The Sahel has long been vulnerable to drought, impoverishment and food insecurity, as the droughts of the mid-1970s, 1980s and 2005 show.

Over the past 20 years, IIED has run a major programme of work in the Sahel that aims not only to demonstrate the fragility of human and environmental systems, but also to show the remarkable energy and innovation that local people can draw on to adapt and survive in an often hostile setting.

Beyond Any Drought makes clear people’s vulnerability stems from a combination of political, economic and social forces, as well as the impacts of highly variable rainfall.

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirms the likelihood of higher temperatures for the region over the next few decades.

Current predictions of changes to rainfall in the Sahel are less certain, with forecasts ranging from a drop of 20% to a 20% rise. In either case, more heat will increase evaporation from soils, rivers and lakes, and reduce the value of whatever rain does fall.

For a region already suffering from poverty and drought, such predictions are unwelcome news. Finding ways to help strengthen resilience in human and environmental systems is thus key to helping people adapt to the challenges ahead.

On the 15 August 2007 a magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Peru, killing more than 500 people and leaving more than 75,000 families homeless.

Before the earthquake, CARE Peru had already identified CARE’s third programming principle “we seek ways to be held accountable to poor and marginalised people” as an organisational priority.

The emergency response was an important moment for making accountability to disaster affected people a reality. As a means for ensuring a focus on accountability, CARE Peru recruited a Monitoring, Evaluation and Standards Advisor, supported by two field-based officers and a Complaints Officer post based in Lima.

Qualitative monitoring and listening to communities was a key task of the two field officers, both to provide a feedback opportunity for communities, and to try to understand our impact during the emergency response, not just at the end.

The following presentation was given by Tasneem Mowjee, Senior Policy Advisor, Development Initiatives, who is the lead independent researcher for 5 Mapping Studies commissioned by the NGOs and Humanitarian Reform Project at the start of the project to research the humanitarian reforms in the project focus countries. It reflects the independent researchers’ findings particularly in relation to reformed financing mechanisms.

On 15 November 2007, Cyclone Sidr struck the southwest coast of Bangladesh and high winds and floods caused extensive damage to housing, roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

Electricity supplies and communications were knocked out as roads and waterways were impassable.

Drinking water was contaminated by debris and saline water from the storm surge and sanitation infrastructure was destroyed.

The cyclone caused 3406 deaths and seriously affected about one million households.

Estimated damages and losses were Tk 115.6 billion (US$ 1.7 billion) and mainly concentrated in the housing and productive sectors.

Super Cyclone Sidr (equivalent in intensity to a high-end Category 4 Hurricane) hit Bangladesh on 15 November 2007.

Intense wind and storm surges left behind a ravaged landscape along the coast of Bangladesh.

Bagerhat, Barisal, Barguna, Patuakhali, and Pirojpur were identified as the worst affected districts.

More than 3,000 people were killed and hundreds were missing from these districts.

The physical damage is even worse. Crops, fisheries, and livestock were either severely damaged or washed away by storm surges.

CARE Bangladesh intervened with emergency relief support in Bagerhat, Pirojpur, and Barguna Districts.

The program was implemented through two Response Site Office, Bagerhat and Barguna.

Initially the Bagerhat office covered Sharonkhola, Morelgonj, & Mathbaria upazilas and Barguna office covered Barguna sadar and Pathatghata upazilas.

After the first month’s operation CARE Bangladesh concentrated its response effort in 9 upazilas of Bagerhat and 2 upazilas of Barguna districts.

At the end of March 2008, CARE’s assistance reached nearly 130,000 families in Bagerhat (including Pirojpur) and nearly 80,000 families in Barguna districts with food and non-food items, safe drinking water, and medical support.

This mapping study is one of a series of five reports commissioned by the NGOs and Humanitarian Reform Project.

It is written by an independent consultant and does not necessarily represent the individual views of the project consortium member.

NGOs and Humanitarian Reform is a three year consortium project funded by DFID.

