an-r&r 25 9 04 · the impact of climate change on sikkim nestled in the eastern himalayas, the...

southasiadisasters.net September 20142

INTRODUCTION

The Impact of Climate Change on Sikkim

Nestled in the easternHimalayas, the state of Sikkim

is the 2nd smallest in the IndianUnion. Accounting for 0.5% of thetotal area of India, Sikkim is endowedwith a bounty of natural wealth andbeauty. Home to 26% of the country'sbiodiversity, the state of Sikkim hasrightly been declared as abiodiversity hotspot. For, it is hometo more than 150 species ofmammals, 550 species of birds, 400types of medicinal plants, over 500types of orchids, 28 mountain peaks,104 rivers and streams and around700 species of butterflies1.

However, global warming andclimate change pose a serious threatto Sikkim. This threat has manifesteditself as the floods caused by themelting of glaciers and as the gradualretreat and eventual disappearanceof certain alpine species. Theshrinkage of snow caused by therising temperatures has also affectedthe hydrological cycle in the statethereby escalating water relatedhazards. This in turn has adverselyaffected the state's ecosystemsservices, biodiversity elements andlivelihood security.

However, the government of Sikkimhas been very proactive inintroducing various institutionalmeasures, policies and legislationsto facilitate effective adaptation toclimate change in the state. The majorinitiatives include:• The establishment of the Sikkim

State Council of Climate Change• The setting up of a Nodal

Department for Climate Change.• The constitution of a Glacier and

Climate Change Commission• The preparation of a State Action

Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC)• The commissioning of Micro-

Level Climate ChangeVulnerability Assessments

• The official state ban on grazingin protected areas

• The official state policy ofbanning green forests forconstruction

Thus, it is observed that having donethe necessary groundwork towardsengendering climate changeadaptation, Sikkim has set an examplefor other Indian states to emulate.

However, given the multifacetednature of the threat of climate

change, the aforementionedstrategies for adaptation will bemade more effective by throughaddressing the following exigencies:

• Reconciling traditionalknowledge systems andinstitutions with modernadaptation strategiesIn Sikkim, traditional knowledgesystems and institutions are arich repository of locally testedand successful approaches tocombat various types of threats.This also holds true for thetraditional knowledge systemsand institutions to mitigateclimate related risks andhazards. For example, theDzumsa of Lachen Valley, alocal traditional politicalinstitution that is still active inNorth Sikkim is responsible forthe allocation and managementof natural resources. Similarly,traditional agro-ecologicalsystems are also extremelyuseful in providing someinvaluable ecosystem services.This is manifested in theinnovative coping mechanismsevolved by farmers against the

1 Sikkim and Climate Change, http://isikkim.com/2011-04-sikkim-and-climate-change-142/

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E The Himalayas are reeling from the adverse impacts of global warming and climate change. Affectingecosystems, livelihoods and biodiversity, food and water security, the Himalayan region faces an escalated

threat from climate change due to its fragile environment. Sikkim, the 2nd smallest state of the Indian Unionalso falls in the Himalayas and experiences precarious environmental and ecological imbalances due to climatechange. All these factors necessitate a concerted adaptation effort in Sikkim and in the Himalayas at large.

This issue of Southasiadisasters.net focuses on the important theme of Climate Change and the Himalayas. Itentails a detailed description of the multifaceted impacts of climate change in the Himalayan states and ofthe varied adaptation strategies they have elicited. It covers a diverse range of topics that extend fromLivelihood Security in the Himalayas to Community based Adaptation and from Vulnerability Assessmentsin the Himalayas to Adaptation Initiatives in Sikkim.

Enriched with contributions of reputable academics and seasoned practitioners from the field, this issue ofSouthasiadisasters.net provides an overview of the impacts of and the initiatives related to climate change inSikkim and other hilly regions. Immensely informative and thoroughly engagingly, this issue is must readfor all who are interested in this important theme.

southasiadisasters.netSeptember 2014 3

emergence of diseases, pests,invasive species and changes inrainfall patterns. Thus, it isimperative to include traditionalknowledge systems andinstitutions in modern climatechange adaptation strategies.

• Climate Smart Agriculture inSikkimAccording to the 2011 Census,almost 75% of the population inSikkim lives in rural areas whichhave livelihoods linked tonatural resources such asagriculture and forest products.But climate change induceddrought and erratic monsoonshas adversely affectedagricultural yields and in turnlivelihoods in the state. A potentstrategy to address this problemis through following a ClimateSmart Agriculture approach.Such an approach can lead toincrease in agriculturalproductivity while minimising

2 Agriculture must get climate smart, http://sikkimfirst.in/2014/05/19/agriculture-must-get-climate-smart/

green house emissions andmaximising carbonsequestration through improvedmanagement practices. Someclimate smart agro-ecologicalapproaches are as follows2:• Stress resistance high-yielding

varieties• Soil test based nutrient

management• Rainwater conservation and

management• Efficient irrigation practices• Judicious use of energy

• Information sharing andIntegration across sectorsAs mentioned earlier, theadverse impacts of climatechange have an impact onvirtually all aspects of humanlife. In terms of economic, social,political and ecological systems,the impacts of climate changeare as varied as they areprofound. Therefore, aconcerted effort towards climate

change adaption must subsumeinformation sharing acrosssectors. Furthermore, theinterconnectedness of theimpacts and their respectivecontingencies necessitate inter-sector integration for effectiveadaptation.

