Disaster Risk Reduction

Aligning with the Sendai Framework, IOM is working towards preventing the worst impacts on vulnerable populations living in disaster-prone areas and building community resilience through the construction of small-scale disaster risk management infrastructure and irrigation systems, - and through community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM). 

To mitigate the consequences of natural disasters and build community resilience, IOM constructs flood protection walls, culverts, check dams, floodways, and canals to protect flood-prone communities and their livelihood against seasonal flooding in disaster-prone areas. IOM also implements CBDRM in disaster-prone communities, training and equipping the communities on early warning systems, first aid, and basic search and rescue.

Since 2014, IOM has constructed 123 disaster risk mitigation infrastructure projects, mainly flood protection walls, canals and check dams, with a total length of 23,000 meters protecting over 22,000 dwellings, 56,000 families, 190 community public infrastructure buildings and 27,000 acres of agricultural land. These projects employed up to 140,000 people a day, both skilled and unskilled laborers from the community, and provided training to approximately 4,500 people on construction and maintenance techniques of small-scale mitigation infrastructure. IOM also targeted 123 disaster-prone communities on CBDRM through training 12,500 community members, including men and women on disaster preparedness and equipped them with early warning system training, basic search and rescue and first aid tools and equipment in 21 provinces.

IOM implements disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities through the Humanitarian Assistance Programme, funded by Government of Japan and USAID/BHA.