Based on the success of the first EU Aid Volunteers pilot project, VSO International, VSO Netherland and Pro Vobis teamed up to deliver the EU Aid Volunteers ‘Building in Resilience’ project.
Launched in August 2013 it was co-funded by the European Union, the project tested possible future models of local capacity-building and European expert volunteer deployment to help improve the resilience and coordination of national actors and communities in India, Pakistan and the Philippines.
VSO has worked in India, Pakistan and the Philippines (VSO Bahaginan) for a number of years and this pilot initiative is only a small part of the work we do in these three countries.
17 European expert volunteers of 5 different European nationalities have were deployed for up to nine months to work with nine local partner organisations to provide technical advice and capacity building in areas of:
- water sanitation and hygiene
- flood risk modelling and mapping
- disaster management (DM) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) planning and coordination
- network and organisational development
- Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning
- information management
- local volunteerism
India
Volunteers worked in vulnerable rural communities in the states of Assam and Jharkhand. These states are highly susceptible to natural disasters – mainly floods, cyclones and earthquakes.
The project supported local partner organisations to improve water sanitation and hygiene in the disaster affected areas and to limit losses from these events.
Rather than focussing solely on relief measures, EU Aid Volunteers linked relief work to longer term development by supporting vulnerable communities to prepare for and cope with future hazards by putting in place stronger options for adapting to risk.
Pakistan
Volunteers worked to strengthen key strategic networks of local organisations that prepare for and respond to disasters.
The aim was to support with improving coordination between these departments and agencies to improve the overall success of the networks.
Local partner organisations supported included Pakistan Humanitarian Forum, which coordinates and strengthens the efforts of 53 INGOs working in disaster management; the National Humanitarian Network, which coordinates and strengthens the efforts of 159 national NGOs working in disaster management; the Humahung Network, a forum of 25 civil society volunteering organisations; and the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, which has strong links with the government of Pakistan.
The Philippines
Volunteers linked up with VSO Bahaginan and focused on strengthening the capacity of the Department of Science and Technology to implement a programme (NOAH) which seeks to improve the lead-time warning to vulnerable communities ahead of flooding. The Philippines is very susceptible to flooding, typoons, storm surges and landslides.
A major component of the NOAH program is the Disaster Risk and Exposure Assessment for Mitigation (or DREAM Project) responsible for creating up-to-date 3D Flood Models of the country’s 18 major river basins including watersheds, comprising roughly 33 percent of the country’s total land area.
Outcomes
By January 2015, the project’s aim was that EU Aid Volunteers in partnership with local host organisations would have improved the technical skills and capacity of up to 964 staff in national host organisations in the fields of disaster risk reduction, disaster management and climate change adaptation; and, that 200,000 community members in India, Pakistan and the Philippines are enabled to better anticipate, minimise and absorb potential stresses and shocks through adaptation or resilience.