Climate change is indeed one of themost pressing challenges of ourtimes. Its adverse impacts are feltgreatly in ecologically fragilemountainous states like Sikkim. ButSikkim has made laudable progressin responding to this challenge. Thisprogress needs to be acknowledgedand applauded. It should also serveto inspire the state's administrationto strive for a more robust efforttowards adaptation thoroughadopting the aforementionedapproaches.

– Kshitij GuptaReference: Addressing climate change, theSikkim way, http://indiatogether.org/sikkim-climate-change-book-reviews

CLIMATE CHANGE AND LIVELIHOOD

Livelihood Security in the Himalayas

Traditionally Himalayancommunities are by and large

self-reliant, and nature-dependent.They have evolved from beinghunter-gatherers to communitiesthat draw their livelihoods fromagriculture and animal husbandry.However, in some states in the pastcentury their dependence on tourismhas increased significantly and withthis there has been an increase inenvironmental and social impacts aswell. Nearly a year back wewitnessed one of the most dreadfulnatural disasters in the Himalayanstate of Uttarakhand, which claimedmany lives and caused hugeinfrastructure damage. The localeconomy, which is highly reliant ontourism, is severely affected asUttarakhand has registered a steep

decline of 75% tourist traffic. Severaltourist lodges and guest houses builtalong the rivers were washed awayor tumbled down as the foundationswere disturbed by the shifting of theriver courses.

The communities residing in theflood-affected area are predominantlyrural and agro-pastoral with seasonalcash incomes from tourism and smallhandicrafts and food products. Aneeds assessment study by Pragyarevealed that the flooding has led toa major livelihoods crisis in analready underdeveloped area, as thetraditional livelihoods andinfrastructure have been wiped outleaving most communities withoutany sustainable source of livelihood.It has deepened the livelihoods crisis

in the area and created a 'livelihoodvacuum' for affected communities.Estimates by an ASSOCHAM studyindicates that the tourism sectorwould witness 180,000 peoplebecoming unemployed in the state.

The Himalayan region isperiodically ravaged by a range ofnatural disasters, meteorological andgeological, such as snowstorms,avalanches, landslides, andearthquakes, owing to its uniquetopographic and climaticcharacteristics. More than 65% of 210million people in the Himalayas facefrequent natural hazards, causingimmense destruction of life andlivelihoods. Increased floods,cloudbursts and flashfloods, lowsnowfall in the winters, shift of


cropping seasons, as a result ofclimate change are affecting thenatural resource base and leading toincreasing impoverishment ofHimalayan communities. In 2005,flash floods in Kinnaur districtdamaged 9,848 hectares agriculturalland, along with crops worth £14million and horticulture produce of£3.3 million. In the Leh cloudburstevent of 2010, 1,410 hectares ofproductive land were affected, causingagricultural loss of £0.15 million, andlivestock loss of £0.29 million.

These marginal communities in theHimalayas walk with a light carbonfootprint but bear the brunt ofunsustainable resource useelsewhere in the world. Adaptivecapacity is low and vulnerabilityhigh, because of limited publicservices, little or no economicdiversification, and strongdependence on a few resources.Complex terrains, remoteness andextreme weather conditions makethe region and its people vulnerableto the impacts of climate change.Livelihood options are limited, theterrain restricts land available foragriculture, and poverty levels arehigh. Climate change impacts inhigh-altitudes have meant increasingdesertification and weathervariability, causing further declinein farm productivity and frequentcrop failures. Production of majorcrops is decreasing rapidly withmaximum decrease in marginalfarms, due to outdated farmingmethods. Approximately 70% ofalpine pastures are facingdegradation, affecting thelivelihoods of thousands of highaltitude pastoralists.

Households in the region have smallpatches of land and are mostlymarginal farmers. The region haspoor extension facilities and lack ofenablers, such as credit, training andstart-up support for non-naturalresource- based livelihoods. Poorinfrastructural conditions, includingelectricity, hinder processing and

impacts quality of the agriculturalproduce. The region is alsocharacterized by low-endtechnologies &inputs, low-valueproduce/products and lowproductivity levels, leading to lowquality and finish of processed nicheproducts. The lives of mountainwomen are among the worst off,characterized by severe drudgery.They work almost twice as much asthe men (14-16 hours a day) onactivities that require more time &energy, but are nowhere asrewarding financially.

There is a need to promotealternative livelihoods in theHimalayan communities to increaselivelihood security and avoid highdependence on a narrow band oflivelihoods and frequent shockssuffered from volatile weatherevents. Facilitation of suitablelivelihood mix is essential withdominant & supplementarylivelihoods, and towards a diversified& sustainable local economy. In spiteof the disadvantages that theHimalayan region suffers, it is richin ways that could enable a strategicdevelopment of its economicpotential, by making productive useof the local heritage/resources.Niche mountain based livelihoodsectors need to be identified in eachof the regions, which can bedeveloped and supported to act asengines of growth and to ensure asustainable local economy and

improved livelihood security for thelocal population. Key prospectivelivelihood sectors in the region areenvisaged to be agriculture and agro-processing, with supplementarylivelihoods in niche sectors such asapiculture & honey production, sheeprearing & wool production, tourismand handloom & handicrafts.

