Disaster Resilience Coalition (DRC)

Vulnerability to Resilience: Empowering Organizations to Withstand, Recover, and Lead

When Disasters Strike, Are You Prepared?

Disasters across Asia are increasing in frequency and severity, putting animals and their caregivers at risk. As first responders, local Animal Protection Organizations (APOs) are the backbone of community safety, yet they often lack access to the resources and decision-making to face the crises as part of society.

The DRC was established to bridge the critical gaps between frontline expertise and institutional support. Our foundation is built on a direct mandate from APOs across Asia, whose engagement and regional study highlighted the urgent need for a coordinated response.

DRC's vision statement:

An Asia where animal protection organizations have the agency and ability to withstand and cope with the impacts of disasters and crises with minimal disruption to their function, and be able to help animals and their communities recover quickly and equitably.

DRC's Support

As a growing coalition, DRC focuses on facilitating the connections necessary to bridge the gaps in regional disaster resilience.

DRC's work centers around:

Capacity Building - Helping organizations develop plans towards more effective disaster management within their organizations, as well as together with their local communities.
Shared Resources - Facilitating the exchange of expertise and tools through a central hub, ensuring that critical disaster knowledge is accessible to organizations in the region, which is needed to build long-term disaster resiliency
A Stronger Network - Fostering a sense of community by mapping and connecting responders across the region. By breaking down silos, we ensure that when a crisis hits, organizations can easily find, communicate with, and support one another.
Collective Advocacy - By uniting our voices, DRC amplifies the message that animals must be included in disaster policy, ensuring they are never an afterthought in national or local planning.

DRC supports organizations to ensure animals are not forgotten before, during, and after disasters.

Areas of Work

In response to our regional study and direct engagement with Animal Protection Organizations (APOs), the Disaster Resilience Coalition (DRC) structures its efforts through these three subgroups. This focused approach ensures we address identified gaps in a strategic and organized manner.

A beautiful seahorse at the Cairns aquar

Community Resilience

Objective:

To facilitate intersectional collaborations that strengthen the ability of both organizations and their local communities to withstand and recover from disasters.

Scope of Activities:

facilitate disaster preparedness training and capacity sharing with local communities.
assess local risks and identify key disaster response roles among community members.
support existing local programs in integrating disaster preparedness and awareness into their existing animal welfare activities.

Funders Subgroup

Objective:

To bring together major grant-makers to co-develop equitable funding access and streamlined processes, reducing the administrative burden on local groups.

Scope of Activities:

improve funding agency and direct access for local organizations impacted by disasters.
simplify and streamline grant reporting requirements to reduce the "resource burden".
support long-term, sustainable funding models that prioritize equitable disaster resilience.

Animal-Inclusive Disaster Management

Objective:

To collectively advocate for animal-inclusive disaster preparedness and recovery by bridging international and national policies with local implementation.

Scope of Activities:

support organizations in implementing a whole-of-society approach to creating and adopting local animal-inclusive disaster plans.
coordinate advocacy and develop resources and guidance to support the widespread adoption and implementation of these plans.