Enhancing Awareness and Response to Disaster Through Community Radio
A 2017–2018 project, funded by the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, that used RootIO community radio stations to strengthen disaster awareness, preparedness and response in vulnerable Ugandan communities.
About the project
Funded by the Humanitarian Leadership Academy and implemented between 2017 and 2018, this project tackled a critical gap in Uganda’s disaster risk landscape: the failure of formal early warning systems and top-down communication approaches to reach and meaningfully engage the most vulnerable communities. By placing community radio at the heart of disaster risk communication, the project offered a locally grounded, participatory alternative with lasting impact.
Central to this initiative was RootIO, an innovative, low-cost community radio solution developed and first launched in Uganda in 2015 by the ResilientAfrica Network (RAN), led by Makerere University and initially funded by USAID. Often described as a “radio in a bucket,” RootIO was purpose-built to give a voice to rural communities that mainstream commercial radio stations had long overlooked. The transmission equipment fits into a small, weatherproof bucket, runs on solar power enabling round-the-clock broadcasting without dependence on the local electricity grid, and uses a basic smartphone connected to an FM transmitter linked to a cloud-based telephony system. This design eliminates the need for expensive studio equipment, making it both affordable and practical in remote and resource-constrained settings. Each station broadcasts within a hyperlocal radius of ten to fifteen kilometres, directly serving several thousand people. Local hosts, community members, and technical experts can run live shows, record content, or call into the station toll-free using everyday mobile phones.
Objectives: The project set out to strengthen disaster awareness, preparedness, and response in vulnerable communities across Uganda’s disaster-prone regions. It worked with several RootIO community radio stations, building their capacity to serve as trusted hubs for disaster risk communication while deepening their connections to formal disaster management systems. A central commitment throughout was ensuring that communities were active participants in shaping how risk information was communicated, rather than passive recipients of messages designed elsewhere.
Key successes
The project delivered a comprehensive package of capacity strengthening for community radio stations. Technical training equipped radio staff with skills in disaster reporting, risk communication principles, and emergency broadcasting procedures. Alongside this, locally relevant content was developed in appropriate languages and formats, ensuring that messages resonated with the specific communities being served.
A standout feature of the project was its commitment to two-way communication. Through listener clubs, phone-in programmes, SMS integration, and networks of community reporting correspondents, the project created genuine dialogue between radio stations and their audiences. Community members were actively involved in identifying priority hazards, discussing appropriate responses, and shaping the messages broadcast to their neighbours.
Programming was carefully designed to address the full disaster cycle. Preparedness programmes helped households develop emergency plans and assemble basic supplies. Early warning programmes translated complex technical forecasts into clear, actionable guidance. Response programmes coordinated community efforts during active emergencies, while recovery programmes drew out lessons and built forward-looking plans for future events.
The project also demonstrated sensitivity to the different communication demands of different disaster types. For slow-onset disasters such as drought, programming focused on livelihood adaptation and resource management. For rapid-onset events such as floods, the emphasis shifted to immediate safety actions and evacuation procedures. For health emergencies, content addressed prevention, early recognition, and appropriate care-seeking behaviours.
Beyond disaster communication, the RootIO stations became enduring platforms for broader community development dialogue on agriculture, health, and local governance, demonstrating that investment in community-owned communication infrastructure can generate returns across multiple dimensions of resilience. This project illustrated powerfully that when communities own the tools of communication, they are better prepared to protect themselves and one another.
Reports and resources
Resilience Measurement, Evidence and Learning Community of PracticeA 2017–2018 project, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation through the Windward Fund, that built a Community of Practice to strengthen how resilience is measured, evidenced and learned from across development and humanitarian sectors.View project
ResilientAfrica Network (RAN 1.0)Launched in 2012 with USAID, the ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) is the largest network of African universities dedicated to strengthening the resilience of communities facing recurrent shocks and stresses, uniting 32 universities across 25 countries.View project
Co-creating Community Agency for Self-relianceA USAID-funded project (2019–2023) with LUANAR that used community co-creation in Uganda and Malawi to tackle youth unemployment, climate vulnerability and gaps in basic education.View projectHave a challenge we could tackle together?
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