In the summer of 1997, ferocious floods swept through southern Poland, devastating large areas of the urban and rural landscape. The floods submerged entire communities, claiming thousands of victims, destroying farms and livestock, and crippling infrastructure. Local governments in the region were ill equipped to deal with the homelessness, property destruction, and incidents of missing persons that followed the crisis. As a result, the provision of disaster relief services, including the distribution of food and medical supplies, the rebuilding of homes and infrastructure, the coordination of search and rescue teams, and the continuation of social services, proved to be enormous challenges. Minimal cooperation among NGOs, citizens, and local government authorities further hampered recovery measures and made it difficult for communities to recuperate from the disaster.

Responding to these needs, Partners-Poland, together with the municipal officials, citizens and NGOs of twelve townships affected by the crisis, initiated a three-part program aimed at developing a region-wide agenda for flood preparedness and response. During the first phase of the program, local authorities from each municipality received intensive training in increasing citizen participation in community affairs and developing practical information systems in order to better prepare citizens for such large-scale catastrophes. Following the training, local officials used these skills to involve town residents in designing a community disaster relief program. During the final phase of the project, Partners-Poland reconvened the twelve local authorities to discuss challenges associated with the project, exchange problem-solving experiences, and begin work on other regional initiatives to complement local flood preparedness efforts.

In Racibórz, a town of nearly 65,000, the program proved to be especially effective. Local authorities returned home armed with the know-how to mobilize officials and citizens in a crisis and to organize a productive dialogue about necessary changes. At first, citizens were wary of officials’ enthusiasm, believing that only a significant increase in technical and financial support could combat such large-scale destruction. However, the newly trained officials were persuasive, and within weeks a local committee, comprised of ten community members and several city officials, was established to plan and implement disaster preparedness and restoration programs. The committee debated and took steps to resolve important disaster-related issues, such as protecting cars and homes, providing assistance to disabled persons, developing emergency signals, and organizing an efficient evacuation system.

On a regional level, the mayor and citizens of Racibórz helped to launch an extensive media campaign to disseminate informational materials on flood preparedness. These materials included a guide to preparing for natural disasters and instruction on how to identify danger and what to take during an evacuation. The town’s unwavering commitment drew support from the Polish Parliamentary Commission and the advertising agency Young and Rubicam, who agreed to sponsor the campaign and expand it nationally to include billboards, public service announcements on television, and radio interviews.

Throughout the process, Partners-Poland provided support for Racibórz municipal officials in cultivating communication and improving working relationships with town residents. Perhaps the program’s greatest success was not the implementation of disaster preparedness programs, but demonstrating to all involved that cooperation among elected leaders and citizens can make even moderate technical and financial assistance effective, far-reaching and sustainable.