Report on – 33rd IC Resolution 7: Disaster laws and policies that leave no one behind (33IC/19/R7) – The Netherlands Red Cross

Votre État/Société nationale/institution a-t-il/elle incorporé les engagements contenus dans cette résolution dans les plans stratégiques ou opérationnels pertinents ?

Les engagements sont incorporés dans les documents suivants:
Stratégie
Politique
Plan opérationnel

Au Régional, National niveau

Précisions :

Our role as supporter of the Dutch Government is laid down in a Royal Decree and we follow closely the Dutch Safety Regions Act (Wet Veiligheidsregio’s). This act was established by the Dutch government to organize and coordinate emergency services such as fire services, disaster management, crisis management, and medical assistance.

With regards to this act, and in line with the strategy of our organisation, many efforts have been made to better prepare ourselves and communities against disasters in the foreseeable future.

In February 2023, the Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) started the programme ‘Strengthening Crisis Resilience’ (translation: ‘programma Versterking Crisisbeheersing’) to strengthen the crisis organisation within the NLRC and to ensure a better connection with the highly changing environment we operate in. Evaluation reports of COVID-19, the shelter crisis and the heavy floods in Limburg concluded that we, as a National Society, need to improve our preparedness for such a crisis.

This led to a new ‘Crisis Management Plan’, the implementation of netcentric working and procedures for scenario thinking and risk monitoring with a strong focus on connecting with plans from, for example Dutch Safety Regions. Furthermore, people within the organisation have been trained to take on a specific role in the new crisis organisation.

The scenarios that stem from the renewed scenario thinking process provide a strong foundation for the strategic direction the Netherlands Red Cross should move towards. The scenarios heavily focus on the impact of climate change, thereby, advising the National Society to prepare themselves for the consequences of floods and extreme weather.

Concerning mitigation and risk preparedness our program for Emergency Preparedness, called ‘Well Prepared’ (translation: ‘Goed Voorbereid’) focuses on preparing individuals and communities for emergencies and disasters. The aim of the program is to prevent needs arising from disasters as much as possible, or diminish the impact of emergencies and disasters on people, especially the most vulnerable. In short, we make people aware of certain emergency and disaster risks, such as flooding and extreme weather, provide them with perspectives for action and encourage them to engage in community support when needed. We do so by informing the public (printed and online), providing workshops and trainings specifically designed for disaster preparedness and by keeping close contact with our (local) partners.

The new Crisis Management Plan has a specific focus on the regional, as well as national levels. The main aim is to fight the crisis locally, however, when this is not possible due to certain circumstances upscaling can be done to the national level. To serve (vulnerable) communities and individuals properly disaster and risk-related activities are, in its core, executed on a local/ regional level as knowledge and expertise one the population and location is more present. This also holds for the ‘Well Prepared’ activities, as written above.

Votre État/Société nationale/institution a-t-il/elle coopéré avec d’autres partenaires aux fins de la mise en œuvre des engagements contenus dans cette résolution ?

Partenariats avec :
Gouvernement et/ou autorités publiques
Universités

Exemples de coopération :

The Netherlands Red Cross has strong relationships with different branches of the Dutch government.
The Red Cross is valued as an important crisis partner for the different regional and national governmental parties. As part of the program ‘Strengthening Crisis Resilience’ several actions were set out to reinforce (new) cooperations with our partners, enhancing our position in the Dutch crisis network.

Starting with the adoption of net-centric working in our organization which let to participating in the large crisis network. The network consists of a coalition of 200 organizations and governmental parties (including the Safety Regions, the Waterboards, the National Crisis Centre (NCC) and the National Operational Coordination Centre (LOCC)) dedicated to crisis management and climate change response. The real-time data sharing in this network facilitates a quicker assessment of situations and more informed decision-making.

Moreover, as part of the program ‘Strengthening Crisis Resilience’ academic research has been done by the ‘Dutch Institute for Public Safety’ (translation: Nederlands Instituut Publieke Veiligheid (NIPV)) in collaboration with professors from two Dutch universities on the specific role the NLRC could take during emergencies and crises. Keeping in mind the Dutch security domain and the types of crises we might encounter in the future. The research demonstrated the unique position of the Red Cross as a humanitarian partner in crisis and its potential. The outcomes provided a strong foundation for intensifying the alliance with the NIPV.

