The CVR programme uses participatory methods to
enhance the innate coping skills of vulnerable people
and to boost sustainability. One key component of the
participatory methodology is self-assessment, whereby
communities ask themselves questions such as: What are
the possible dangers? Where will they come from? How
can we put people out of harm’s way?
The participatory exercise involves mapping risks and
gaining a perspective on a village’s history of disaster to
understand traditional coping and survival strategies.
Based on what emerges from the assessment, the
community develops its own tailored disaster
preparedness plan and decides on a disaster risk
mitigation project to undertake. The hazard reports and
disaster maps developed by each community are passed
on to local government and to national response
agencies. As well as helping to build capacity, these tools
can provide significant input to local governments’ land
use strategies and disaster preparedness policies.