ProtectionChecklist(DisasterRiskReduction,DRR)

WhyshouldweconsiderprotectionmainstreamingwithinDisasterRiskReductionprogramming? Many protection risks preexist disasters, but the disaster itself and the subsequent impact increases opportunities for abuse and violations, it increases individuals/groups vulnerability to those threats and it reduces the ability of those affected to protect themselves, their families and their communities from such violations. For these reasons, it is essential that ongoing measures are taken to improve the protection environment in disasterproneareastoensurethatall membersofthecommunityandauthoritiesarepreparedtomitigateand respond to protection risks that may arise due to a disaster thus reducing some of the risks posed by the disaster. Particular attention should be given to women and girls, ensuring their active involvement in preparednessactivitiesandincreasingtheirawarenessonresponsetodisastersandprotectionmechanisms HowcanDRRactivitiesbuildtheprotectionenvironment? DRRmustensurethat: 1. CommunitiesandGovernmentsarepreparedforandcanmitigatetheprotectionimpactscausedbythedisaster 2. Activitiesareprotectionsensitive;thatisthattheydonotexposeindividualsorfamiliestoincreasedharm,and activelyengageandrespondequallytotheneedsofcommunities,bothmenandwomenandparticularlythe mostvulnerabletorisks.. 3. DRRactivitiescanbeusedtosupportexistinggoodpractice,andcanalsobeusedtoeffectattitudechange, genderequalityandtoraiseawarenessandsupportforsomeofthemostvulnerable. WhyshouldDRRfocusonthemostvulnerable? Vulnerablegroupstendtobemorefrequentlyaffectedbydisastersastheyare: oftencompelledtoliveinvulnerablesituationsorinhighriskareas,suchasfloodplains lessabletoprotectthemselvesandtheirassetsandthereforearethemostadverselyaffectedbydisasters lessabletorecoverfromtheimpactsduetophysical,financial,sociocultural,politicalorlegalrestrictions Whatdowemeanbythemostvulnerable? Vulnerabilities vary according to geographic location, specific cultural and social frameworks, access to information and education, specific characteristics of the group, family or individual, power dynamics etc. For this reason it is important toalwayscarryoutavulnerabilityassessmentwhenworkingwithacommunitytounderstandthespecificvulnerabilities of and within that group as well as preexisting dynamics in place to manage or interact with those vulnerabilities. See attachedadefinitionofvulnerablegroups. ChecklistformainstreamingprotectioninDRRactivities 1. Participation:CommunityledDRRandCommunityProtection a. Ensure the active participation of communities and include a crosssection of the community in consultations when designing, implementing and monitoring DRR activities. This should include: women and men, children/young people and older persons, persons with disabilities, religious and ethnic minoritiesandothermarginalizedgroupslikelytobeexcludedfromcommunitydecisionmaking. b. DRR should involve vulnerability assessments, communities should be encouraged to identify vulnerabilities within their community and to identify the special needs experienced by these groups duringdisasterresponseandrecovery. c. Ensure that community response strategies, such as evacuation plans and recovery responses, include specialprovisionstorespondtotheneedsofthemostvulnerable(thoselessabletoprotectthemselves from the disaster and its effects), and that they are accessible and available to all members of the community.

2. CivilDocumentation a. DonotuseCNICasacriteriaforbeneficiaryselectionasmanyfamilies,particularlythemostvulnerable, donothaveCNICs. b. Within DRR activities, families should be informed of the importance of protecting their civil documents duringadisasterinordertohaveuninterruptedaccesstogovernmentservicesandtoprotecttherights oftheirmembers. c. Civil documents should be kept in duplicate in separate locations or with other family members; they should also be kept in waterproof bags and kept in a safe location and/or a location where they can be easilytakenifflightisrequired. d. . Procedures and services for replacing lost documentation are often not accessible: forms are difficult to complete, services are far away and not physically accessible. Ensure procedures are in place to assist. Provide staff to assist older persons and persons with disabilities to access legal services, services to replace documentation, and to fill the required forms Ensure that information regarding documentationandlegalservicesareaccessible(inaccessibleformats)topersonswithdisabilities. 3. Land,HousingandProperty a. DRRshouldencouragesecurelandtenureandsecurehouseandassetownership. b. Ensurethatallthoselivingorworkingindisasterproneareas,regardlessoftheirlandownershipstatus (tenants,squatters,landlordsetc.)areequallytargetedinDRRactivities,especiallypersonswith disabilitiesandolderpersonswhoareoftennotlandowners. 4. Ensuringinclusion,accessandequity EnsurethatdesignofDRRactivitiespositivelyenablesequalaccessforall: a. Ensurethatactivitiesfacilitatetheparticipationofwomenandaddresstheirspecificneeds.This involvesensuringthat:femalestaffaremadeavailabletofacilitatecommunicationwithfemale communitymembers;whererequiredseparatespacesaremadeavailableforfemalesobservingpurdah (separationfrommen);thespecificconcernsandneedsofwomenincludingthoseinpositionsof heightenedvulnerabilitysuchasfemaleheadedhouseholds,singlewomen,pregnantwomen,women withinfantsareaddressedinDRRplanning.Preparednessactivitiesshouldequallyaddresstheneedsof womenandgirlsasakeyelementtopreventanyformofgenderbasedviolenceduringtheemergency. b. Ensurethatactivitiesfacilitatetheparticipationofpersonswithdisabilitiesandolderpersons.This involvesensuringthatlocationsandbuildingsareaccessibletothem,thatthesegroupsarerepresented inconsultations,design,andimplementationandmonitoringandthatspecialprovisionsaremadeto addresstheirspecificneedsduringadisaster. c. Ensurethatactivitiesfacilitatetheparticipationofchildrenandaddresstheirspecificneeds.Children shouldbeseenasactivemembersofsocietyandalsoasspecificallyvulnerablegroupsduringadisaster andduringdisasterresponse. d. Ensurethatinformationdissemination(suchasanearlywarningsystemorinformationonaDRR activity)istailoredtoreachallaffectedpersons,includingthosewithrestrictedmovement(including womenobservingpurdah),olderpersons,children,linguisticminorities,theilliterate,thosewithhearing orsightimpairmentandthoselivinginremotelocations. e. Beawareofpoliticalorsocialdynamicsthatmayinadvertentlyexcludecertaingroups.