GEADiRR
GEADIRR is an initiative group working on issues of environmental protection and disaster risk. We Integrate Geospatial technology, the Earth and Social Sciences to drive a shift of the burden of natural hazards and environmental degradation from their perception as natural processes wreaked by the uncontrollable forces of nature, to the concurrent presence of natural events and human activities, such that if well understood at the grassroots and decision-making levels, and incorporated into the initial stages of planning and investment, can result in disaster risk reduction, a better environment and sustainable development.
Our Mission
To Build/Enhance Community Resilience to Climate Change and Disaster Risk in Cameroon through building local community resilience with the support of geospatial information for environmental protection
Our Vision
Contribute to a world in which the impact of Disaster Risk (DR) and Climate Change (CC) results in zero losses; ensuring population effective awareness of existing hazards and climatic threats in their community and building necessary resilience capacity, adaptable to evolved changes.
Our History
GEADIRR was registered in 2009 with registration number SW/GP/042/09/8074, governed by the laws in force in the Republic of Cameroon on CIGs/NGOs. GEADIRR ‘s initiatives came into light in 2007 following from the founding member’s participation in ProVention Consortium research and action grant program between 2006 and 2007. The ProVention consortium program provided the necessary momentum to engage in environmental geoscience work towards risk reduction, especially in Limbe, southwest region of Cameroon; a city that had witnessed the impact of landslides and floods over the years with one of the worst incidences of June 2001. Members of GEADIRR work during that period were focused on raising awareness of the existing hazards and what mitigation measures need to be put in place. GEADIRR also became a member of the Global Network of Civil Society Organization for Disaster Risk (GNDR) in 2009. GNDR has played a pivotal role in the orientation of our activities. Some major thematic focus over the years includes.
2010-2011
local governance in disaster risks reduction in Cameroon. GEADIRR joined other GNDR members in advocating for the importance of improving local governance in disaster risk reduction in the country. Indicators of governance such as participation, availability of resources at the decentralized services of local government, transparency in risk management in the country, accountability, improving local capacity and capability. Special emphasis on the need for the government to accelerate the decentralization process in the country could serve as the necessary vehicle for sharing responsibilities and resources between municipal and local stakeholders. Provide a sense of ownership, leading to greater participation and accountability. Improve participatory approach, involving civil society and local communities at the different levels of the DRR process. Read more…
2012-2014
Our focus during this period was guided by the recognition that in order to achieve a resilient nation as outlined by the Hyogo Framework for DRR, we need to concentrate efforts on building local community resilience to multi-hazards as an essential building block. An important observation about neglected disasters (everyday disasters) was made, which is the small scale less intensive risk but high-frequency incidence occurrence in communities in the country. Such threats do not attract media attention or call for mobilization to respond; rather, individual impacted families and local communities bear the burden. This is quite common in most countries in Africa with Cameroon, in particular, facing this situation due to the socio-economic status of the country. Read more…
2015-2017
Engaged with local communities and in collaboration with other CSOs in different parts of the country in community resilience building. Efforts were on understanding the community risk profile, the capacity and the level of vulnerability as well as their level of exposure, and sensitivity. To achieve this a regular cycle of reflection, learning and mobilization was carried out. The most important threats facing most communities were appraised through the frontline surveys. An advocacy program was carried out on the most important threats which in 2015/2016 indicated that a lot of Cameroonians had been affected by automobile accidents over the last couple of years. Practical actions were equally carried-out in communities to enhance their capacity in risk reduction efforts. Read more about the example from lower Motowoh in Limbe and advocacy flyer on automobile accident reduction efforts.
2018-Present
Views from the frontline. We are currently implementing the VFL 2019-2021 project which has been extended to 2022 due to the impact of COVID-19. More information about VFL-2019 can be access here
Other activities
(1)Vulnerability assessment of communities to climate change has been conducted in the Cameroon coastal zone of Cape-Cameroon and Kange to Mabeta mangroves coastal communities. (2)an assessment of communities through the use of WWF climate Crowd tool has been carried out in the TRIDOM landscape of Cameroon, Congo and Gabon segments. (3)Monitoring mangroves forest cover change and quantifying carbon stock has been carried out in the Rio Del Rey basin in the southwest region of Cameroon and has contributed to the inclusion of the mangroves ecosystem in the national strategy for the reduction of emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) by members.
Besides coordinating and implementing VFL as a major process towards engaging and working with members of communities and building their community resilience to climate change and disaster risk, GEADIRR has been instrumental in many national networks including the national Platform on Climate change and the society for conservation GIS over the years.