2015 Building Safe and Resilient Communities in South Caucasus Stories of Good Practice Editor: Austrian Red Cross, Regional Delegation South Caucasus Paliasvhili str. 2, 0179 Tbilisi, Georgia Contact: MICHAEL GRABNER
[email protected] www.redcross.at Design: Universal Advertising Company UAC, Tbilisi, Georgia Articles: Sopho Khutsishvili Photos: ARCS, AzRC, GRCS, AutRC, Misha Tshitshinadze Tbilisi, November 2015 ANDREA SCHMID MICHAEL OPRIESNIG Head of Unit Civil Society Deputy Secretary General International, Austrian of Austrian Red Cross, Development Agency Head of International Cooperation The South Caucasus is among the most vulnerable regions This booklet aims at drawing lessons learnt and at showing worldwide concerning the impact of climate change, prone the results achieved in the first three years of the “Building to numerous types of devastating disasters and natural Safe and Resilient Communities” programme. In doing so, it hazards. In this context, resilience is one of the key concepts, focuses on the experiences of the communities and the encouraging and supporting communities in using local voices of people involved in the action which has been resources and knowledge to help themselves during implemented across all three countries of the Southern disasters, emergencies and crisis situations. Taking Caucasus. precautions against risks and threats in time and a strong and operational resilience management enhance the Active participation of target groups is the key principle of sustaining development in changing environments. any successful capacity development initiative. This is particularly true for the Disaster Risk Reduction context, Since its beginning in December 2012, Austrian Red Cross' because the best knowledge of underlying vulnerabilities Programme 'Building Safe and Resilient Communities in the and hazards lies with the communities themselves.