Traditional forms of livelihoodsbased on agriculture could besecured and strengthened in theregion through agricultural extensionand support to improve productivity,diversify crops, undertake value-addition and adapt to climate change.Investments in scientific research &infrastructure development,penetration of extension services,facilities for weather monitoring andcrop advisory, and soil testingapplications are required to securelivelihoods of farm basedcommunities in the Himalayas.Support for the buildup ofprofessional skills in supplementaryniche-sector livelihoods, and also,improve quality and productivity ofproducts/services in these sectors,via interventions in input resources,technologies, and processes, canprovide necessary impetus towardsimproved livelihood security of theHimalayan communities. The richcultural and natural heritage of theregion has led to its being anattractive tourism destination,although much of the revenues ofthis industry flows out toentrepreneurs outside the region.Enhanced capacity of the Himalayancommunities for ecotourism andallied enterprises, along withenhanced access to market andresources, will further guaranteelivelihood security and ensure thatthe Himalayan communities retainmuch of the revenues. Pragmatic andsustainable development in thetourism sector has the potential tocontribute to increased incomes anddiversify livelihood options.

– Rupesh Desai,Team Member, Research and

Advocacy Team, Pragya India

Wool processing, a supplementarylivelihood option.


CLIMATE COMPATIBLE DEVELOPMENT

Climate Change in the Himalayas

Climate change has emerged asone of the greatest threats of the

present century. It's mostdetrimental impact is the variancecaused to weather patterns in manyareas. The areas most susceptible tothe adverse impacts of climatechange are coastal regions, smallislands and biodiversity enrichedhilly regions. A fragile ecologycoupled with unique geophysicalfeatures render them at a greater riskthan other areas.

One such region is the expanse of theHimalayas. Widely regarded as oneof the most ecologically sensitiveplaces on earth, the risk associatedwith climate change to the fragileenvironment of the Himalayan areashas constantly escalated in the recentdecades. The state of Uttarakhandalso falls in this sensitive zone.Situated in the mid- Himalayas, Thehilly areas of Uttrakhand have beenconstantly reeling from the impactsof climate change which has not onlyweakened the physical infrastructureof the state but has also caused adissipation of its social and economicsystems. The unplannedurbanization and infrastructuredevelopment have furtherexacerbated the risk posed to thestate by climate change. A testamentto the immense risk was the June2013 cloudburst and flash floods inthe state which left behind a trail ofunprecedented death anddestruction.

The following points aptly capturethe risks posed by climate change tothe state of Uttarakhand:

• An increase in the intensity andseverity of disastersOne of the greatestmanifestations of the adverseimpacts of climate change in

Uttarakhand has been increasedseverity and intensity of naturaldisasters. For, it has been quitecommonplace for inundation,landslides and flash floods tooccur in many areas ofUttarakhand. Furthermore,these disasters have beenstriking newer areas which wereearlier not consideredvulnerable. All this has led toan escalation of the risks facedby life and property in the state.

• Threat to traditional sources oflivelihoodsIt has also been observed thattraditional sources oflivelihoods such as animalhusbandry, agriculture andagro-allied fields have beenadversely affected by climatechange in the state ofUttarakhand. As a result, thesetraditional sources of livelihoodhave faced neglect in the recentdecades. This in turn hasdisturbed the precarious balanceof social and economicinfrastructure of the state.

• The increasing conflicts animalsand humansClimate change induceddroughts have also beenresponsible for the depletion offorest cover in Uttarakhand. Thishas adversely affected theprecarious balance in the foodchain of several animals in thoseforests, which now routinely gobeyond their natural habitat insearch of food. Theyinadvertently also trespass intoareas inhabited by humans,which leads to a conflictbetween the humans andanimals. This in turn hasendangered the lives of both,humans as well as animals.

• MigrationAs discussed before, climatechange has been responsible inrendering the traditionallivelihoods in Uttarakhandphysically dangerous andeconomically unfeasible. Thishas resulted in escalating therate of distress migration fromthe Uttarakhand to other areas

Receding snowline due to climate change.


of India. In the absence of stablefinancial alternatives at home,people from the state migrate todifferent parts of the country toearn a living, often working andliving in excruciatingly abjectconditions.

• Adverse impact on Public HealthClimate change has also had anadverse impact on the overallstate of public health in the stateof Uttarakhand. Due to theprevalence and persistence offloods and droughts, the diseaseswhich were seldom observedhave now become commonailments. The areas where themalarial mosquito was neverheard of, now due to an increasein the temperature witnessroutine outbreaks. Similarly,the incidence of diseases such asdiarrhoea and flu has alsoincreased.

• The threat to PublicInfrastructure and PublicServicesAs mentioned earlier, climatechange has exacerbated thefrequency and severity ofdisasters in Uttarakhand. Theincreased likelihood of disasterspose a great threat to the publicinfrastructure and public

services in the state. Due toclimate change and concomitantdry spells, the state ofUttarakhand is going through aprotracted drinking watershortage. Earlier, it was notuncommon for some areas of thestate to suffer from suchshortages during the summermonths. But now it has becomean annual problem extendingover previously water rich areas.The state government nowspends a lot more to meet the

drinking water requirements ofthe state. Likewise, publicinfrastructure in Uttarakhandhas been considerablyweakened through the repeatedravages of disasters. Statisticscorroborate the immensedamage suffered by thetransport, education, power andwater sectors due to theincreased incidence of disasters.

The state of Uttarakhand is exposedto a variety of risks and threatsassociated with climate change. Theremoteness, widespread poverty,lack of a rehabilitation policy alongwith the fragile ecology of the statehave further compounded itsvulnerability to the risks of climatechange. Therefore, to evolve aneffective climate change adaptationstrategy in the states all these factorsneed to be considered. As witnessedin the frightening tragedy ofKedarnath it is imperative for thestate to evolve contextualised andconcerted adaptation strategy tokeep the damage caused by climatechange minimal.

– Omprakash Bhatt,Sarvodaya Centre,

Gopeswar, Chamoli,Uttarakhand

Altering weather pattern has affected the blossoming cycle of the Buransh flower.

