Before, during and after disasters, the Canadian Red Cross works with people and communities across Canada to strengthen their resilience to disasters. Funded by the Government of Canada through Public Safety Canada, the Driving Risk Awareness to Action and Building Resiliency for Vulnerable Canadians in High-Risk Areas project, commonly referred to as the Inclusive Resilience project seeks to increase awareness of disaster risks and promote inclusive approaches, tools and actions that foster inclusive disaster risk reduction (DRR) and emergency preparedness across Canada.
The project seeks to identify the most effective means to increase awareness of floods, wildfires, and earthquakes and practical actions to prepare for these hazards among women, seniors, people with low income, Indigenous Peoples, and newcomers to Canada. The project is implemented by the Canadian Red Cross in partnership with FireSmart Canada, Partners for Action (University of Waterloo), the BC Earthquake Alliance, and community partners.
To achieve these outcomes, the project uses a learning-by-doing approach. The process starts with research to inform the development of messaging, tools, and delivery modalities. Next, these are tested by public awareness campaigns and community-based activities to measure for uptake and effectiveness. The three elements are then adapted and retested. The project features four components: research activities, national public awareness campaigns, community-based activities, and a granting project.
For more information about the research informing this report, visit the Inclusive Resilience research study website: https://uwaterloo.ca/inclusive-resilience/