Disaster Risk Reduction: floating shelters and vegetable gardens

For the residents of the villages Nigui and Sapang Kawayan south of the town of Masantol, dealing with water is part of everyday life. Many poor fishing families own no land and have built their houses nearby or even on the water. Some communities can only be reached by bancas - small wooden boats.

During floods, which take place here regularly for several weeks, the communities are confronted with many difficulties. Many houses are flooded and are uninhabitable during this time. The residents cannot move elsewhere. In addition, there is no way to safely store food, so the food situation is critical during this time.

Together with our partner organisation CONCERN (Center for Emergency Aid and Rehabilitation) we have started a prevention project to support the affected communities. In cooperation with the communities, three floating emergency shelters for 40 to 70 people each with light and a water treatment plant were set up. In addition, three floating vegetable gardens were built to help feed the people in an emergency. An important aspect of the project is also the self-organisation of the communities, so that the residents are better prepared in catastrophes and can also work towards long-term solutions vis-à-vis the government. The project aims to help 160 families.