Chorabari Lake: Widely regarded as responsible for the destruction at Kedarnath.


CLIMATE SENSITIVE ASSESSMENTS

Vulnerability Assessments and Adaptationin the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH)

“After the floods last year, now it has become the time of drought.

There is no rain. But we are obliged tocultivate. If not, we have nothing to eat."

– 60 year old farmer, Tinsukia inlower Himalayas, India, (2013)

"People who are socially, economically,culturally, politically, institutionally, orotherwise marginalized are especiallyvulnerable to climate change."– IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (2014)

The two quotes above definevulnerability and the associated risksin a very simple manner. However,understanding and addressingvulnerability is not so simple. TheFifth Assessment Report (2014) of theIntergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange (IPCC) defines vulnerabilityas "the propensity or predispositionto be adversely affected.Vulnerability encompasses a varietyof concepts including sensitivity orsusceptibility to harm and lack ofcapacity to cope and adapt".

Assessing vulnerability is a complexprocess. This is particularly true inthe context of the Hindu KushHimalayan (HKH) region – one ofthe most dynamic and complex

However, the vulnerabilities andadaptive strengths unique to theregion not only impact people livingin the Hindu Kush Himalayas, butalso a much larger population that isindirectly dependent the region'svast wealth of natural resources.Traditional adaptation techniques,which have supported people inmountain areas for centuries, are nolonger able to keep up with the rapidpace of change.

Assessing vulnerabilities in thecontext of climate change and otherchanges and supportingcommunities in adapting to changerequires an in-depth knowledge ofboth local conditions and broaderglobal climate change trends.Therefore, vulnerability and riskmapping should be done at variousscales broadly covering three areas:assessment of climatic changes thatare taking place or likely to takeplace in the future, how these changeswill impact ecosystems and foodsecurity, and how different segments(for example, women and men, thepoor and not-so-poor) withincommunities are or will be impactedand are coping or will cope with thechanges.

Understanding vulnerabilities in the context of climate change requires not only in-depth discussions and observations withcommunities, but also a scientific assessment of issues related to the climate-human interface and global climate trends,

ecosystems in the world. The HinduKush Himalayas are home to someof the world's wettest and driestenvironments, with elevationranging from the plains to thehighest mountains in the world. It isalso at the centre of the largestconcentration of human population,with a very high proportion livingbelow the poverty line. Given this,vulnerability assessments in theHKH must take into considerationmultiple drivers of change, includingclimate change, as well as theimmense biophysical andsocioeconomic diversity of theregion.

As the source of ten of Asia's majorriver systems, the Hindu KushHimalayas provide water, ecosystemservices, and livelihoods to morethan 210 million people. Thesebenefit extend further downstream,with more than 1.3 billion people – afifth of the world's population – whodepend on water flowing from theregion. The impacts of climate changeand other changes are already beingfelt in ecosystems and communitiesacross the region, thereby increasingthe vulnerability of communities inthe Hindu Kush Himalayas.

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Himalayan Climate ChangeAdaptation Programme (HICAP)The HICAP at ICIMOD is pioneeringresearch that focuses oncomprehensively assessingvulnerabilities and finding solutionsbeyond social, sectoral, and nationalboundaries in the Hindu KushHimalayas. With a transboundaryresearch approach, HICAP coversfive river sub-basins – Upper Indusin Pakistan, Koshi in Nepal, UpperBrahmaputra in Tibet AutonomousRegion, China, eastern Brahmaputrain Assam, India and Upper Salween-Mekong in China.

The HICAP approach integratesresearch on downscaling globalclimate scenarios for the sub-basins,hydrological modeling andprojections, assessments andvaluation of ecosystem services,transformations in farming systems,and people's vulnerability with aparticular focus on women. It aimsto provide evidence-based scientificknowledge for enhancing theunderstanding of vulnerabilitiesrelated to change, particularly climatechange, and identifying opportunitiesand potentials for adaptation.

Some Initial ResultsA comprehensive analysis fromvarious components of the ongoingresearch is yet to be done. However,findings from downscaled climateand hydrological scenarios forupstream parts of selected sub-basinsusing RCP (RepresentativeConcentration Pathways) scenariosRCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 indicate thatglaciers in the five river basins arelikely to reduce by 20 to 55% by theyear 2050. At the same time, themelting of glaciers and increasedprojected precipitation are likely tocause overall river flows to increaseor remain unchanged in 2041–2050compared to 1998–2007 for all fiveriver sub-basins (Lutz et al. 2014).The results also indicate highvariability in water availability,with more water in the pre-monsoonperiods. If these projections are onthe mark, the resulting changes willhave severe implications on levels

of vulnerability, particularly inrelation to flood preparedness andin managing periods with reducedriver flow.

Changes in forest ecosystems arealready evident, albeit these arebeing driven by many factors,climate change being just one ofthem. Initial results from HICAPprovide details on these changes aswell as various options forimproving the management offorests and watersheds, highlightingthe potential for payments forecosystem services (Rai et al. 2014).Similarly, mountain farmingsystems in the region are undergoingmajor changes due to outmigration,climatic stresses, and a general lackof interest in agriculture amongyounger generations. In addition tofactors related to climate andmigration, the incentives provided bygovernments and private companiesare encouraging farmers to shift fromtraditional staple crops to cash crops.While this can lead to positivechanges in many cases, it also leaveshouseholds vulnerable to market andprice fluctuations and can reducetheir self-sufficiency (Poverty andVulnerability Assessment, 2013,HICAP).

