Center for Disaster Risk Management and Community Development Studies (CDRM&CDS) was established as one of the department of Nommensen University in August 2007 through a Program Cooperation Agreement signed by Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS), Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), Lutheran World Relief (LWR), Lutheran World Federation/Department for World Service (LWF/DWS), Lutheran World Federation/Departmen for Mission and Development (LWF/DMD), LWF National Committee of Indonesia and HKBP Nommensen University. The program of CDRM&CDS was developed in close consultation with 12 Lutheran World Federation member churches in Indonesia, located mainly in North Sumatra and West Sumatra provinces. This program aims to enhance local resources and strengthen self-reliance by access, where appropriate, to a shared pool of expertise, financial resources, information and networks on local as well as national and regional levels.