Malteser International Annual Report 2009 - Ordine di Malta

FOCUS 4
Disaster Risk Reduction
Disaster risk reduction is an integral part of humanitarian assistance, both in relief and recovery, as well as in
long term development initiatives. However, to date it has not always received the attention it deserves. With
the climate change debate, the problems approaching the citizens of mega-cities and the increasing number of
natural disasters, there is a need to develop programmes addressing how to prevent natural phenomena from
turning into disasters, to mitigate their impact and help prepare increased numbers of people who may be at
risk. Climate change, migration patterns as well as socio-economic pressure have forced more and more people
into vulnerable living conditions.
Be it by the reinforcement of houses against earthquakes and cyclones, or by constructing flood safe emergency
shelters or training village emergency teams and volunteers in the establishment of early warning systems, Malteser
International includes disaster risk reduction and mitigation components in many projects for people at risk.
The focus is clearly on community based disaster risk management (CBDRM) and risk reduction aiming to support
and to strengthen local coping capacities and to reduce vulnerabilities of people at risk. This new focus receives
more and more attention: In May 2009, a training on disaster risk reduction for staff members took place at the
Malteser International Headquarters in Cologne/Germany. The Annual Meeting of Asia key staff in Siem Reap in
Cambodia in December 2009 also highlighted the importance of disaster risk reduction. Malteser International
implements disaster risk reduction projects in India, Mexico, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Portrait of our h e lp
Mexico – Being better prepared for future emergencies
Since 1990, the Mexican Association of the Order of Malta has implemented nine different programmes in the Federal District, the
metropolitan area and 21 further states of the Mexican Republic. Carmen Reynoso started as a volunteer and became Director of
“Orden de Malta México” ten years ago. With the support of around 2,000 volunteers, the Order in Mexico is active in the sectors
of health, nutrition, income generation and emergency relief.
Mexico – a country commonly hit by
natural disasters
“The last heavy flooding in the state of Tabasco
in October 2007 showed us how necessary it is
to be prepared in the long term for the next catastrophe.
At that time, hundreds of volunteers of
the Order of Malta Mexico provided emergency
relief in Villahermosa and the surrounding communities.
Especially in this region, floods and
hurricanes are very common occurrences”, Carmen
Reynoso remembers. In November 2009,
Tabasco had to face another serious flood leaving
250,000 people homeless. Together with its
local partner Caritas Tabasco, the Mexican Association
then distributed medical and non-food
items to the affected communities.
“Apart from the management of our ongoing
projects, we had to experience an increasing
number of natural hazards all over the country
– a fact that requires our commitment and
sometimes overstrains our capacities to help,”
the highly engaged Director points out. Carmen
Reynoso is constantly out on business
in the whole country monitoring the
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