HICAP has also conducted Povertyand Vulnerability Assessment (PVA)surveys in over 8,083 households infour river sub-basins in China, India,Nepal, and Pakistan. The initialresults of these surveys indicate thatpeople are already experiencing andcoping with the effects of climaticand other changes, sometimes withlife-long disadvantages. Mountainhouseholds, which predominantlypractice rain-fed agriculture, havestruggled with unexpected extendedwarm weather patterns, never beforeseen winter frost, the late arrival ofthe monsoon, droughts, andflooding. While some householdshave opportunities to shift to othercrops and livelihood options,including migrating for economicopportunities, some are forced tocope with the stress in adisadvantaged situation. Women, in

particular, are left more vulnerable,in part due to the increasingoutmigration of men, which leaveswomen responsible for managing thehousehold's agricultural land.However, they rarely have the samelevel of access to information andresources afforded to men that wouldhelp them cope with changingsituations. For some farmers climatechange offers some temporaryopportunities as well.

By sharing evidence-basedknowledge from different sectors andhelping to develop comprehensivevulnerability assessments, HICAP ishelping to provide actionableproposals for both policy makersand the scientific community.

– Nand Kishor Agrawal,Coordinator, HICAP, ICIMOD, NepalReferences:

HICAP Information sheet: ICIMOD.2014

Lutz, AF; Immerzeel, WW; Shrestha,AB; Bierkens, MFP (2014) 'Consistentincrease in High Asia's runoff due toincreasing glacier melt and precipitation'.Nature Climate Change, advance onlinepublication. doi: 10.1038/nclimate2237

Rai,R K; Bhatta, LD; Nepal, M;Shyamsundar, P. 2014. Valuation ofwatershed services in Koshi basin inNepal. Submitted for publication.

Poverty and Vulnerability AssessmentSurvey 2014, ICIMOD. Yet to be published

The Last Straw: The AdditionalBurden of climate change on foodsecurity in the Hindu Kush Himalaya.GRID-Arendal and ICIMOD. 2014

IPCC. 2014a. Climate Change 2014:Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability.Contribution of Working Group II to theFifth Assessment Report of theIntergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange. http://ipcc-wg2.gov/AR5/report/final-drafts

IPCC. 2014b. Summary forPolicymakers. In: Climate Change 2014:Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability.Contribution of Working Group II to theFifth Assessment Report of theIntergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange. http://ipcc-wg2.gov/AR5/i m a g e s / u p l o a d s /IPCC_WG2AR5_SPM_Approved.pdf

Acknowledgement:The article is based on the research

work carried out by all the teammembers in HICAP (http://www.icimod.org/?q=10179).


By 2050, 75% of the globalpopulation will live in cities,

and Asian cities are likely to accountfor more than 60% of this increase.Medium-sized cities, which areseeing some of the fastest populationgrowth, are among the least preparedfor tackling new climate changes.Risks – such as coastal flooding thatcould produce damages costing $1trillion a year by 2050 – affect thecompetitiveness, profitability andviability of many industries. It alsoexacerbates urban issues, particularlyin poor and vulnerable communitiesthat lack adequate infrastructure andservices. One of the key steps a citycan take to build climate resilienceis to engage the private sector –which often has the skills, financeand influence – to mobilize resourcesand solutions for climate changeadaptation.

Here's a look at several pathways forimproving and scaling private sectorinvolvement, which were identifiedat the 8th Community–BasedAdaptation Conference inKathmandu.

First, it is important to recognize thatthe private sector is a broad andheterogeneous group. They areentities as diverse as localindividually owned businesses tomultinational corporations. All havedifferent levels of climate exposureand sensitivity as well as differentassets and capabilities, thus requiringdifferent strategies.

In order to manage risks, the mostbasic approach to engaging theprivate sector is to encouragebusinesses to climate proof their ownfootprints and value chains.

Companies can start by assessing thepotential impacts of climate shocksand longer stresses on operations,assets, supply chains, logistics,workforce, productivity, compe-titiveness and markets. Additionalmeasures could include businesscontinuity planning, incorporatingrobustness and redundancy intovalue chains and productionsystems, and improving safetymeasures for workers.

As the 2011 flooding in Thailandrevealed, businesses that fail to takeinto account weather risks can suffersignificant losses (see infographic).Organizations such as Business forSocial Responsibility and ResilientOrganization have developed guideson how to address these challengestailored to the specific needs ofdifferent industry groups andorganizational structures.

A second pathway to engaging theprivate sector is by utilizinginnovative products and services tosupport resilience. As ThomasLoster, Chairman of the Munich ReFoundation, noted the insuranceindustry can play an important rolein adaptation far beyond justproviding financial compensationfor losses. They can provide more

accurate understanding and pricingof risk, gather and improve dataquality, and support risk reductionactivities. Similarly, Luke Colavi toof IDE–Nepal, also shared howagribusinesses and farmerorganizations can supportcommunity based adaptation byproviding information on climateresilient crops, improving micro-irrigation, and the methods foreffectively collecting and storingcrops.

Expanding private sector investmentto support resilience of the most poorand vulnerable is also crucial. Thiscan be done by decreasing risk forsmall and medium firms andincreasing opportunities forbusinesses to enter markets thatserve the poor by giving low or nointerest loans, grants, or a mix ofboth. However, this has to be donecarefully and with due diligence soas to ensure products and services areappropriate for the local context andecology, benefit the poor, respondto community needs, and build offlessons from prior successes.

