The Cross-Cutting Capacity Development (3cd) Program

The Cross-Cutting Capacity Development (3cd) Program is a long-term, inter-disciplinary program of the Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative (EMI), conceived to address disaster risk management (DRM) and urban vulnerability reduction in the world's megacities. EMI is a global network and multicultural consortium of governmental, academic and research institutions in the fields of engineering, geology, seismology, urban planning, sociology, environmental management, public policy and administration, and other disciplines.

Goal and Objectives

The goal is to assist megacities to reduce disaster risk by "mainstreaming" sound practices for disaster risk management throughout their ongoing functions and operations. The objectives are:

• To build the technical, legal, financial, and institutional capacity in megacity governments and civil society to implement sound DRM practices.
• To shift current local governments processes in developing countries from a reactive response orientation to a proactive mitigation focus, encouraging policies and actions that institute and support disaster risk reduction and enhance local stakeholder capacity to implement those policies and actions.

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Methodology

The 3cd Program promotes the concept of the: 1) Mainstreaming Model, and the 2) Disaster Risk Management Master Plan (DRMMP).

The Mainstreaming Model promotes disaster risk reduction actions within a wide range of ongoing functions and operations in the city.

Mainstreaming Model:
Central Coordination + Local Implementation + Participation

The Disaster Risk Management Master Plan (DRMMP) provides a tool that enables local governments to systematically and systemically implement a disaster risk management agenda for the city, including legal, institutional, financial, social, and technical capacities. The objective of the DRMMP is to provide: 1) the institutional and legal framework for a sound DRM system, and 2) the integration of DRM practices into the ongoing governance and business processes in the city by introducing DRMMP as a critical planning exercise undertaken by the city on regular basis.

The DRMMP encourages a broad and integrated view of a disaster risk reduction system including such elements as:

• Identification of hazards and vulnerabilities and evaluation of risk
• A disaster reduction strategy rooted at the city level and owned by its stakeholders
• A set of laws, acts, and regulations that provide a comprehensive framework for the interaction of different organizations and institutions
• Strong institutional coordination mechanisms
• A solid, normative system to control compliance and enforcement of codes and standards for safer building construction
• Land-use and urban planning which incorporate hazard awareness and risk reduction
• Use of risk communication tools to promote public awareness, education, training and research
• Preparedness and emergency management based on known risks
• Intercity coordination and cooperation in the megacity context

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Program Components

The 3cd framework is comprised of four program components whose related activities and outputs lead to the implementation of a DRMMP in each participating city.

Components of the 3cd Program

Component 1 focuses on understanding how disaster risk management is organized and delivered, including sound practices to be shared with others. Field investigation and literature search are used to identify gaps, needs and impediments to risk reduction and to document City Profiles and Sound Practices.

Component 2 ensures knowledge building, capacity development, institutional strengthening, and sustainability to support the implementation of a DRMMP.

Component 3 incorporates disaster risk assessment and effective options for risk communication to decision makers, planners, educators, community leaders, and the general public.

Component 4 is centered on providing technical and logistical support to develop and implement a consensus DRMMP in the city.

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Scientific and City Partners

The four components of the 3cd Program have two separate but complimentary sets of activities: those related to research and development (R&D) that provide methods and tools to support the implementation of the DRMMP, and those focused on the application of knowledge and introduction of improved practices to city stakeholders.

To implement the R&D activities, partnerships have been created with recognized organizations with mandates, capabilities, expertise, and goals to reduce urban risk. These international, regional, and national organizations are providing leadership, partial funding, management, and implementation of many of the activities identified under the four program components. They work in close collaboration with in-country scientific, political, and administrative agencies to ensure practical and locally specific approaches to implementation while promoting local ownership of the program among authorities and other relevant stakeholders.

3cd builds on EMI's more than six years of experience in dealing with 20 megacities around the world grouped in 5 regional clusters through its Cluster Cities Program (CCP), comprised of cities, researchers and practitioners who:

• Share information, tools and techniques for disaster risk reduction and response information, tools and techniques for disaster riskreduction and response
• Build a broad coalition of stakeholders engaged in local actions for disaster risk reduction
• Facilitate systematic inquiry, action, and learning within and among member cities
• Inform practice, reduce vulnerabilities, and enable megacities to manage disaster risk efficiently, and
• Promote applied research to problems of urban risk.

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