Building evidence that communication and community engagement works

With extreme weather becoming a fact of life for many in the world today, there is a growing body of evidence to show that, while each flood, earthquake and hurricane is unique, lessons from previous disasters can inform current responses.

The Indian state of Kerala experienced extreme flooding in August of this year, during which close to 500 people lost their lives and over one million were displaced. Saferworld Communications/SEEDS, which works to respond to disaster-affected communities and reduce future risks, recently reproduced two reports to highlight the importance of communication and community engagement.

Silent Stories looks at communication with communities in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake in 2015, and summarised some of the ways in which responding agencies could ensure the voices of affected people were amplified.

Unheard Voices documents the communications with communities in the aftermath of the Uttarakhand flash floods in 2013 and how people, particularly the most vulnerable, struggled to access assistance.

Both reports are a fantastic contribution to the growing evidence that that communication with communities during and after a crisis must be at the heart of humanitarian programming.