It's also important to understand thescope in which the private sectoroperates and to have clearexpectations for what can and cannotbe achieved. A report fromPricewaterhouse Coopers furtheranalyzes how the private sector canbe engaged in resilience buildingproducts and services, includingtechnology transfer and green funds.

The third pathway to engagement isfor private sector entities to be astakeholder in resilience buildingprocesses. By providing an importantvoice and perspective, they can

NEW INITIATIVES FOR ADAPTATION

How to Better Engage Businesses in ClimateChange Adaptation


ensure that their climatevulnerabilities are addressed, learnabout other groups' vulnerabilitiesthat may also affect their ownbusiness operations, and participatein co-creating innovative approachesto building resilience. This type ofengagement is key to buildingresilience, as it helps identify areasof common cause between privateand public stakeholders, and it buildstrust and longer term commitmentsbetween stakeholders. Through theAsian Cities Climate ChangeResilience Network (ACCCRN), wehave seen the Surat Chamber ofCommerce in India become a criticalleader in the development of thecity's Climate Resilience Strategyand a stakeholder in implementingresilience building projects such as aflood early warning system and aresilient housing competition.

Finally, the private sector can beengaged as a co-investor throughphilanthropic mechanisms, such asCorporate Social Responsibilityfunds and employee volunteerprograms. While multiple examplesof this type of engagement exist, itwould be a mistake to seek privatesector engagement purely in the roleof donors. The private sector shouldbe involved more strategically, asactive partners and stakeholders.

Private sector actors are importantplayers in resilience efforts, whoshould be engaged in multiple waysso that cities can build greaterresilience to the most significanteffects of climate change. Manychallenges exist in effectivelyengaging the private sector includingthe short–term interests of privatecompanies versus the long-term

vision needed to cope with climateissues. There is also a lack ofcommon understanding of climateissues, especially by public actors ofthe business needs of the privatesector. However, the benefits ofresolving these challenges faroutweigh the costs. Overcomingthese challenges will requireconstant communication, themanagement of expectations, and along term commitment to workingtogether.

For more information, read theIntellecap report Opportunities forPrivate Sector Engagement in UrbanClimate Change ResilienceBuilding.

– Cristina Rumbaitis del Rio,Senior Associate Director,

The Rockefeller Foundation, NY

Infographic: Thailand 2011 floods impact on global.


EVENT

Summary of Community-Based Adaptation(CBA)8Community-based adaptation

(CBA) empowers communitiesto take action to address climatechange based on their own decision-making processes, priorities,knowledge and needs. This isparticularly important in the LeastDeveloped Countries (LDCs) andacross Asia, where vulnerability toclimate change impacts is high.Although CBA is an emerging area,many efforts are being been made todevelop participatory methodologies,raise awareness about climatechange and foster adaptive capacityat local levels. CBA is increasinglybeing promoted and adopted atproject levels and beyond, withprogramme level interventions andmainstreaming into governmentplanning occurring in some countries.This is essential if CBA is to be morethan a few scattered projects andbenefit the many millions ofvulnerable people who are facing a

climate change constrained future.

Sharing experience and knowledgefrom project, programme andmainstreaming activities amongstpractitioners, policymakers,researchers, governments, donors,the private sector and thecommunities at risk is essential. Inview of this, the InternationalInstitute for Environment andDevelopment and the BangladeshCentre for Advanced Studiesestablished a series of internationalCBA conferences. These have beenheld in LDCs such as Bangladesh,Vietnam and Tanzania. The eighthand most recent international CBAconference was held from 24-30Aprilin Kathmandu, Nepal.

Nepal has many innovativeapproaches to climate change policymaking and planning, such as LocalAdaptation Plans of Action (LAPAs)

and the legal requirement for 80% ofadaptation funding to reach locallevels. The conference provided anopportunity to showcase some ofthese approaches. Clean EnergyNepal joined the organising team,and the Government of Nepal hostedthe conference, which wasinaugurated by the Prime Ministerof Nepal, the Right HonourableSushil Koirala. Mamadou Honadia,Chair of Adaptation Fund Board, andChristiana Figueres, ExecutiveSecretary of the UNFCCC alsoattended. In total nearly 500 peoplefrom roughly 63 countries came toKathmandu and over 20 co-sponsorsand other contributing organizationsprovided support. Over 1000 peopletook part remotely as VirtualInternet Participants (VIPs) receivingemailed daily summaries, andupdates through blogs, twitter,filmed interviews, and live webstreaming of some sessions.

Local farmers in Rana Gaun are developing integrated pest management systems to help them grow vegetables. Tanks andponds each cost US$60 to install, but the return on this investment is worth it because with increasing scarcity, water isan increasingly precious commodity. A farmer can earn US$800 a year from growing tomatoes using drip irrigation andthese simple water storage technologies. Nepal used to import 80% of vegetables from neighbouring India and Pakistan,but now the tables have turned and whilst the country still imports many cereals, it is almost self-sufficient in vegetableproduction. The group of women farmers we spoke to described how their husbands own most of the land they cultivate, butoften work elsewhere leaving them to work in the fields. Times are changing, however, with new legislation in Nepal toincentivise female land ownership, and some of the women hope to own their own land in the future.

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Three days of field visits to differentcommunities and ecosystems acrossNepal preceded the hotel-basedsessions. These sessions utilized avariety of different formats such asplenary sessions, parallel sessions,poster sessions, film sessions, highlevel panels and interactive "out ofthe box sessions."

