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Welfare of working animals in Disaster Risk Management

Brooke, Action for Working Horses and Donkeys, an international charity dedicated to protecting and improving the lives of horses, donkeys, and mules, commissioned IRMA to shed light on an often-overlooked aspect of disaster risk management—the welfare of working animals. Working animals (including horses, mules, oxen and buffalo) are those who contribute their own force/work (agriculture, transportation, etc.). In comparison, production animals (such as cows, goats, and sheep and poultry) are raised for the food they produce. While production animals are regularly remembered given the products we consume daily (meat, milk, eggs, cheese), working animals are sorely neglected.

The goal of the participatory research study is to explore the needs of decision-makers, and the extent to which working animals are protected in disaster risk management policies and actions.

This study spans six countries—Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nicaragua, Pakistan, and Senegal—where working animals are vital to local economies and livelihoods. Each Brooke Country Office has opted in to collect the qualitative data (Key informant interview with government authorities representing National Disaster and Animal Welfare) and community members, using standard interview instruments. In partnership with Brooke, IRMA trained, coached the teams remotely and is responsible for the analysis, Data Party and reporting. The key deliverable of the study is a peer-reviewed academic article to be submitted to a journal. The research will end in 2025 with concrete recommendations for the protection of working animals and the disaster resilience of animal-reliant communities.

The team for this assignment includes Lezlie C. Morinière, and Ambre Caillot.

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