Disaster Risk Reduction project

1. Project funded
bytheEuropeanUnion
Collaboration with governmental and municipal
representatives: capacity building of local and
regional government members in DRR (awareness
raising seminars on climate change impacts,
environmental protection and natural resources
management; experience-sharing exchange visits,
etc). Seminars and advocacy for replication of
resilient community-based DRR model; conducting
community vulnerability assessments using common
tools (Local Level Risk Management). Advocating
with other DRR stakeholders and DRR National
Platform for inclusion of DRR in development plans
and strategies.
Supporting Community Resilience in the
South Caucasus is a programme implemented by
Oxfam and its partner organizations Support to
Communities (STC) inVayots Dzor and Bridge of Hope
(BoH) in Tavush Region. Oxfam is an international
organization affiliated to Oxfam International, a
global confederation of 17 independent Oxfams
which share the same purpose and rights based
approach.
Oxfam has been working in Armenia since the
early 90s, fighting poverty and making sure that
people’s voices are heard. We work with more than
140 communities across six regions of Armenia
to develop projects that bring lasting change to
people’s lives. We work with the government to
ensure the rights of poor people are put first, and
conduct extensive research to help advocate for
changes. We are working to improve the health
sector, support small holder farmers to cope with
the impact of climate change, address gender
equality, and help communities respond to natural
disasters. We are empowering women and youth to
have a say in the decisions affect them most. Oxfam
works with others to overcome poverty and suffering
through humanitarian assistance, direct programme
interventions, and advocacy and campaigning work.
DRR programme contact details:
Zaruhi Tonoyan- ztonoyan@oxfam.org.uk
Anna Palonka- apalonka@oxfam.org.uk
Supporting community resilience in the
SouthCaucasus is the 3rd phase of a programme
supported by the Disaster Preparedness
SUPPORTING COMMUNITY
RESILIENCE IN THE SOUTH
CAUCASUS
July 1, 2014- September 30, 2015

2. PROGRAMME OBJECTIVE
To increase disaster resilience of local communities
and relevant national institutions by supporting
strategies that enable them to prepare for, mitigate
and respond to disasters in the South Caucasus
region; specifically, to institutionalize government
support for the community­ based DRR model at
the local, regional and nationallevels in Armenia and
Georgia
THEMATIC FOCUS
• support to disaster preparedness of localcommunities
• strengthening women’s participation in DRR
• increasing youth and children’s engagement in DRR
introducing innovation and innovative solutions in DRR
and CCA
• collaboration with community, regional and national
• authorities, leaders and decision makers to replicate
and institutionalize developed DRR models and to
incorporate DRR into relevant policies.
AREA FOCUS
• Armenia and Georgia
• Armenia- Tavush and Vayots Dzor
PEOPLE FOCUS
• 35 communities - 16 communities in Armenia and 19
communities in Georgia
• 30 organizations
• 63.898 direct beneficiaries and 116.932 indirect
beneficiaries.
ACTIVITIES
Communities: strengthening local communities in preven-
tion, mitigation and response to natural disasters- provide
relevant skills and basic emergency equipment, trainings/
seminars in DRR, climate change adaptation and first
aid; community drills; school evacuation drills; support to
village emergency groups; strengthening advocacy skills
of volunteer community emergency groups; carrying out
small scale mitigation infrastructural projects; develop-
ment of village emergency plans and family emergency
plans; local level risk management (LLRM) methodology
assessment at community level; public awareness activi-
ties of Youth clubs, Civic Centres, and Continuing Educa-
tion Community Resource Centres.
Women: Increasing women engagement in DRR work
through engagement in volunteer Community Emergency
Groups, promotion of gender in DRR.
Children and Youth: educational activities for children
and youth such as school emergency drills, quizzes/the-
atres, awareness raising seminars, trainings on adapta-
tion technologies, communication and leadership, inclu-
sive DRR training sessions for youth.