Habitat for Humanity Tajikistan gets better prepared for Disaster Risk Reduction and Response
DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN (13.03.2012) - Habitat for Humanity Tajikistan (HFH Tajikistan) with the support of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Response (DRR&R) consultant from Habitat for Humanity International Europe and Central Asia Office (HFHI ECA), Dr James Kennedy, have developed a Disaster Risk Reduction and Response program (DRR&R) strategy. This strategy has defined the basic principles, standards, and developmental and collaborative frameworks to be implemented by HFH Tajikistan in its disaster response program.
The purpose of the work with the consultant and establishment of the plan was to make sure that mitigation measures are integrated into HFH Tajikistan normal housing programming, as well as to ensure that the organization works with communities and partners to do local community level risk mapping and mitigation outside the house as well. Much of the work that HFH Tajikistan has conducted in conjunction with the consultant over the last four weeks has focused on these areas. In addition to this, a training session was organized for the program and technical staff of HFH Tajikistan, which lasted two days, taking place on 1st and 2nd March. During the training, general concepts and frameworks for disaster response were identified. By the end of the training participants understood and were able to put together the building blocks of HFH Tajikistan disaster risk reduction and disaster response strategy. The detailed examination of HFH Tajikistan’s technical shelter solution was particularly useful, as was the study of how the first phases of technical shelter response lead to reconstruction and how that also connects with the organization’s ongoing preparedness and mitigation.
“What I very happy about is one of the outcomes is that everybody is working together more as a team, everybody is talking more about disaster response and so everybody has much more confidence in the use of the vocabulary and the concepts. Then, there are concrete outcome as well. In our training, nobody was able to sit back and do nothing. It was very product oriented and we had a number of products coming out, including our list of shelter types and our operational plan” – Dr James Kennedy, the DRR&R Consultant of HFHI ECA, commented.
The policies described within the document will allow HFH Tajikistan to efficiently respond to disasters, train relevant staff, and strengthen donor relations in the future.
About Habitat for Humanity Tajikistan
Habitat for Humanity Tajikistan is a nonprofit public foundation dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. It has been active since 1999 and to date has helped low income families by building, renovating and repairing 2,000 homes; served 3,500 individuals through disaster response, construction and health and hygiene trainings; and helped 2,500 families in rural areas to get access to safe drinking water.
So far, 8,000 low income families in rural and urban areas have been served by Habitat for Humanity Tajikistan. For more information visit www.habitat.tj
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International is a global nongovernmental housing
organization that brings together people of all races, nationalities and religions to
build homes, communities and hope. Since 1976, Habitat has served more than
500,000 families by building and improving homes; by advocating for fair and just
housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families
improve their shelter conditions. To find more information, donate or
volunteer, please visit www.habtiat.org
CONTACTS:
Farhod Nabiyulloev
Resource Development & Communications Officer
Habitat for Humanity Tajikistan
Tel: +992 37 227 74 48
e‐mail: farhod@habitat.tj
