Baseline Report: Building Resilient Communities in Ștefan Vodă Rayon

The activity will focus on the first two priorities for action of the Sendai Framework - Understanding risk and Risk Governance. To achieve this goal, a two-pronged approach will be used, focusing on scaling up local capacities for the evaluation of hazards and risks using an all-hazard approach, particularly among highly vulnerable groups. The identification of vulnerabilities through data collection and community-led assessment, as well as the prioritization of risks and vulnerabilities, will also contribute to the fulfillment of this objective. During the reporting period, HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation (Helvetas) implemented planned activities under Outcome 1, which includes improving the understanding of vulnerabilities, hazards, and vulnerabilities through inclusive community-led risk assessments and prioritization of actions. Specifically, Helvetas conducted a comprehensive disaster preparedness survey in Stefan Voda, surveying 470 households. The results of this survey inform the rest of the activity implementation and are presented in this Baseline Report. The Baseline Report offers an extensive analysis of the preparedness levels within Stefan Vodă, capturing a snapshot of the capabilities and vulnerabilities within Stefan Vodă in the face of potential disasters. Key survey findings include: 99% of households express some level of concern about hazards and disasters, 96% of households are either completely unprepared or poorly prepared to respond to a disaster, and 94% of households are unsure about their community's emergency plan. Preparedness and awareness levels vary within the community, with a significant portion of the population, particularly youth, demonstrating a proactive approach towards disaster preparedness. Concerning disasters linked to natural hazards, the community's perception is notably varied, with a majority acknowledging a moderate concern for disasters. The survey reveals a community with mixed levels of preparedness and varying degrees of awareness regarding disaster risks, critical infrastructure, and resources. The results of the survey will inform and enhance the community's strategies for disaster risk management. The activity will focus on sensitizing constituents in Ștefan Vodă rayon on the vulnerabilities and risks identified and the risk reduction measures they can implement in their own community to advance the institutionalization of practices that reduce risks. In Ștefan Vodă, Palanca, Talmaza, and Răscăieți, the survey found that 86% of households are willing to participate in disaster response training, and 96% of households are not aware of any government resources for disaster response. The identification of vulnerabilities and prioritization of risks and vulnerabilities will contribute to the fulfillment of the objective of understanding risk and risk governance. The activity will focus on creating actionable measures and preparedness actions to reduce risks that can be implemented across a range of different stakeholders. These measures will become the basis for the development of multi-stakeholder preparedness action plans, which will be anchored around the larger emergency response architecture within the district.