Preparing for and responding to disaster events involves partnerships and collaboration, including with the residents of vulnerable settlements. It also involves having access to relevant information about an area affected by a hazard so that responses and support can be appropriately tailored to meet specific needs. In this regard, a ‘risk and resilience’ profile that provides information on critical risks in a settlement and measures that are already in place to prepare for and respond to such events, can be extremely helpful to municipal officials, disaster management teams, NGOs, other organisations offering assistance, and community leaders. 

The profile template that has been developed is intended to provide a guide for recording the information that is most relevant in informing decision-making and actions before, during and after disaster events. It merges settlement-specific details with operational response plans, to help facilitate more informed decision-making and action during flooding and other disasters.

The information fields have emerged from research findings and participatory engagements with government officials, informal settlement communities and other stakeholders during the INACCT Resilience Project.