Resources

The Role of Social Capital in Reinforcing Community Resilience

Document Type: Reports

Over recent years, the concept of community resilience has gained prominence in the humanitarian and development context, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has promoted it through guidelines and practical work, defining it as “the ability of communities exposed to disasters and crises and the underlying vulnerabilities to anticipate, reduce the impact of, cope with, and recover from the effects of adversity without compromising their long-term prospects” (IFRC 2012:7).

Road to resilience- Bridging relief and development for a more sustainable future

Document Type: Reports

The purpose of this document is to present to our key partners the IFRC’s definition of and perspectives on resilience. It also serves as a reference across the network of National Societies. We invite all key stakeholders to support the Red Cross Red Crescent’s operational work on resilience so that together we can bring about the serious changes needed for sustainable development in the years ahead.

Reducing the risks- A framework for DRR in South East Asia

Document Type: Policies and Frameworks

The Red Cross Red Crescent has achieved remarkable results in saving thousands of lives every year by harnessing our network of volunteers to prepare for and respond to disasters. However, preparing for and responding to disasters is essential but not sufficient. We need to do more, and do it in a better coordinated and holistic manner to build safer and more resilient communities. This is disaster risk reduction.

DRR Advocacy Guide

Document Type: Policies and Frameworks

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) initiatives encapsulate the growing recognition that relief is not enough in mitigating disasters and that resilient communities in fact are the key to reducing the impact and severity of natural hazards when they strike. During 2010 alone more than 208 million people were affected by natural hazards. Equally alarming is the projection, that should current trends continue, annually 100,000 lives will be lost each year, while the costs of natural disasters will be in excess of US$ 300 billion per year by 2050. These vulnerabilities become even more pronounced in poorer nations where it is estimated that 97 per cent of all people killed by natural disasters each year occur in developing countries.

Framework for Community Resilience

Document Type: Policies and Frameworks

For the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) the concept of community resilience represents a unique opportunity as this approach in many ways captures the totality of what the IFRC is working to achieve. Although their efforts may not have been characterized as ‘strengthening community resilience,’ this is in fact what many National Societies have been doing over the course of many decades by supporting their local communities.