Disaster Management Committee

Disaster Management Committees (also: Disaster Risk Reduction Committees or Emergency Response Committees) at community level and at regional/national level should have broad representation of different at-risk groups.

To set-up inclusive committees:

• Committee membership is gender balanced, and includes older persons, youth, persons with disabilities and people from ethnic or cultural minorities.  

• Hold regular meetings at an accessible meeting venue.

• Committee members are trained on different aspects of inclusive disaster risk management (like accessible search and rescue and evacuation, inclusive shelter management, inclusive emergency response, provision of first aid, mental health and psychosocial support).

• The committee is in regular communication with representative organizations of at-risk groups in the community.      

• The committee chair is aware of holding inclusive meetings and can foster ownership of all members for the decisions made for risk reduction and emergency response.

• The committee has access to relevant data and information about their community (disaggregated by sex, age and disability).

• Inclusive practice is followed in relevant sub-committees (Evacuation, First-aid, Search & Rescue, Shelter Management, Water Management, Distribution, Mental Healths and Psychosocial Support Working Group etc.) as well.