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Training Capacity Building

The "SMURD Mobile Training Center / Caravan – Be prepared" project is a truck-based mobile classroom providing hands-on first aid and emergency preparedness training to various locations in Romania.
It includes lectures and demonstrations using equipment and simulators, led by IGSU/SMURD staff.
The goal is to increase citizens' ability to respond appropriately when "every second counts," reducing the risks associated with events such as fires, floods, or earthquakes.

Case

The Palau CBDRR Toolkit strengthens “bottom-up” resilience by linking the national framework and state plans to the community/hamlet level. It covers preparedness topics such as early warning and operational procedures for disseminating alerts. It includes a participatory vulnerability assessment with attention to the needs of vulnerable groups. It promotes community engagement and an organized response through local committees (e.g., search and rescue and relief/assistance).

Solution

A role-playing game that simulates a cyber-attack on a community's critical infrastructure. Participants must collaborate to prioritize resources, communicate with the public, and maintain essential services under stress.

Contribution

Local Resilience Agents (LRAs) are community members trained in disaster risk reduction, first aid, and search and rescue to supplement local government capacity and disseminate early warnings.

Case

The Student Volunteer Army (SVA) is a youth-led, university- and school-based volunteer initiative in New Zealand, focused on building resilient communities through crisis response and ongoing community support. The organisation mobilises tens of thousands of volunteers to assist communities during and after disasters, while cultivating a culture of service and leadership among young people. Partnerships with organisations and funders amplify SVA’s reach and impact.

Case

“Terremoti d’Italia” (Earthquakes of Italy) is a touring exhibition promoted by the Italian Department of Civil Protection, designed to raise public awareness and understanding of seismic risk in Italy. The project combines scientific knowledge, historical memory, technological innovation, and experiential learning to strengthen a culture of prevention. Through an accessible, interactive, and multidisciplinary approach, the exhibition engages citizens of all ages, particularly young people, encouraging them to take an active role in disaster risk reduction.

Case

Ready.gov provides a comprehensive framework for individual and community preparedness, focusing on four pillars: staying informed, making a plan, building a kit, and getting involved.

Contribution

The Regional Tsunami Project is a regional initiative launched in 2017 by UNDP with funding from the Government of Japan to strengthen tsunami preparedness in schools and communities across the Asia-Pacific. The project works with governments and school systems to institutionalize risk education and evacuation drills, improve evacuation planning and routes, and make the drills regular and replicable.

Case

ARC’s CBDP toolkit helps communities turn data on risks, vulnerabilities, and capacities into a practical disaster preparedness and response plan. It was developed in Afghanistan, where poverty, weak infrastructure, and environmental degradation increase the impact of floods, droughts, landslides, and other hazards. The approach is participatory (focus groups, observation, feedback) and involves local structures such as the CDMC/CDC, with actions phased into emergency, short, medium, and long-term. It also integrates environmental aspects and climate projections.

Solution

The Territori Aperti Disaster Preparedness Toolkit is a dynamic tool that gathers existing experiences and transforms them into useful recommendations and procedures for public bodies and citizens.

Solution