ISIM Events/Meetings

2004 - 2005

Disaster Responses: Capacity-Building for Developing Country Institutions

The effects of humanitarian emergencies, whether natural or manmade, can last for years, and these effects are exacerbated in developing countries that do not have adequate resources or institutional capacities to efficiently deal with disaster. The project begins with the premise that despite gaps in material and human resources, developing countries have an obvious advantage in responding quickly and effectively to disasters. Local communities and even regional entities are likely to be more knowledgeable than external organizations about needs and capabilities. By supporting local and regional disaster-response capacities, international agencies enable the creation of disaster preparedness and response networks at local, national, regional and international levels, with potential long term benefits both for the affected areas and the international community.

With the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, ISIM has undertaken three regional workshops aimed at identifying and assessing the effectiveness of capacity-building activities already underway in developing countries. Each workshop, organized with participation of local partners, has been designed to discuss and analyze ongoing and future capacity building activities and institutional development related to managing disasters, assessing risks and enhancing prevention. Each workshop provided a forum for academic and operational experts and decision makers, all of whom are well versed on natural and human caused disasters and emergencies. During the meetings, these experts analyzed opportunities (and obstacles) to capacity building in diverse settings and produced a series of concrete recommendations on the kinds of activities that would improve regional capacities at all levels to address the multiple emergencies that occur in their respective regions.

The meeting schedule:

1. Natural Disasters in the Americas: Capacity Building and Risk Reduction, September 27-28, 2004, undertaken with assistance from the International Resources Group’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance/Latin American and the Caribbean (OFDA/LAC) training project.
Click here for the Latin American group photo.

2. Capacity Building and Risk Reduction in Natural Disasters and Humanitarian emergencies in Africa, 9-11 February 2005, undertaken in partnership with the Centre for Refugee Studies at Moi University, Kenya. Click here for the Kenyan group photo.

3. Capacity Building and Risk Reduction in Natural Disasters and Humanitarian emergencies in Asia, May 5-6, 2005, undertaken in partnership with the Asia Disaster Preparedness Center.
Click here for the Asian Group photo.

In preparation for each regional meeting, the organizers prepared an Inventory of Key Initiatives in Capacity Building. These inventories will be updated over time, as the project continues.