Bangladesh, December 16, 2022 – “Rivers of Hope”, the short documentary film about the 2022 Averted Disaster Award Winner, the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS), premiered today on the ADA YouTube channel. 

Directed by award winning filmmaker Doel Trivedy, “Rivers of Hope” highlights the work of BDRCS telling the stories of three families who have been impacted by the Super Cyclone Amphan and the successive extreme events in Bangladesh May-July 2020. BDRCS provided forecast-based financing, to vulnerable communities in Bangladesh when disaster strikes. Following the daily activities of these three families, resource distribution and finally actions the families take themselves to move out of danger, we can learn how to mitigate the adverse impacts resulting from climate crisis and the increasing occurrence of extreme weather events

The Averted Disaster Award (ADA) partnered with WaterBear, a free streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet, to produce the documentary. Founded by Ellen Windemuth, the executive producer of BAFTA and Oscar winning documentary My Octopus Teacher, Waterbear is available across 194 countries and features award-winning documentaries as well as original content – spanning biodiversity, community and climate action.

The film was funded in part by pioneering storytelling Resilient Foundation which gives local filmmakers, storytellers and communities around the world the opportunity to tell important stories. Michael Cain, Executive Director of Resilient Foundation said, “We are pleased to join the Averted Disaster Award to help make the invisible, visible by highlighting successful Disaster Risk Management interventions. This work, which typically goes unnoticed by the public and policy makers precisely because of its success, is critical to building a sustainable world in this era of extreme climatic events.”

The official release of the film took place during the Understanding Risk Global Forum in Florianopolis, Brazil, on November 29^th, when only those participating in the forum were able to watch the documentary. However, today is the first day of the public, online release and you can access it, for free, from any part of the world. “Rivers of Hope” will be also distributed on WaterBear’s free streaming platform.

About

The Averted Disaster Award is an innovative new award that aims to bring visibility to successful disaster mitigation interventions. The award recognizes proactive interventions implemented around the world that help ensure that communities continue to function, thrive, and recover quickly in the face of disaster risk. The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society was announced as the 2022 Averted Disaster Award winner at The Understanding Risk Global Forum (UR22) in Florianopolis, Brazil, a biennial conference that convenes experts and practitioners from all around the world to showcase the best practices and latest innovations in the field of disaster risk identification and management.

The 2023 Averted Disaster Award is open to submissions from individuals, project teams and organizations of all sizes, regions and industries who wish to see particular interventions recognized. Additional information about nomination requirements can be found at www.averteddisasteraward.org. 

We are proud to honor Build Change and their efforts in resilient housing in the Philippines as a 2022 Runner Up/Intervention of Distinction.

 Since 2014 Build Change has implemented resilient housing solutions in the Philippines and provided engineering, technology, and lending solutions to design, build and finance over 3,000 safer buildings.  This represents 40,000 people living and learning in safer houses and schools. They facilitated behavioral change in homeowners and builders by training over 5,000 people in safe construction practices creating 600 jobs.

The Philippines ranks as the eighth most disaster-prone country in the world based on the World Risk Index.  The country is particularly exposed to typhoons, flooding, earthquakes, and landslides.  In 2019 Build Change estimated there were over 15 million vulnerable housing units in the Philippines urgently needing improvements with the vast majority belonging to poor and low-income families.  In 2020 alone, over 5 million Filipinos and more than 425,000 homes were negatively impacted by typhoon and earthquake events.

The experience of Eusi and Helen Raloso is one example of disaster averted through resilient housing efforts.  On November 8, 2013 the Raloso’s first home was destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda.  They hid under a table for protection while their house collapsed around them.  Their son was injured.  They thought they would die. 

The family received emergency food, water, and clothing. Then, with engineering, construction, and financial assistance from Build Change and its partners, Eusi and Helen built back better. They constructed a stronger, disaster-resilient home. Helen managed the money and Eusi managed the builders.

The strength and safety of the Raloso’s new home has been tested since it was built in 2014, withstanding the increasing frequency and intensity of climate change induced weather for nearly eight years. After Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), some of the most devastating typhoons have followed a similar path through their community. Further, the Raloso’s home has served as an evacuation center for family members and neighbors.

Build Change recognizes that a home is the ultimate protection for families.  Resilient housing not only mitigates risk of damage or collapse, but enhances the wealth, health and well-being of occupants.  Resilient housing helps save lives, protect assets, create jobs and spur local economies.  They prevent the loss of livelihoods, prevent relocation and irregular migration after a disaster and help provide a cost effective and long-term solution to the qualitative housing deficit.

Elizabeth Hausler, the founder and CEO of Build Change says “It is completely possible to build and strengthen houses to better withstand earthquakes, windstorms and other hazards and prevent such a disaster.  It’s not the earthquake or typhoon that kills people, it’s the collapse of a poorly built structure…it just takes the right combination of people, political will, financing and technology to solve it’.

Congratulations to Build Change!

For more information about Build Change visit Build Change | Build Disaster Resistant Buildings and Change Construction Practices Permanently

We are proud to honor the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society as the winner of the 2022 Averted Disaster Award for their efforts in Forecast-based financing in Bangladesh!

The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society won the Averted Disaster Award for their work providing forecast-based financing to vulnerable communities during successive extreme events in Bangladesh May-July 2020.  On May 20, 2020 Super Cyclone Amphan made landfall in Bangladesh.  A few weeks later monsoon flooding affected Bangladesh for several weeks reaching their highest levels since 1988.  37% of Bangladesh’s landmass was flooded and affected 5.4 million people in the north, northeast and center of the country.

Forecast-based financing, an anticipatory approach implemented by the Red Crescent Society proved highly effective at averting the impacts of floods and cyclones in Bangladesh. In this approach, weather and climate forecasts are combined with risk analysis to predict when and where a hazard will strike. Once a certain trigger level (i.e. the water level in a river) is reached, a pre-agreed amount of humanitarian funding is released for a series of predefined early actions. These actions aim to save lives and minimize the hazard’s impacts.

Prior to forecast based financing, disasters such as cyclones and flooding would destroy livelihoods, forcing people to sell their livestock at low prices or take burdensome loans, perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Recipients of the funds were able to secure their homes and assets before the storm, allowing them to evacuate to shelters, reducing the number of injuries and fatalities.  They were also able to buy livestock or replace fishing or farming equipment, allowing them to recover their livelihoods more quickly than those who did not receive the funds.  The work of BDRCS has saved lives and increased the resiliency of communities throughout Bangladesh.

The work of BDRCS was highlighted in a short documentary film where the personal experiences of three families who have benefitted from the awarded program are narrated.  Directed by award winning director, Doel Trivedy and titled “Rivers of Hope” the film aims to bring to light the life-saving benefits of anticipatory action and forecast-based financing and serve as inspiration to other communities disaster mitigation efforts.

Congratulations Bangladesh Red Crescent Society!

For more information about the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society visit BDRCS | Bangladesh Red Crescent Society