Action research report: Supporting behavioural change among at-risk inhabitants of Rumonge province, in Burundi, for climate change adaptation and disease prevention and response

This report highlights the methodologies, results and lessons learned from the project Enhancing Natural Disaster Preparedness and Response Capacity in at-Risk Communities in Burundi, funded by the IOM Development Fund and implemented by IOM Burundi between September 2019 and August 2021.

To enhance natural disaster preparedness and response in this the province of Rumonge in Burundi, the IOM Burundi Disaster Risk Reduction Department, Transition and Recovery Division, and Migration Health Department implemented activities focused on addressing the adverse effects of climate change using an integrated approach that combines disaster risk reduction and the procurement of health- and non-health-related equipment to prevent water- and vector-borne diseases linked to climate change in Rumonge.

By adopting the methodologies of training of trainers as well as community-based labour, community members were provided with the knowledge needed to replicate the activities to further strengthen their disaster risk reduction capacities. Given the flexibility of the methodologies used, this kind of project could effectively be replicated by IOM and other stakeholders both in Burundi and in other areas affected by natural disasters.