Providing support to set up a Regional Centre for expertise, training and innovation in the Indian Ocean area

Groupe URD has been selected to draw up an action plan for a new Regional Centre for expertise, training and innovation in the Indian Ocean area. This initiative has been led by the French Red Cross’s Indian Ocean Regional Intervention Platform (PIROI) along with its Red Cross Movement partners (IFRC, ICRC and other National Societies from the region).

Groupe URD is well placed to carry out this work due to:

• Our own background as a centre of expertise, training, research and methodological development;
• Our running of observatories in Afghanistan, Chad and Haiti, which provided expert advice in the area of crisis response;
• Our in-depth knowledge of the Indian Ocean area and the risks that exist there, having worked with the Indian Ocean Commission ;
• Our recognised expertise in the area of post-disaster response having carried out numerous real-time and iterative evaluations in Haiti (2010 earthquake), Nepal (2015 earthquake), South-East Asia (2004 Tsunami), and Central America (hurricane Mitch).
• Our in-depth knowledge of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

The Indian Ocean Regional Intervention Platform (PIROI) includes 7 National Societies: France – Reunion/Mayotte, the Comoros, Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius, Mozambique, and Tanzania, with significant involvement on the part of the IFRC and the ICRC. Its objectives are:

• To build the disaster preparedness and response capacities of its member National Red Cross Societies;
• To implement post-emergency rehabilitation programmes in the fields of Health, WASH and Housing reconstruction;
• To reduce risks in the event of disasters, through community awareness programmes.

The Centre is used by the regional platform to implement and coordinate a certain number of activities and establish new partnerships.