Community Based Disaster Preparedness

Community Based Disaster Preparedness CBDP program in India

ASSIGNMENT IV To : Ms. Kankan Kataria

By : Paras Mongia

SPD

200MPLUP021

Introduction

Community-based disaster preparedness (CBDP) refers to a specific form of local-level capacity building and represents increasingly important elements of vulnerability reduction and disaster management strategies. CBDP strategies leverage the knowledge and capabilities of local community resources.

Source: https://nidm.gov.in/easindia2014/err/pdf/PROC2014.pdf

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As the Community plays the role of "First Responder”, it is critical that there is adequate awareness and preparedness at the Community level especially amongst the most vulnerable set of communities residing in the most vulnerable areas.

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Therefore, it would be pertinent to invest in efforts with respect to strengthening Community Risk Resilience at all levels to be able to adequately address Disaster Risk Reduction.

Disasters and Communities •

Disaster risk is on the rise throughout the world. Over the past two to three decades, the economic losses and the number of people who have been affected by natural disasters have increased more rapidly

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The physical, social and economic losses caused by these disasters are particularly harsh for developing countries since they have a long-range effect in the development process.

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To minimize the damages caused by disasters, various efforts have been taken by government, international communities including donor agencies.

Without linking recovery to community’s long-term goals, disasters will keep getting worse....

Sources: https://nidm.gov.in/easindia2014/err/pdf/PROC2014.pdf https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/without-linking-recovery-communities-long-term-goals-disasters-will-keep-getting-worse

Community-Based Approach to Disaster Management

Key components of a community preparedness program include : Raising public awareness and effecting behavioral change in the areas of mitigation and preparedness

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Requires social consciousness and organization for disaster risk reduction Aimed at reducing socio-economic vulnerability rather than engineering approaches to mitigation Adopts Inter-sectoral / inter-disciplinary approach Applies local knowledge, skills, and capacities Seeks community as active participants and decision-makers Addresses different stages of disaster cycle: prevention, preparedness and mitigation, and response and recovery Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Framework The Role of Local Actors

Deployment of stable, reliable, and effective warning systems

Development of effective messaging for inducing favorable community response to mitigation, preparedness, and warning communications Source: https://nidm.gov.in/easindia2014/err/pdf/PROC2014.pdf

Case Study (1)

As one of the key actors in disaster management, Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) has, in recent years, strengthened its response capacity to large-scale emergencies.

Each year, millions are affected by natural disasters and tens of thousands of lives are lost. The country is extremely vulnerable to both seismic and hydro-meteorological hazards including floods, cyclones, droughts and landslides.

Investment has been made in both physical and human resources following a number of megadisasters in recent years, including the Odisha supercyclone in 1999, the Gujarat earthquake in 2001, Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, and flooding in Maharashtra in 2005, north India (Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh) in 2011, Sikkim earthquake in 2011.

Map showing three districts of Maharashtra during 2009, becoming a mainstream programme from 2011 onwards by Indian Red Cross Society

Source: https://www.indianredcross.org/publications/community-based-disaster-riskreduction%20Programme-Maharashtra.pdf

Case Study (1) Goal and objectives: Aim: The overall aim of this programme is to improve community resilience. The goal and objectives were set putting the community at the centre, and with eye to sustainability of the initative.

Goal: The resilience and capacities of people at risk of disasters are increased and their vulnerability is reduced in the targeted geographic areas.

Objectives: Disaster prone and most vulnerable communities from both urban and rural areas are safer and resilient through community preparedness/response activities including small-scale mitigation and livelihood/income generation including mainstreaming climate change adaptation measures.

Source: https://www.indianredcross.org/publications/community-baseddisaster-risk-reduction%20Programme-Maharashtra.pdf

Expected results: 1.

Increased community awareness on disaster risk reduction as per the local hazard context on the basis of vulnerability capacity assessment (VCA) findings in target communities.