The conference theme was 'financinglocal adaptation' and as such thesessions addressed the followingtopics: securing finance bymainstreaming adaptation intonational and sub-national

government development planning;challenges faced by funding agenciessupporting local adaptation;building institutional capacity andimproving governance to access andspend adaptation finance; reachingthe most vulnerable; securingprivate sector finance for localadaptation; low-cost options forCBA; accounting for natural capitalin CBA; financing adaptation in theLDCs; engaging the private sectorthrough microfinance for adaptation;financing local adaptation in urbancentres; financing disaster riskreduction and CBA – what

synergies?; ensuring accountabilityand transparency when financinglocal adaptation; evidence ofeffectiveness; and, civil societyadvocacy on financing CBA.

The 9th international CBA conferencewill be held in Kenya in April/May2015. The theme will be 'measuringCBA effectiveness'.

– Dr. Hannah Reid,Research Associate with the Climate

Change Group and Biodiversity Team(currently based in Johannesburg,

South Africa), International Institutefor Environment and Development

KNOWLEDGE SHARING

Disaster Management and Climate ChangeAdaptation: A Pacific Perspective

The Pacific Island Countries (PICs)are among the most vulnerable

in the world. The countries are proneto variety of natural hazards, bothclimate related or of geophysicalorigin. Besides, the countries situatedat the 'Pacific Ring of Fire' are highlyprone to seismic hazards. Thefrequent and damaging natural

hazards with low capacity to managethe resulting risks push this regionfurther into the dangerous zone.Since 1950, more than nine millionpeople have suffered whileapproximately 10,000 people diedand US$ 3.2 billion worth ofproperties are damaged. Thevulnerability of these countries is

also aggravated by poorsocioeconomic developmentplanning which has potentiallyincreased significant exposure toextreme weather and climate events.The total value of infrastructure,buildings and cash crops consideredat some level of risk in the Pacific isestimated at over US$ 112 billion.Tropical cyclones are the major causefor loss and damage in Pacific. Evenminor emergencies can significantlyaffect populations, burden nationalresponse capacities and slow downregular development. In some PICs,annual disaster losses have exceededtheir GDP. No action from theconcerned authorities could proveextremely expensive and will onlygrow in the years to come.

Both Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)and Climate Change Adaptation(CCA) are increasingly recognizedas having a shared aim to reducevulnerability and contribute tosustainable development byimproving the ability to betteranticipate, resist, prepare for andresponse to and recover from the

Cyclone Ian Jan. 2014, Ha'apai,Tonga.


impacts of hazards. However, inPacific, both DRR and CCA oftenwork in isolation from one anotherand also in isolation from actorsinvolved in socio–economicdevelopment planning andimplementation. The focus of all keystakeholders (government,politicians and donors) followingany disaster is largely on immediaterelief rather than investing in DRRand CCA initiatives, which have lessvisibility but have potential to provemore useful allocation in the longrun. Merely managing the symptomsof disaster and climate change willonly make the efforts inefficient,expensive and unsustainable.

In many PICs, infrastructure andother major developments aremostly concentrated dangerouslyclose to the coast, rather than beingmore dispersed and set back fromexposed shorelines. The already highfrequency of extreme weather andclimate events is increasing in thePacific. The accumulated impacts ofsmall and medium size events areequally fragile while sometimesmore devastating than those of singlelarge disasters. Low intensity eventsare generally more widespread andaffect comparatively larger numberpeople. This situation apparentlyinvolves damage of more houses,land and a wide range of localinfrastructures. The wrath ofincreasing frequency of these lower-intensity hazards is dominantlyborne by the poor, vulnerable andmarginalized groups of the societywho tend to live in a more hazardousand risky environment.Interestingly, information of low-intensity events are not collectedsystematically in many PacificCountries and are sometimes notcollected at all. This frequency canonly be checked by long-termplanning and disaster integrateddevelopment policies.

In Pacific Countries, the directeconomic losses of any natural

disaster and climate change are oftenoffset by donors and otherdevelopment partners. The lossessuch as injuries and deaths are welldocumented whereas it is not the casewith other significant social costslike; increased illness, work andschool days loss, assistance ofvolunteers and indirect economiclosses including; loss of subsistencecrops, reduced transport links andaccess to other services and loss ofincome due to hindrance in tourismbusiness. All these costs, whetherrecorded or ignored are mostly aninternal burden on a country. Thesituation thus indicates that thedonors are spending their moneyonly on relief and recovery but noton sustainable development.

An integrated approachencompassing DRR and CCA andsocio–economic development iswhat need to be followed by thePacific Island Countries. It isimportant to work on the root causeof the vulnerability and promoteclimate friendly and disasterresilient development in the field. Ifdevelopment planning does notaccess hazard risks and integrate riskfactors, the consequences are likelyto be dangerous. The 'business asusual' approach will no longer helpand hence focus should shift fromimmediate relief to long-term DRRand CCA in order to ensuresustainable socio-economicdevelopment in the island countries.This can be achieved if riskconsideration is fully internalized bygovernment plans and policies;driven by political leaders and bettercoordinated and cooperated amongall relevant actors in an effective andtransparent environment.

The recent experience in Pacifictaught many lessons to theprofessionals and practicenors of thisfield. A piecemeal effort in bits andpieces and that too in isolation willultimately do little to reduceunderlying vulnerability in a

sustained manner. A project basedapproach to risk reduction andclimate change encouragesfragmented efforts and impedesprogress. Instead, a morecollaborated, partnership andsustained approach is needed to dealcollectively the issue of DRR, CCAand development backed byaccommodative and flexible donors'support. The experience alsoconfirms that the reduction ofvulnerability needs committedpolitical leadership together withuser-friendly information andeffective monitoring and evaluationsystem. The main target here is tomainstream DRR and CCA intodevelopment plans and budgets inorder to make national developmentdisaster friendly and climatesensitive.