In collaboration with the NIPV, we are dedicated to fostering a nationwide initiative aimed at enhancing the resilience and robustness of both individuals and organizations throughout the Netherlands. It has become evident that society is inadequately prepared for the evolving nature of crises, which are increasingly characterized by their profound impact and prolonged duration. Together with the NIPV, we are committed to bolstering public safety by enhancing the resilience and robustness of individuals and organizations alike.

Our approach involves amplifying our collective impact by interconnecting our public and social networks. This strategic linkage creates ecosystems in which organizations operate synergistically, effectively locating and collaborating with each other to prepare both themselves and society for imminent disasters and crises.

We actively share our expertise and experience of humanitarian standards, striving to integrate these standards into the entire chain. By combining our capabilities, we aim to amplify our operational capacity. This enhancement extends not only to our own organizations but also to our partners within the chain, achieved through the execution of a gap analysis and subsequently addressing identified gaps.

With the NIPV, we engage in advocacy efforts to underscore the urgency of strengthening resilience and robustness within society. Our advocacy places particular emphasis on the most vulnerable individuals of our population, ensuring that their needs are prioritized.

The strength of this collaboration between the NIPV and the Red Cross lies in the unique positioning of both organizations within the Dutch crisis network, which was also the outcome of the research written above. The NIPV occupies a central role within the established layers, acting as a pivotal link between public and private organizations. Conversely, the Red Cross engages with less conventional crisis actors, including social and humanitarian organizations. Through their combined positions and networks, these two organizations are able to reach the entirety of society, from the highest public entities to the most vulnerable individuals.

Together with the Dutch water authority boards, agreements have been made on the use of our ‘Ready2Help’ platform during emergency situations. Ready2Help is a network of registered citizens that can be deployed in in emergency situations in the Netherlands to make an additional contribution to existing assistance. The help from Ready2Help volunteers is of increased importance as the Dutch water authorities are more extensively exposed to the consequences of climate change and are lacking manpower to diminish impact on climate change related emergencies concerning water.

The success of the ‘Well Prepared’ product (mentioned earlier) is achieved through closely collaborating with partners. For example, the distribution of public information materials, designed by the National Society, is done in close collaboration with GP’s. By doing so we ensure that a large audience can be reached. Furthermore, the NS works together with the Dutch Government in executing the ‘National Heat Plan’ (translation: ‘Nationaal Hitteplan). Thus, specifically educate people on the consequences climate change might have on their daily lives.

Vous êtes-vous heurté·e à des difficultés dans la mise en œuvre des engagements contenus dans cette résolution?

Les engagements contenus dans cette résolution ont-ils eu une ou des incidences sur l’action et les orientations de votre État/Société nationale/institution ?

Type d’incidence :
La coopération entre le gouvernement/les autorités publiques et la Société nationale a été renforcée.
Des outils/méthodes innovateurs ont été élaborés et sont utilisés.
La formation et les capacités du personnel et des volontaires ont été renforcées (pour les Sociétés nationales).

Précisions au sujet des incidences :

As described in the points written above the cooperation between the NLRC and government/ public authorities is strengthened. Firstly, because the Dutch Safety Region made the effort to do so by revisiting the Dutch Safety Region Act. The NLRC, on their behalf, revisited own plans and policies in order to adapt to these changes. Efforts from both sides have, therefore, been made. Collaboration agreements, from operational until strategic level, have been made. The NLRC is seen as full-fledged partner by the relevant parties, for example we have access to the Dutch National Crisis Management System (translation: Landelijk Crisis Management Systeem). Moreover, a strategic partnership is being set up with the Dutch Institute of Public Safety where the Red Cross will be seen as their humanitarian ally in the field of crisis management and disaster response. This strategic partnership already resulted in knowledge exchange which, partly, resulted in a solid training programme for the crisis organisation.

Les engagements contenus dans cette résolution ont-ils eu des incidences sur les communautés auxquelles votre État/Société nationale/institution vient en aide ?

Description des incidences :

Due to the increased collaborations locally and nationally the NLRC will be able to prepare better for emergencies and disasters in the future. Thereby, helping (the most vulnerable) people in need after being struck by a disaster and/ or emergency. However, specific impact numbers have to be measured in the coming years, as most efforts written above have only recently been implemented.

The evaluations of the different ‘Well Prepared’ activities have been successful. Participants indicate that after following workshops, approximately 75-90% of the learning goals have been reached and provide the workshop(s) with the following score(s): 8.3/10 (on average). Specific impact measurement tools have yet to be defined.