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Welcome to CADRIM’s Research Hub

 

​CADRIM is actively working towards the development of evidence based data and research that can inform leadership and help bridge gaps in future projects and programmes being implemented by the IFRC and National Societies through the integration of lessons learnt and best practices. We invite you to take a closer look at some of the exciting research initiatives being undertaken and welcome collaborations.

To find out how your National Society can contribute to our Research Hub:

Increasing community resilience using the Enhanced Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment Tool

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Research Question:
How does conducting an eVCA increases a community’s ability to cope with disasters?

Research Rationale

According to the IFRC, “the Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA)” is a participatory process developed for communities to become more resilient through the assessment and analysis of the risks they face and the identification of actions to reduce these risks. The Enhanced Vulnerability and Capacity (eVCA) has been successfully implemented regionally by various National Societies and is considered to be an important process to helping communities to also take ownership of the actions needed to increase their capacity to cope and decrease their risks and vulnerabilities. The eVCA also allows vulnerable communities to build their resilience under the guidance from various stakeholders.

Countries Targeted: Belize, Jamaica and Suriname

This research seeks to provide answers to the following questions:

  • Are currently being used and if they being used effectively?

  • What are the intended roles of CDRTs in each phase of the disaster management cycle vs their current roles in the different phases?

  • What are some of the lessons learnt in keeping CDRTs engaged?

Integrating Persons with Disabilities in CDRT/CERT Training

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Research Question:
How can National Societies better include persons with disabilities in CDRT/CERT trainings?

Research Rationale

Persons with disabilities and other persons within vulnerable groups, can be disproportionately impacted by disasters and can therefore be more negatively impacted by disasters. The IFRC fully endorses the inclusion and the active participation of persons within vulnerable and marginalized groups in all community discussions and trainings. A great regional example of this is a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training conducted by the Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society (TTRCS) with persons with hearing impairments.

Countries Targeted: Trinidad and Tobago

This research seeks to provide answers to the following questions:

  • Are currently being used and if they being used effectively?

  • What are the intended roles of CDRTs in each phase of the disaster management cycle vs their current roles in the different phases?

  • What are some of the lessons learnt in keeping CDRTs engaged?

Volunteering in a Multi-hazard Environment

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Research Question:
How to sustain volunteer motivation in a multi-hazard environment?

Research Rationale

St Vincent and the Grenadines is prone to a wide range of natural hazards which include hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, droughts and landslides. In 2021, the National Society and their volunteers were asked to bolster the national disaster management system before and after the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano. Staff and volunteers were placed on the frontline again after the passing of Hurricane Lisa in 2022. Both these responses were needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to understand how national societies can provide national assistance while also ensuring the welfare of their volunteers in a multi-hazard environment.

Countries Targeted: St Vincent & the Grenadines

Co Authored by: St Vincent & the Grenadines Red Cross

This research seeks to provide answers to the following questions:

  • Are currently being used and if they being used effectively?

  • What are the intended roles of CDRTs in each phase of the disaster management cycle vs their current roles in the different phases?

  • What are some of the lessons learnt in keeping CDRTs engaged?

The Impact of COVID-19 on Volunteerism in the Caribbean 

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Research Question:
How has COVID-19 impacted the way in which the National Societies interact and manage volunteers in Suriname and St. Vincent and the Grenadines?

Research Rationale

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the largest volunteer-based humanitarian organisation in existence, comprising of National Societies in 192 countries with approximately 14 million volunteers. The IFRC and Red Cross staff work together with volunteers in their disaster response, early recovery programmes to build back better and cultivate safer communities by working directly with community members to reduce their risks and vulnerabilities and enhance their capacity to cope before, during and after disasters. In December 2019, the world first learned of COVID-19; an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus originating in China. The first COVID-19 case was reported in the Caribbean in March 2020 and as of 8th March, 2023, there has been over 4 million COVID-19 cases with over 37, 000 deaths in the Caribbean.

Countries Targeted: St Vincent & the Grenadines and Suriname

This research seeks to provide answers to the following questions:

  • Are currently being used and if they being used effectively?

  • What are the intended roles of CDRTs in each phase of the disaster management cycle vs their current roles in the different phases?

  • What are some of the lessons learnt in keeping CDRTs engaged?

Community Early Warning System Assessment

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Research Question:
What types of Early Warning Systems exists within the 13 National Societies within the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean?

Research Rationale

Climate change, lack of proper urban planning, increased urbanization, and increases in population are some of the key drivers of vulnerability in the Caribbean region. These factors contribute to the region being prone to a multitude of hazards including, but not limited to, hydrometeorological (hurricanes and drought), seismic (earthquakes) and biological (vector borne diseases such as dengue and zika). The IFRC and the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) encourages the establishment of early warning systems as a means to enhance national and community disaster resilience. The various national societies within the region participated and implemented EWS projects in their respective countries.

Countries Targeted: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana
Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago

This research seeks to provide answers to the following questions:

  • Are currently being used and if they being used effectively?

  • What are the intended roles of CDRTs in each phase of the disaster management cycle vs their current roles in the different phases?

  • What are some of the lessons learnt in keeping CDRTs engaged?

Community Disaster Response Teams Mobilisation

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Research Question:
How do Community Disaster Response Teams (CDRTs) mobilize during a disaster response?

Research Rationale

Persons receiving CDRT training are expected to establish response teams within their communities and assist their local red cross society and/or their local disaster organization before, during and after a disaster. CDRTs are also expected to develop a CDRT plan which includes using effective methods of communicating disaster alerts and warning messages. CDRTs are after all meant to help their communities until assistance can be obtained from emergency personnel or work with disaster response agencies to provide assistance to their impacted communities.

Countries Targeted: Belize

This research seeks to provide answers to the following questions:

  • Are currently being used and if they being used effectively?

  • What are the intended roles of CDRTs in each phase of the disaster management cycle vs their current roles in the different phases?

  • What are some of the lessons learnt in keeping CDRTs engaged?

Utilising CDRTs in all Phases of the Disaster Management Cycle 

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Research Question: How are CDRTs utilised in all phases of the Disaster Management Cycle?

Research Rationale

Community Disaster Response Teams (CDRTs) comprise of community volunteers trained in different elements of disaster risk reduction, thereby enhancing their skills and competencies to prepare for and respond to various emergencies.

Countries Targeted: St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Suriname, Belize, St. Kitts and Nevis and Dominica

This research seeks to provide answers to the following questions:

  • Are currently being used and if they being used effectively?

  • What are the intended roles of CDRTs in each phase of the disaster management cycle vs their current roles in the different phases?

  • What are some of the lessons learnt in keeping CDRTs engaged?

Preparedness for Effective Response Implementation in the Caribbean

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Research Question:
How has the PER approach been used to enhance response activities within the Caribbean?

Research Rationale

The goal of the Preparedness for Effective Response (PER) approach is to strengthen the local preparedness capacity of a National Society and its ability to effectively respond in times of a crisis or disaster. The approach consists of highly skilled facilitators guiding National Societies through five phases. These include Orientation; Assessment; Prioritization and Analysis; Workplan; and Action and Accountability. Various countries within the Caribbean have started the PER approach but are at different phases.

Countries Targeted: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago

The major aims of the case study are to:

  • Identify the phases which each country that started the process is at and

  • Better understand some of the challenges faced, which may have resulting in the process being halted in some countries.

  • Recommend ways to overcome these challenges.

  • Highlight the successes or ways in which other countries have benefited from using the approach.

To learn more about our upcoming research initiatives.

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