Interest Grows in Training to Prepare for a Disaster (2/2)

Cassie Dummett is the technicaladviser for South Asia. She tells us from New Delhi that some of the most successful programs are in parts of central and eastern India. She says the first step is to help communities think about an emergency and identify how best to prepare. These include natural disasters that happen year after year, like seasonal floods, ocean storms, drought or landslides.

Committees are formed. An early warning committee, for example, would listen to weather reports or watch river levels. This committee would decide when people should move to safer ground.

Another committee might be responsible for rescue efforts and medical assistance. A third committee might supervise food and water supplies, or the movement of farm animals to safety.

Other groups such as Oxfam and CARE also do emergencypreparedness training. Cassie Dummett says interest in this kind of humanitarian work has grown in the last several years. She says donor organizations are starting to recognize the value of training people to be prepared.