Raising public awareness about the risks of earthquake and flood is one of the key activities of this project. Knowledge about these risks can significantly reduce people’s vulnerability because people will know how to react when a disaster strikes and they can take precautionary measures. The RRVC project undertakes various initiatives to emphasise to people the importance of disaster preparedness. At the grassroots level, members of Lokokendra’s (People’s Centers), Reflect Circles (graduates of ActionAid’s adult learning and empowerment program) and communities will be reached through various orientations, folk performances, mock drills and the dissemination of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials.

Unite Theatre for Social Action (UTSA), one of the partner organizations of ActionAid Bangladesh, has developed a street drama performance to address earthquake preparedness and vulnerability issues in some of the most vulnerable locations of Chittagong. This communication tool has the potential to reach a large number of people in a relatively short period of time. Radio, as one of the most popular media among rural communities, can also play an important role by conveying lifesaving information along with its recreational programs. ActionAid Bangladesh, with the assistance of media professionals, developed two separate programs on flood and earthquake disaster preparedness combining folk drama containing relevant messages with fun folk songs. These programs will be broadcast a number of times on local radio channels in order to target the communities that are most at risk of earthquake and flood.

IEC materials will act as a popular medium for dissemination of preparedness messages during this project, spreading the word through posters, leaflets and family preparedness plans. These materials are strongly grounded in local knowledge, culture and practices and are therefore community-friendly and the information is easily shared. In addition IEC materials will help to revive and refresh communities’ popular local knowledge on flood and earthquake disaster preparedness and will educate people about the importance of these precautions to minimize the devastating impacts of disaster.

Part of the project is also specifically targeting schools to raise awareness among

students and teachers. Generally, school texts do not adequately cover issues of earthquake preparedness. For that reason, the RRVC project will organize orientation sessions on earthquake disaster and its preparedness in order to reduce the vulnerability of schools.The orientation will be provided through a puppet show that will promote preparedness measures at school and at home.

Students will be motivated to share and disseminate knowledge with their families, relatives, friends and neighbors and school-friendly pamphlets and posters will be distributed among students and teachers.

Awareness on the potential risks of flood and earthquake will also be raised through various Disaster Management Committees. The project aims to form Ward Disaster Management Committees (WDMC) in the six project wards of Chittagong City Corporation and Union Disaster Management Committees (UDMC) in Rangamati and Kurigram. According to the “Standing Orders on Disaster” of the Bangladesh government, these committees are responsible for disseminating disaster preparedness messages and coordinating the “Relief & Rehabilitation” operation. Therefore the project will also focus on raising awareness among these committees of their responsibilities to prepare communities for hazards and to respond to floods and other emergencies. Various courses will be conducted for the committees on family and community-level earthquake and flood disaster preparedness. In addition, the various UDMCs will develop a comprehensive Union Risk Reduction Plan, on the basis of action points generated in Reflect circles/Lokokendra.

An informative workshop on earthquake response and preparedness for DDMC (District Disaster Management Committee), UzDMC (Upazilla District Disaster Management Committee), UDMC (Union Disaster Mangament Committee) and CBOs (Community Based Organizations) will be organized in the hill areas of Rangamati to facilitate the coordination of their roles in reducing risk against earthquake. Local government and the Regional Hill Council will be actively engaged to foster the earthquake preparedness capacity of the hill communities and institutions. Orientations on earthquake preparedness will also be organized for local government and the Regional Hill Council to make them aware of their responsibilities in reducing vulnerability to earthquake disaster.