Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation

At a national level, IOM co-convenes the UNDAF Outcome 3 Development Results Group (DRG) which oversees the UN Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRR and CCA) programming, monitoring and reporting. IOM’s DRR/CCA programming is primarily funded through UN One Fund support as part of larger programmes with UN partners. IOM’s UN Partners in the Outcome 3 DRG include UNDP, UNICEF, UN Habitat, FAO, WFP, WHO, UNIDO and UN Women. Additional funding has been received through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan.

IOM Mozambique has been designing and implementing Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRR and CCA) programming since 2008. Programmes have ranged from livelihoods development, to resettlement construction, to school and DRR education programmes and theatre groups. In recent years, particular attention has been paid to  communications and education through community radio programmes that broadcast in local languages.

Through funding from the United Nations One Fund, IOM increased Mozambique’s capacity and technical systems in the areas of communications and radio programming during disasters. IOM upgraded key stations in the Limpopo River and Zambezi River flood plains, which experience perennial flooding at various locations, as well as several cyclone-risk stations along the coast. After assuring that the stations have the capacity to deliver broadcast before, during and after major disasters – through installation of high-power transformers, transmitters, generators and other IT equipment – IOM began a longer term process of creating original programming and training for journalists to use these new tools to raise awareness about risks and increase resilience.

Community Media for Development (CMFD) has been a key partner in the IOM radio upgrading process. IOM produced radio soap operas on flood resilience in Portuguese and in the local languages in the flood plains. Along with original programming, CMFD and IOM have worked with the government to create training manuals aligned to disaster management systems and protocols in country so that stations will be updated and ready to act in the case of climate threats.

Building Resilience in the Limpopo River Basin with Gaza Radio Stations in 2013

In April 2013, IOM signed a contract with CMFD to begin a roll-out of DRR and CCA training for community radio stations in Gaza Province following January flooding. Intense training and mentorship have been carried out in three Gaza stations, including production and investigative journalism activities. CMFD produced “Programme 0” to use as a tool for training community stations on creation of a 15-minute, high-quality reports on post-disaster recovery activities, reconstruction and resilience. Stations have been tasked to create bi-monthly reports for six months following the training, with a focus on emergency and recovery sectors in Gaza Province, and interactive programming to involve communities and relocation site members.. Intense training and mentorship are on-going with the stations, including production and investigative journalism activities.