The case of the Pacific region of Colombia
Colombia’s Pacific region stands out for its ethnic and cultural diversity. More than half of the population in the departments of Nari?o, Chocó, and Cauca belongs to Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities. However, discrimination and neglect of this region have made these populations more vulnerable to climate change-related disasters.
Approximately 78,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in 2023 alone, constituting 74 per cent of the total number of people affected by humanitarian emergencies in Colombia. Additionally, disasters exacerbated by climate change, such as floods, have?deepened the region's needs.
In response to these challenges, the?Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)?and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have been working on a project for community preparedness and disaster response to humanitarian emergencies, ensuring the participation of communities themselves.?
Putting individual experience and knowledge at the service of entire communities
The project's first phase involved meetings with social leaders, community representatives, government entities, and community members, to assess the risks they face, existing mitigation and response capabilities, and the challenges encountered by both people and institutions.
During the second phase, communities participated in a "circle of words," where they could express their views and perspectives, based on their perceptions and social rules.
These discussions delved into their relationships with the territory, nature, peers, and outsiders. A?shared understanding of risk management emerged.
Women’s participation was especially critical as they are seen as the embodiment of the land and nature, which made their approach to risk management deeply personal and focused on the well-being and protection of women.
Communities design risk management protocols that match their way of life
The collaboration between OCHA’s Disaster Risk Management focal point and OCHA's Expert in Indigenous Affairs was pivotal in this effort. It bridged the technical knowledge of risk management with the unique perspective, cultural insights, and knowledge of Indigenous people.
The result was solid risk management strategies designed by communities themselves with?emergency protocols articulated in a way that they could practically put in place.?
This experience shows how we turn the vision behind OCHA's?Flagship Initiative into a reality. Fostering the long-term resilience of crisis-affected communities and not making them dependent on humanitarian assistance can only be achieved if we work with community members to come up with solutions that they know they can implement.
