Development Co-operation & Emergency Aid

We have adopted the integrated and multi-dimensional approach elaborated in the Sustainable Livelihoods (SL) concept, where livelihoods are defined as the natural/biological, social, political, human, physical and economic assets, activities and entitlements that people utilise in order to make a living. The issue of gender warrants specific attention in this context.

For COFAD, one aim of development is to increase people's choice in life, from living standards and education to political decision-making; and to increase their ability to solve their problems and reduce dependency on others.

To achieve this aim, favourable frame conditions have to be created in many respects, one of which is the absence of war and conflict. We share the view that aid should be planned and effected in order to support peace and help to prevent conflicts, rather than confining itself to emergency and post-conflict interventions.

With respect to emergency aid, COFAD promotes development-oriented interventions that support self-help and sustainable structures: By linking relief with development, short term responses are designed to secure the immediate survival needs of target groups within a planned medium to long term framework of development objectives.

Specific services COFAD offers in the field of development co-operation and emergency aid:

• All stages of project cycle management (PCM), from project preparation over implementation to evaluation
• Participatory assessment and planning
• Promotion of self-help initiatives
• Development of rural and peri-urban production systems
• Development of social and physical infrastructure
• Conflict management and mediation (in particular regarding environmental and social issues)
• Promotion of integrated food security
• Rapid assessment of crisis situations
• Planning, management and evaluation of emergency interventions and assistance to refugees.

The majority of our activities were/are undertaken in the frame of fisheries projects/studies and were/are thereforeoften, but not always, linked to our technical specialisation.

For more information, please contact cofad@cofad.de.