Event Summary

Speakers

  • Pauline Cazaubon, Project Manager of Porto Alegre DRM Project

Description

Date: Monday, May 14, 9:00am – 11:30am

Room: Auditorio Bernardo Quintana

Everyday, disaster risk management specialists working in developing countries face many obstacles to engage public authorities, and even people living in disaster prone areas, in adopting DRM solutions, due to low risk perception; deeply rooted inefficient management behaviors; as well as conflicting sociopolitical relationships, among others. Many times, even when plans exist, they are not always implemented, because DRM is not considered a priority among conflicting priorities. 

The project “Living with Floods: a study to build resilience with the communities of Porto Alegre”, developed by the DRM Team of the World Bank Brazil Country Office, in partnership with the Resilience Bureau of the City Hall of Porto Alegre (financed by the 100 Resilient Cities initiative from the Rockefeller Foundation), developed and adopted an innovative advocacy-oriented participative research method. The method turned the communities from project recipients into project actors, with a view at promoting the adoption and effective implementation of resilient DRM solutions raised by the Technical Assistance. This led to a remarkable policy change (the institutionalization of a joint-action group [communities/City Hall] for improved flood management in Porto Alegre), besides boosting the dialogue between the City Hall and World Bank in the field of DRM.

This event will offer a space to:

  • Detail and explain the project method which was implemented in the frame of “Living with Floods: a study to build resilience with the communities of Porto Alegre” to reach the abovementioned results and lessons learnt;
  • Present the final project report;
  • Engage with the audience on the following topics:
    • Discuss alternative advocacy-oriented methods to engage with disaster prone communities and public authorities;
    • Ways of improving the proposed method; and
    • Replicability in the DRM community (e.g. South-South knowledge exchange opportunities, etc.).