Community risk reduction
The Red Cross and Red Crescent has traditionally focused on response. But now other aspects, including the relatively new concept of risk reduction, are also given priority. Risk-reduction activities and early-warning procedures need to be adapted to the changing hazards, people at risk need to fully understand them, and the volunteer’s role in non-response times becomes more crucial than ever.
Helping communities reduce their own vulnerability is more urgent than ever. That does not mean telling them what to do but facilitating a dialogue about their concerns, empowering them to define their own priorities. The Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) – a method by which communities themselves can assess and address the hazards they face – has been of enormous assistance. Having mapped the dangers, people analyse why they are vulnerable to them. Then they develop action plans. Sharing knowledge of changing risks from both science and community sources alike can be integrated into community risk reduction.
“It isn’t that climate change alters the nature of our risk-reduction activities,” says Viet Nam Red Cross senior officer, Nguyen Hung Thang, “but it does raise matters of priority, particularly at the community level.”
Watch the video Beyond response: adapting to climate change at the Red Cross 
. This documentary looks at how the Indonesian Red Cross prepares itself and the vulnerable communities to adapt to the new challenge of climate change.
Example: community resilience in Ethiopia
The Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), supported by the Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC), will implement during the period 2009-2010 a climate adaptation/drought risk reduction programme in two woredas, one in South Gonder zone (Ebinat) and one in East Hararghe zone (Goro Gutu). Both woredas have highly vulnerable and food insecure populations.
This programme has been developed to make these vulnerable communities more knowledgeable on climate change and its impact on the local environment. The programme is designed to give the target group tools, resources and knowledge to increase their adaptability to the changing environment and cope with the increased disaster and health risks.
The NLRC sought the support and advice of the RC/RC Climate Centre to develop a video product for/on the Ebinat community project and to organize a workshop with farmers in the community. More than 100 farmers participated in the workshop and despite there being a Saturday market, all farmers in the village stayed home to participate at the announced workshop. This workshop was filmed, including all the reactions and new ideas of the farmers present.
All this led to an interesting video, which will be shown in neighboring villages and other similar areas in Ethiopia as an informative tool with useful ideas "for farmers by farmers". The enthusiastic reception of such visual content and tools, the willing engagement of partners and the positive response from all audiences to these methods has led to notable successes. The videos will soon be uploaded on the Climate Centre website. Watch other films.
Download here the factsheet 
(pdf, 49 kB) on Community risk reduction.
Related links
Main topics:
Disaster management
Climate change can act as a catalyst for enhanced disaster management.
Health and care
Many national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies will be touched by the health implications of climate change.
Early warning early action
Routinely taking humanitarian action before a disaster or health emergency happens, making full use of scientific information on all timescales.
Advocacy
The Red Cross and Red Crescent never works in isolation. Partnerships are more important than ever in the context of global warming.
Communications
The global climate is changing and the past no longer explains the present.
Community risk reduction
The Red Cross and Red Crescent has traditionally focused on response. But now other aspects, including risk reduction, are also given priority.
Youth
Red Cross Red Crescent youth take action to reduce the impacts of climate change.
Getting started
The Red Cross Red Crescent has a growing body of experience working on addressing climate change. Here’s how to use it to get started.
The Climate Guide contains the experiences of over thirty national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. Read more.