Strengthening Partnerships for Community Resilience in Indonesia and Timor-Leste
Goal
Our goal is simple yet powerful: to build disaster-ready communities in selected provinces of Indonesia and Timor-Leste through inclusive, integrated, and multidisciplinary approaches.
By empowering local stakeholders, enhancing community engagement, and promoting effective disaster risk reduction strategies, SPRINT aims to minimize the impacts of future disasters and accelerate recovery. Join us as we embark on this transformative journey towards a safer and more resilient future.
Context
Current disaster risk management (DRM) approaches often fall short in addressing the needs of vulnerable communities at the local level. Top-down strategies overlook local vulnerabilities and fail to tap into the potential of local resources and capacities.
It is crucial to shift the focus and empower at-risk communities to lead in planning and implementing disaster risk management interventions, in collaboration with local, provincial, and national stakeholders. By placing vulnerable communities at the center of decision-making processes, we can unlock their potential, enhance their leadership, and strengthen their resilience. This inclusive approach recognizes the importance of community engagement and local knowledge, ultimately reducing suffering and dependence on external support while enabling faster recovery from future disaster events.
Rationale
SPRINT is designed to address the DRM challenges in Lampung province, Indonesia, and in Ainaro municipality, Timor-Leste. It aims to enhance the institutional, leadership, technical, and organizing capacity of local organizations in these areas, empowering them to play a pivotal role in creating disaster-ready communities in low-attention geographies.
By bridging the capacity gaps and fostering local partnerships, SPRINT seeks to overcome the limitations of existing DRM efforts. By strengthening local organizations and promoting their active involvement in disaster preparedness, implementation, and resource management, we can reduce the suffering caused by disasters, minimize community dependency on external aid, and facilitate faster, more resilient recovery. Through a participatory and inclusive approach, we aim to place women and marginalized groups at the center of decision-making processes, ensuring their needs and perspectives are integrated into the development of disaster risk reduction strategies.
Expected Outcomes
Through the implementation of the SPRINT project, we anticipate a range of impactful outcomes. First, communities in the target areas will experience improved preparedness, enabling them to respond effectively to disasters and recover faster. Second, local organizations, including CSOs and CBOs, will witness a significant increase in their institutional and technical capacities, empowering them to drive sustainable change in disaster risk reduction. Third, the project will foster stronger collaboration between communities, local governments, and the private sector, resulting in more coordinated and effective resilience-building efforts. And fourth, knowledge exchange and sharing will be encouraged not only within the project countries but also among other nations, promoting learning and innovation in disaster risk management.
Ultimately, the SPRINT project aims to create disaster-ready communities with reduced suffering and dependency, leading to a more resilient future for Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
Call to Action
As we embark on the SPRINT project, we are filled with optimism about the transformative impact it can have on disaster-prone communities. By placing at-risk communities at the center of decision-making processes and enhancing the capacity of local organizations, we aim to create disaster-ready communities that can withstand future challenges. However, achieving these goals requires collaboration and support from stakeholders like you.
If you are interested in contributing to this crucial endeavor or exploring potential partnerships, we invite you to get in touch with us. Together, let’s build a resilient future and ensure the well-being of vulnerable communities in Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
Case Studies
Community Documents
Institutional Policies and Manuals of Local CSOs
Videos
Innovation is emerging as a key theme in disaster risk management (DRM) and wider development fields to address complex challenges and formulate more efficient and cost-effective modes of working. Our ‘Unlocking the Future: Novel Approaches to DRM for a Safer Asia’ webinar brought experts and practitioners together for their insights on progressing innovation in DRM. It was moderated by Dr. Valerie Bemo (Deputy Director, Emergency Response, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation). Our panelists included:
Abdulla Khoory (Grant Manager, Expo 2020 Dubai Representative)
Rubaab Sood (Head, Disaster Risk Management & Social Entrepreneurship, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), India)
Muhammad Idrees Mahsud (Member (Disaster Risk Reduction), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Pakistan)
Sisira Madurapperuma (Director, Preparedness for Response and Recovery (PRR), ADPC)
Cover Photo: K3Star/ Shutterstock.com.