ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY AND PARTICIPATION
A new series of technical discussion papers by the Start Network, the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies explores how evolving disaster risk financing (DRF) approaches could be a game changer in acting earlier, quicker and more effectively to predictable humanitarian crises.
The papers are attempting to redefine how DRF meets humanitarian objectives. Building on the practical experience of the Start Network and IFRC the papers call for a move from the traditional DRF sovereign approach to a more human-impact driven approach to risk financing, identifying the financial and operational needs from the ground up; an ‘impact before instruments approach.’
Each paper explores the need for such a renewed approach whilst identifying some of the technical challenges and posing solutions to make disaster risk financing work most effectively in the humanitarian context. The aim is to ignite dialogue and build collaboration around key technical challenges whilst highlighting some key solutions to unlock the potential of DRF for humanitarian action.
This paper discusses the need to mainstream transparency, participation and accountability through a localised approach into disaster risk financing systems. Clear opportunities for accountability and participation are present in a pre-planned and positioned DRF approach, where ahead of time communities and people at risk can review the framework, question it and hold it to account to deliver what is promised. Within such a framework, community organisations can be included in the preplanning, seeing them become active implementers and stakeholders. The risk remains, without such an approach, the DRF system will further disempower the very people it seeks to protect, those at risk.