Resilience in Ecuador: Adapting Disaster Risk Reduction Programming During the Pandemic

"Ecuador Resiliente" (2019-2020) project aimed to increase resilience and contribute to strengthening institutional and community disaster management capacities. The project focused on vulnerable groups in the Ecuadorian provinces of Pichincha, Carchi and Sucumbíos. The program worked with local government and other stakeholders to build the capacity of various groups (community members, teachers from educational institutions and members of institutions involved in risk management) in Disaster Risk Reduction, develop DRR plans and activities at community and institutional levels, and raise community disaster awareness and preparedness. As activity implementation gained momentum, the onset and explosion of the COVID-19 pandemic imposed a new reality, which required an adaptation of strategies and activities so as to achieve its objectives. The project activities, for the majority of the beneficiaries, had to be restructured for virtual training. While this excluded some, due to a lack of digital access, we found that the younger population got involved and helped cover the gap. In the end, we reached a brouder demographic due to our CLA approach.