Member agencies are ActionAid, CAFOD, CARE, International Council of Voluntary Agencies, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam and Save the Children.

This mapping study is one of a series of five reports commissioned by the NGOs and Humanitarian Reform Project.

The consortium was formed to set up and run the project. This project was established to support the effective engagement of international, national and local humanitarian non-governmental agencies (NGOs) in reform efforts.

It promotes an integrated approach across policy-relevant research and operational learning to explore what works and does not work in reform informed by the operational experience of NGOs on the ground.

The project aims to strengthen the NGO voice in policy debates and field processes related humanitarian reform.

This mapping study is one of a series of five reports commissioned by the NGOs and Humanitarian Reform Project.

It is written by an independent consultant and does not necessarily represent the individual views of the project consortium member.

NGOs and Humanitarian Reform is a three year consortium project funded by DFID.

Member agencies are ActionAid, CAFOD, CARE, International Council of Voluntary Agencies, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam and Save the Children.

This mapping study is one of a series of five reports commissioned by the NGOs and Humanitarian Reform Project.

The consortium was formed to set up and run the project. This project was established to support the effective engagement of international, national and local humanitarian non-governmental agencies (NGOs) in reform efforts.

It promotes an integrated approach across policy-relevant research and operational learning to explore what works and does not work in reform informed by the operational experience of NGOs on the ground.

The project aims to strengthen the NGO voice in policy debates and field processes related humanitarian reform.

This mapping study is one of a series of five reports commissioned by the NGOs and Humanitarian Reform Project.

It is written by an independent consultant and does not necessarily represent the individual views of the project consortium member.

NGOs and Humanitarian Reform is a three year consortium project funded by DFID.

Member agencies are ActionAid, CAFOD, CARE, International Council of Voluntary Agencies, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam and Save the Children.

This mapping study is one of a series of five reports commissioned by the NGOs and Humanitarian Reform Project.

The consortium was formed to set up and run the project. This project was established to support the effective engagement of international, national and local humanitarian non-governmental agencies (NGOs) in reform efforts.

It promotes an integrated approach across policy-relevant research and operational learning to explore what works and does not work in reform informed by the operational experience of NGOs on the ground.

The project aims to strengthen the NGO voice in policy debates and field processes related humanitarian reform.

This mapping study is one of a series of five reports commissioned by the NGOs and Humanitarian Reform Project.

It is written by an independent consultant and does not necessarily represent the individual views of the project consortium member.

NGOs and Humanitarian Reform is a three year consortium project funded by DFID.

Member agencies are ActionAid, CAFOD, CARE, International Council of Voluntary Agencies, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam and Save the Children.

This mapping study is one of a series of five reports commissioned by the NGOs and Humanitarian Reform Project.

The consortium was formed to set up and run the project. This project was established to support the effective engagement of international, national and local humanitarian non-governmental agencies (NGOs) in reform efforts.

It promotes an integrated approach across policy-relevant research and operational learning to explore what works and does not work in reform informed by the operational experience of NGOs on the ground.

The project aims to strengthen the NGO voice in policy debates and field processes related humanitarian reform.

This mapping study is one of a series of five reports commissioned by the NGOs and Humanitarian Reform Project.

It is written by an independent consultant and does not necessarily represent the individual views of the project consortium member.

NGOs and Humanitarian Reform is a three year consortium project funded by DFID.

Member agencies are ActionAid, CAFOD, CARE, International Council of Voluntary Agencies, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam and Save the Children.

This mapping study is one of a series of five reports commissioned by the NGOs and Humanitarian Reform Project.

The consortium was formed to set up and run the project. This project was established to support the effective engagement of international, national and local humanitarian non-governmental agencies (NGOs) in reform efforts.

It promotes an integrated approach across policy-relevant research and operational learning to explore what works and does not work in reform informed by the operational experience of NGOs on the ground.

The project aims to strengthen the NGO voice in policy debates and field processes related humanitarian reform.