Reducing Vulnerability
PVA is a tool developed by ActionAid to involve communities in an in-depth examination of their vulnerability
What are you vulnerable to?
What do you feel at risk from? What do you do to make yourself feel safe? Have you ever stopped to think about those little things you do everyday to make your life secure? This is exactly what ActionAid is doing with communities all over the world.
Participatory vulnerability analysis (PVA) is a tool developed by ActionAid to involve communities we work with in an in-depth examination of their vulnerability and what can be done to reduce it.
Vulnerability has many dimensions and many causes – from political events, seemingly out of the control of everyday people, to practical steps communities can take to reduce their own vulnerability.
PVA addresses these different causes of vulnerability in 3 steps
Holding community meetings to find out and examine the causes of vulnerability and formation of community action plans to reduce it. This might involve meetings over several days using pictures, stories, role-plays and discussions in the community. The community is often separated into smaller groups of women, men, youths, children so that everyone has the chance to speak up.
The community present their findings to the district level authorities and lobby them to take action to reduce vulnerability.
The process is repeated with the national level authorities, representatives of other national organisations, government and the communities discuss the findings with a particular emphasis on taking action.
PVA is versatile and has been used to analyse vulnerability to emergencies and conflict all over the world and to take steps to reduce the chance of disasters happening.
"Now that I have understood what vulnerability is, I ask of all the officials not to be the cause of vulnerability but to help people to avoid vulnerability."
Sylvestre Ndayizeye, Govenor of Karusi province, Burundi
© ActionAid