The role of ECHO in the field of disaster preparedness and prevention is essentially humanitarian, and is therefore limited to the promotion, demonstration and initiation of all types of actions that will lead to a reduction in disaster-related risks to vulnerable populations in developing countries.

The main aim of the DIPECHO programme is the reduction of this vulnerability. The activities financed are placed within a regional framework to take account of the geographical dimension of hazards, and more generally, of the interest of regional co-operation. The accent is on coordination and complementarity, both in terms of local activities and external interventions, and of gaps to be filled, rather than on new structures and instruments.

DIPECHO is designed to assist regional cooperation. Although the capacities and the disaster situations differ from country to country, exchanges of knowledge and expertise are considered an effective means for strengthening national capacities and reducing risks. High levels of technical and managerial skills exist within the region and many of the problems faced are similar. This rationale for cooperation is reinforced by the increased frequency of hazards which cross boundaries, such as El Nino, haze and floods.

This is why ECHO has decided to finance ADPC to encourage cooperation and coordination of disaster preparedness activities throughout the region, in particular through exchanges and dissemination of knowledge and experience. This includes inter-agency information exchange and dissemination.

Within this framework, the ADPC project has two main components. Firstly, it will establish an institutional arrangement for information exchange, support national bodies to review and develop mechanisms for regional cooperation and information sharing, and update disaster management training material. Secondly, it aims to build the capacity of DIPECHO partners in community-based approaches to disaster management in order to maximize the implementation of local level disaster risk reduction programmes.