Luxemburg in partnership with NCA, Tearfund, ACF, and IFRC. The project conducted baseline assessments in Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh to identify capacity gaps. It then provided trainings, workshops and tools to address these gaps and strengthen coordination and emergency preparedness in national WASH clusters. The project also facilitated regional collaboration to identify common issues, approaches and create a continued coordination platform. Going forward, the project looks to further mainstream disaster risk reduction

2. Presented at the Christian Aid – Regional Consultation on Resilience – South Asia
06-08 Feb 2013, Kathmandu, Nepal
Regional Cluster Approach to
Humanitarian Resilience
Regional Consultation on Resilience
6-8 February2013, Kathmandu
Prasad Bhagwan Sevekari
Regional Emergency Cluster Advisor
(WASH) South Asia
Norwegian Church Aid

3. Cluster System

4. The RECA Project: Genesis
Strategic Objective 2011-15
“Strengthen WASH coordination mechanisms at country level to
respond effectively to humanitarian crises with predictable
leadership”, accountability, and collaborative partnership.”
Outcome 1 Outcome 2 Outcome 3 Outcome 4 Outcome 5
Effective Timely Support to Accountabili Operational
coordination operational regions / ty and advocacy for
and capacity support to countries and learning WASH as an
of Global National cluster partners facilitates essential part
WASH Cluster WASH in emergency effective of
clusters as preparedness WASH humanitarian
needed and technical cluster response
capacities action
RECA

5. The RECA Project
• Is funded by the ECHO in the
framework of their capacity building
scheme
• Ran from July 2011 to December
2012 and is in its 2nd Phase.
• Is led by CARE Germany-Luxemburg
• Consortium of 3 INGOs viz;
Norwegian Church Aid, Tearfund,
Action Contra la Faim & International
Federation of Red Cross and
RedCrescent (IFRC)
• Aims to ‘deliver improved
emergency WASH Coordination’

6. The RECA Project: Coverage
Afghanistan,
Nepal,
Sri Lanka,
Pakistan,
Bangladesh

7. RECA Project: Objectives & Steps
Reinforcing the Capacity and
Coordination of Emergency WASH Monitoring
Clusters at regional and national &
levels in disaster stricken &/or Evaluation
Work Plan-
high risk countries capacity
building
Agreement activities
with WASH Implementation
Cluster /CP on in collaboration
Work Plan with national
Baseline Governments,
based on the
Survey: baseline UNICEF and
determine findings learnt other
Country status of stakeholders
Selection: WASH Cluster
regional / coordination
analysis to platform
select focus
countries

8. Making SMART choices: RECA
Case from Afghanistan
1. Baseline survey conducted in Jan-Feb.2012
2. Uneven quality of WASH personnel, ad-hoc
capacity building, identified as a gaps
3. Detailed Learning Needs Assessment recommended
4. DWLNA Conducted during August 2012
5. National NGOs expressed need for learning application of
tools like GPS in WASH while Government staff mentioned the
need for understanding emergency WASH responses.
6. WASH in emergencies training run by UNICEF in Oct.12
7. GPS in WASH training organised by DACAAR in Nov. 12
8. WASH Cluster would work on systematic & prioritised
response to unmet learning needs of WASH staff in 2013

9. Making SMART choices: RECA
Case from Nepal
1. Baseline survey conducted in Nov.2011
2. Contingency Planning done but not real-time
validation of emergency WASH postulates
3. Recommended Capacity Mapping followed up
with contingency plan updation and Simulation Exercise
4. WASH Cluster organised a WASH SimEx, for the first time
in Nepal, testing coordination skills
5. Capacity mapping was done and Contingency Plan
updation is in progress.

10. RECA for regional collaboration
• Facilitating exchange of ideas and learnings
• Identifying common denominators
• Agreeing on uniform approaches
• Mainstreaming DRR in WASH
• Creating a platform for continued
collaboration and coordination
at regional level
• Not being too ambitious about bringing
substantive, systemic changes within a period of one
year…

11. Ensuring coordination preparedness
and response readiness…
Afghanistan Nepal
Sri Lanka
Reports available on
www.recaproject.org/resources

12. Coordination Performance
Value Addition…
Capacity mapping, Training and Capacity Building : 1
21 2
In particular, capacities of national authorities and 20 3
civil society has been enhanced. 19 4
Coordination with and complementarity of different
18 5
actors:
Role of facilitator in strengthening the links 17 6
between the Government and humanitarian
agencies or national and sub-national levels 16 7
Promotion of Disaster Preparedness and Risk 15 8
Reduction (DP&DRR):
14 9 Start of
Facilitated the contingency planning workshops Project
and/or a wide range of training sessions to raise 13 10
12 11 End of
Project
awareness on DP&DRR amongst WASH actors.
Needs assessment and analysis:
Supported development of contextualised tools and
promoted the GWC tools for assessments whenever
appropriate.
Preparedness Catalysts

13. Resilience and Humanitarian
Reforms
Anticipat
ing Risk
Building
national
Capacities
to
Manage
Reducing Risks Enabling
Exposure Recovery

14. Resilience and Humanitarian
Reforms
Predicta
bility
Building
national
Capacities
to
Manage
Forging Risks Ensuring
Partners Accounta
hips bility
Resilient coordination systems that are able to
withstand and recover from effects of hazards
and retain their basic structures .

15. Looking Ahead… Integration
SYNERGY!!
Regional learning Mainstreaming
Collaboration EP&DRR in National
WASH
Advocacy
Linkages with HFA Ownership for
ECB
Coordination funds
with
other
platforms / Prasad Bhagwan Sevekari
clusters Prasad.sevekari@nca.no
+91 9890299876