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Reduced impact of local hazards and risk factors as per the VCA findings in the target communities.

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Preparedness and response capacity of local communities and community disaster management centres are strengthened for effective response.

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Knowledge and experience on DRR issues are effectively shared and good practices replicated through increased coordination among stakeholders.

Case Study (1) Community level Each community followed a similar pattern of organization in their approach to this programme: ❒ Community disaster management committee ❒ Taskforce groups • Search and rescue • Community-based health and first aid • Information, communication and reporting • Assessment and relief • Community management and resource mobilization • Early warning (as of 2011) ❒ Community disaster response team ❒ Self help groups

Achievements and outcomes Vulnerability and capacity assessment (VCA) - The VCA exercises have also helped in raising awareness about the hazards that community must manage.

Community awareness - Awareness has been raised among all segments of society within the community through active participation in the development of a community contingency plan, which outlines current hazards and risks to the community.

This raised awareness and offered the scope to prepare a plan for response to potential emergency situations. The formation of microgroups further built awareness on DRR in the context of local hazard mapping and of alternative livelihood options that could be initiated.

Source: https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/39222/1/Unit-3.pdf

Case Study (2) Chipko: from tree hugging to satellite images to control flash floods The Uttaranchal region is constituted of Himalayan districts in North India.

During the late sixties, a massive program to develop roads was undertaken in the region.

This brought employment opportunities for the local population.

More importantly, it opened up gateways between the area and the outside world.

Impact of cutting down the trees in small region

The unscientific clearing of the innumerable trees in a small region was heavily bruising the crust of the forest land and the ramming of rain water mixed with stones and pebbles was getting increased to a tremendous extent.

The entire village of Belakuchi was washed away by the swirling torrent of the Alaknanda, along with several busloads of tourists. The flood affected an area spread over a length of 400 kilometres and washed away major bridges, hundreds of heads of cattle and several million Possibilities of flow of technology and five rupees worth of property. materials from outside became real, as The flash flood first washed away what came in its path, and then left the heavily silted and boulder strewn. Major canal networks were did the means for cashing their own area clogged. asset, timber.

The Alaknanda tragedy left a deep impression on the hill folk and soon Source: https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/39222/1/Unit-3.pdf followed an appreciation of the role that forests play in their lives.

Case Study (2) A major break-through for the movement came on March 26, 1974, when 27 women of Reni village in Chamoli district, under the leadership of Gaura Devi, an illiterate lady of 50, resorted to Chipko to save 2,451 trees of Reni forests.

The movement has come a long way since then. It gained much acclaim for being a totally community led initiative, without any involvement of outside agencies, not even NGOs. Tree felling has since been totally controlled, and afforestation drives have yielded some positive results in terms of regeneration of forests on the denuded slopes.

However, more important than the achievements of the programme; are its means.

There are two highlighting features of this aspect: Van Panchayats (forest governing councils) are an innovative institutional instrument that has been very successful in its purpose. Van Panchayats are constituted on the pattern of the Panchayats or the rural local governments. The elected Van Panchayat is responsible for the maintenance of the village forestland. An interesting fact is that over the years, the Van Panchayats have come to be totally dominated by women.

The Dasholi Gram Swarajya Mandal (DGSM) is a community based organization that came up as a strong local institution after the Chipko movement, and has since been instrumental not only in promoting forest regeneration activities, but also in encouraging local resource based entrepreneurial development. It is interesting to note that the DGSM, comprising totally of local villagers, has been monitoring the success of its afforestation program through satellite imagery based remote sensing carried out by the Indian Space Research Organisation. DGSM propagates disaster prevention through safe development, and organizes local campaigns on the theme. It is also the first responder in local disasters such as landslides, earthquakes and forest fires. Source: https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/39222/1/Unit-3.pdf

In case of any disaster or emergency, before any government machinery & support reaches or outside help gets galvanized, it is the Community which has to respond immediately (at the hour).