Timor-Leste: After undertaking training with Oxfam partner, AFFOS, Domingos helps to maintain the local water springs and pond reservoir as part of a Disaster Ready group in his community. The water from this pond is used to irrigate the community's vegetable garden. Photo: Aderito do Rosario da Cunha Mambares/Oxfam. Oxfam acknowledges the support of the Australian Government through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP).
Disaster risk reduction
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) aims to reduce the damage caused by natural hazards like earthquakes, floods, droughts, and cyclones, through prevention.
When disaster strikes
Each year, more than 55 million people have to abandon their homes as a result of war, crime, political unrest or a climate disaster. Many lose everything they own. And it’s communities already experiencing high rates of poverty who are hit hardest.
- Economic losses from disasters are now reaching an average of US $315 billion each year
- Between 1980 and 2012, 42 million lives were lost in disasters each year.
- Growing global inequality and the increasing frequency of climate disasters all now threaten to drive risk to dangerous and unpredictable levels (UN, 2015).
But hazards do not need to become disasters. By helping communities to better understand the risks they face and building their capacity to adapt to, cope with, withstand and recover from hazards and climate change, we can help them to not only survive, but thrive.
Oxfam’s approach
Oxfam’s approach to resilience involves working together with both our partners and the communities that are most at risk. The end goal is that the people who are most impacted by the climate crisis are equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge, and information to continually adapt.
Oxfam’s resilience work involves working with partners and vulnerable communities so that they are better able to:
- Manage risk and uncertainty
- Adapt to the predicted impacts of climate change
- Influence governments, donors and other decision makers to promote and enable disaster risk reducition through their policies, planning and funding
Underpinning all of Oxfam’s resilience work is a strong belief that the climate crisis and the system that created it are the biggest contributors to global poverty and inequality today. It’s these inequalities that also make marginalised communities disproportionately impacted by shocks and stresses from climate disasters.
Throughout all our work, we encourage communities to actively participate in creating their own solutions and for all individuals to participate in the decision making process, ensuring people are in charge of their own lives.
Solomon Islands: Judith Harry and her husband Michael Harry pose at their home on Loreto Island. The island is under threat from rising sea levels. Photo: Collin Leafasia/Oxfam
Disaster Ready – An Australian Humanitarian Partnership
Alongside six other NGOs, Oxfam is proud to be implementing the Disaster Ready (DR) Program through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP). The project aims to improve communities’ resilience to climate change and natural disasters, while supporting climate change adaptation in in Timor-Leste and the Pacific (including Fiji, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands).
This program supports three key areas of preparedness and resilience, rapid onset and protracted crisis response and partnership learning and practice. Partnerships are crucial to the success of our programs and for Disaster Ready Oxfam is partnering with a variety of organisations to ensure inclusiveness at every step of the way.
Learn more
South Sudan: 35-year-old Nadia Zahad, a refugee from the Sudan war, recounts how she lost her entire family to the conflict. Now displaced in South Sudan, she is focused on rebuilding her life with her son, Ismail. Photo: Herison Philip Osfaldo/Oxfam
Refugees
For the first time in recorded history, more than 100 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes. These men, women and children are currently living as internally displaced people, asylum seekers or refugees.
Ethiopia: Adugk, 35, fled the conflict in South Sudan to find refuge in Gambella. With the help of Oxfam, she is able to easily access and collect water. Photo: Liban Hailu/ Oxfam.
Water sanitation and hygiene
It’s all too easy to forget what a miracle water is. With a water supply on tap, food can grow, and people can thrive. Water is life.
Turkiye: Family which stays in the camp posing for the camera together. Photo: Delizia Flaccavento/Oxfam
Humanitarian Aid
Oxfam Australia has decades of experience responding to emergencies around the world. You can help us respond to emergencies when they happen by becoming a donor.