Cordaid implements a Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) approach in Kenya to build climate resilience. The approach centers communities in hazard and risk assessments to develop and implement risk reduction plans. Key activities include rangeland rehabilitation, livelihood diversification, conflict resolution, and strengthening community organizations and institutions. Challenges include lack of coordination between policies and actors, overreliance on relief that undermines coping strategies, and limited documentation of best practices. Improving linkages, research, documentation, and governance are priorities to enhance climate adaptation.

1. COMMUNITY MANAGED DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (
CMDRR) APPROACH/CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
PROGRAMME
PRESENTATION MADE AT
STRENGTHENING CLIMATE RESILIENCE
PROJECTWORKSHOP
24th June 2010
BY: SAFIA ABDI
CORDAID-

2. Outline
 About Cordaid
 Link between view of CMDRR/CCA /SD
 Cordaid CMDRR/CCA
programme/approach
 Climate smart approach/CMDRR
 Challenges
 Way Forward

3. ABOUT CORDAID
 Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid
[Cordaid]
 Dutch International relief and development NGO
 Works in 36 countries with over 1000 partners- in
Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe
 Partners/donors: Dutch Ministry of Development
Cooperation, EC, ECHO, Dutch public, Caritas
Internationalis…
 4 programmes- In Kenya- enhanced pastoralist voice,
CMDRR, and Urban slums

4. How we view CCA/DRR/devpt
 With climate change- frequency and intensity of Hazard increases
 Increase in hazard/disaster events adversely affect sustainable
development and growth of nations and communities- funds are diverted
to relief activities.. (Co-relation between hazard event and GDP)
 With CC there are opportunities and risks- Adaptation- addressing risk,
turn opportunities into assets
 Adaptation and DRR measurs aim at reducing impacts of hazards and
enhance peoples/nations adaptive capacity –by extension contribute to
sustainable development-
 CCA/DRR intervention planning that take into consideration the various
future scenarios based on the science is a building block for sustainable
development.
 Enjoyment of equal and inalienable rights of people is the foundation of
freedom, justice, peace and safety. Poor governance = increase in
vulnerability=not safe/resilient- therefore need to link the 3.
 The three are mutually inclusive/mutually beneficial

5. CMDRR/CCA in Kenya
 Implemented in the pastoralist areas- active in Moyale,
Mandera, Isiolo, Samburu, and Marsabit
 Overall objective- build safe and resilient communities.
 Priority activities ( after PDRA&A) supported. These
could be prevention, mitigation activities targeting the
hazard, preparedness, response, recovery and
reconstruction.
 Mainly focus on drought as a hazard but others-
conflict management, floods, livestock
disease...shaped by PDRA and analysis
 Combine drought cycle management and DRR/CCA
approaches and strategies

6. CMDRR Programme
Core Principles of CMDRR
 Communities are at the centre of CMDRR
 They manage DRR process/PDRA&A
 Development organizations’ role is facilitation ( not
solution providers) and employees are learning agents
and not change agents
 CMDRR is multi-stakeholder process and facilitation
done through multi-agency approach ( broad based
partnership )
 CMDRR best done through multi-hazard approach
 Effective community organization is the foundation of
CMDRR
 MEL & ADVOCACY an integral part of CMDRR.

7. CMDRR Formula
Hazard ≠ Disaster
Hazard can be natural and man made but
disasters are caused by hazard when it
interact with human condition ( exposure and
lack of capacity to cope).
Disaster Risk = Hazard x Vulnerability
Capacity
 Capacity looked at from two angles- capacity
for hazards and capacity for vulnerability.

8. CMDRR PROCESS
Inputs :
Tools, facilitators, community members
knowledge & skills, time
PDRA
Hazard, vulnerability and capacity assessment
Risk analysis
Conclusion on risk levels Processing
Accept risk level or relocate elements Monitoring
at risk if risk level is not acceptable Evaluation &
Identify and prioritize what Needs to
Learning
be done
Set DRR goals and objectives
Community Development plan
Contingency Outputs
Hazard mitigation/prevention
plan
Strengthening systems/organ.
Livelihood enhancement Community organization
Capacity building responsible for
Community Risk Reduction Plan implementation of DRR plan

9. Climate smart approach of our
programme
Tackling exposure to changing extremes:
 Making DRR a priority
 Lobby at International/ national level through networks like Kenya Climate
Change working Group, CIDSE- the National climate Change Response
strategy have plans for DRR actions.
 Cordaid is a member of the national DRR platform (
 Assessing changing risks and vulnerabilities
 Risk assessment mostly based on local knowledge but also other secondary
data. plans to use data based on regional and down-scaled climate
information..
 Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments – Depend on local knowledge and
experience- Element at risk include human, productive assets and critical
structures
 Increase public awareness of climate change and disaster risks
 investing in building own staff, partners and community capacity on DRR/
climate change
 Early warning and preparedness – communities EWS and modern used.
 Proactive Local institutions – After PDRA&A) , community organization is
formed- for mobilization of community and resources

10. Tackling exposure to changing extremes
Reduce exposure of physical environment to
changing risks : e.g activities like rangeland
rehabilitation to enhance pasture growth.
 Relocation in some region
Reduce exposure of livelihood strategies to
changing risks
 Local Economy : livelihood diversification options like- fish
farming, dry land farming, petty trade, sericulture, eco-tourism,
restocking with resilient animals like camels and goats.
 Social relations – promote social cohesion e.g conflict
transformation- development of resource use pacts btw
communities- saved many lives and livelihood in the drought
of 2008/2009

11. Enhancing adaptive capacity
 Creating flexible and effective institutions
 Effective delivery –strengthening community institutions – e.g Rangeland Users
Association in Isiolo district (more still need to be done)
 Flexibility – Cordaid and partners staff well trained on DRR and Climate Change.
Partners sale their CAP/Contingency plans to various actors.
 Whatever comes out of well facilitated PDRA&A process is flexibly funded, of course
depending on resources available...
 At national level, effective institutions are necessary but the capacity of existing
structures is inadequate in terms of leadership on the subject and outreach.
 Promoting learning
Interactive learning – Mandated- linking and learning.
 Intra/inter country/ community and partners Learning tours
 documentation of best practices
 Reaching out to other actors- eg ECHO.
 Adopting multi-Level perspectives
Linkages across scales – local level experiences have been used as evidence in lobby and
advocacy (REGLAP)
 Considering greater uncertainty
Scenario planning- Contingency plans developed at community level based on worst case
scenario exercise. But scientific prediction fairly used.

12. Addressing Poverty, Vulnerability
and their Causes
 Some of the interventions under 1 and 2 above by extension
deals with this.
 invested in developing livestock marketing infrastructure
 Support heath projects
 Support schools with water facilities to reduce drop-out during
drought.
 A different Cordaid programme support issues of civic education
and other lobby work to enhance voices of pastoralist in the local
and national government agenda’s.
 Environmental Impact Assessment /audit done for projects for
environmental sustainability but not for carbon stewardship

13. Challenges
At policy/national level
 DRR policy still in draft=moneraty allocations and
establishment of certain structures and system
delayed
 Limited integration of policies: DRR and CC have good
link but what about other sectoral policies.
 Blame game = using CC
 Poor co-ordination between ministries- not effective
and efficient.

14. Challenges contd
At local level
 Different actors using different tools- confusing the
community.
 Poor co-ordination of activities among actors.
 Communities local knowledge esp. on EWS often
ignore and not incorporated into the modern EWS.
 Some overarching systems killing local initiatives and
coping mechanism- e.g relief food distribution
throughout the year for over 10 yrs.
 Documentation of best practices not adequately done.

15. Way forward
 Improve institutional linkages-practice.
 Government to provide leadership and outreach.
 More research esp. CC - to generate information
 CSOs to document best practices and lessons- for advocacy and
replication.
 Capacity building on DRR/CC
 Develop a common approach/tools
 Build on indigenous knowledge
 Advocate for good governance as it it the foundation of safety.

16. Pictures-Lined pan

17. Hand-pump on a shallow well
 Ahsanteni

18. Underground tank

19. Animal health

20. Bee-keeping

21. Camel- resilient asset

22. Rehabilitated rangeland

25.  Thank you.