In last few years, some significantprogresses have been achieved bythe PICs. The institution dealingwith DRR and CCA have beenstrengthened while the totalinvestments in these two sectors havealso grown. New approaches andtools are developed and applied tosupport integrated DRR and CCAdecision making at the communitylevel. The Joint National ActionPlans (JNAPs) have provided furtherimpetus to integration and theirmainstreaming at sectoral levelplanning and implementation.Initiatives around DRR and CCA atcommunity level have also increasedin recent time. Over the years,considerable advances have beenmade in the development ofcomprehensive data-bases and toolsthat assess disaster, climate andfinancial risk. These include thepacific Catastrophe Risk Assessmentand Financing Initiative (PCRAFI),the Pacific Sea Level and ClimateMonitoring Project and the PacificClimate Change ScienceProgramme.

– Dr. Suman Kumar Karna,Disaster Recovery Advisor,

UNDP Fiji Office, Tonga


DRR SENSITIVE ADAPTATION

Study on Flood Related Adaptation:A Combination of OptionsNepal is fourth most

vulnerable country inthe world due to climatechange according to ClimateChange Vulnerability Index,2011. Floods are causingsignificant human andeconomic loss which willfurther accelerate in thefuture due to increase inaverage temperature(approximately 0.06o perannum) and change inprecipitation pattern.

In Nepal, Terai-Churia rangecovers 23% of surface area and48% of population which hashigh impacts andimplications due to seasonalriver with irregular highflood and debris flowcausing inundation ofcommunities in rainy season.A study on losses anddamages due to floods in theUdayapur district conductedby the United NationsUniversity in collaborationwith the IntegratedDevelopment Society Nepal in 2013,revealed that individuals andhouseholds are exerting a great dealof effort in preventing, coping andadapting to flood events. 26% of therespondents identified as morevulnerable in Udayapur district. 50%

of the respondents had stillexperienced severe negative effectsdue to flood damages even thoughthey adapt indigenous measures.Flooding has high impacts andimplications, mainly indigenous,poor and women. The most common

impact of flooding was oncrop production and higherfood prices in the aftermathof floods.

IDS Nepal further conductedstudy: "A research onEconomic analysis ofpossible flood relatedecosystem based adaptation(EbAs) and engineeringoptions (Eos) for Climatechange adaptation inUdayapur district",supported by InternationalCenter for IntegratedMountain Development(ICIMOD) in 2014 to outlinethe best feasible adaptationoptions to reduce losses anddamages due to flooding.The research was conductedin Ajgada village (KsediRiver Watershed) ofUdayapur district and floodfrom Ksedi River, originatedfrom Churia range, affectsthis watershed andcommunity.

The economic losses estimated in anevent of flooding in Ajgada village(with 92 households) were US $ 56,861. Community of this village haveadapt some of the measures to reducethe risk of flood impacts, bothecosystem based adaptation(fencing, plantation in river bank,etc) and engineering options(construction of gabion wall inriverbank) but measuresimplemented are insufficient toreduce the risk of flood impacts.

The study outlines variousadaptation options to implement inKsedi River watershed (5.9 sq. km.)along with estimated cost. TheFlood affected household by impact types. (Source: Bauer, K., 2013)

Ksedi River Watershed (Ajgada Village).


estimated cost of EbA was USD:62711.15 and of EO was USD: 543359.64.

Adaptation measures that affect onepart of a river can have consequenceselsewhere; they are most effectivewhen they are carried out in acoordinated way throughout acatchment and along a river. Incontrolling flood, we have a choiceof constructing engineeringstructures or ecosystem basedapproaches or engineering structureswith ecosystem based approaches(hybrid). The strength of engineeringstructure goes declining as the passof time. It needs replacement aftercertain time period, whereasecosystem measures take a few yearsto reach maximum strength and lastfor a long time. As the relativestrength of engineering structuredecreases, the relative strength ofecosystem measures increases. Thusin the long run, function of theengineering structure is handed overto the Ecosystem measures.

Community encouragesimplementing engineeringapproaches rather than ecosystembased approaches because it gives

immediate result but EbA approachin entire watershed is essential forsustainability. Capacity enhancementand awareness to local communityabout importance of EbA options(Bamboo wattle, Amriso plantation,livestock management, firemanagement, etc) are essential forcommunity driven disaster riskreduction and for sustainability.Combining both adaptationmeasures (Hybrid) will be effectiveand sustainable to reduce flood riskand will be most cost effective withoptimum result.

Adaptation options implemented by community to reduce flood impacts. (Photo: Karmacharya S.)

Life span of Ecosystem based approaches and engineering approaches.(Source: Ganapathy and Hada, 2012)

Ecosystem based AdaptationGeneral plantation, Bamboo wattle, Amriso plantation, Nurseryestablishment, Bamboo plantation, Natural wetland, FireManagement, livestock management and Monitoring & Support.

Engineering OptionsGully check dam, River check dam,Revetment, Spur, Embankment, Structuredwetland and Catch drain.

Recommended Adaptation Measures

Hybrid measures of adaptation fordisaster risk reduction will be mosteffective with community basedapproaches because communityknow the real situation at field leveland they are the one who face thedifficulties and challenges duringflood.

– Dr. Dinesh Chandra Devkota,Policy Advisor and Expert in IDS

Nepal and visiting Professor CDES, TUand

Mr. Sujit Karmacharya,EbA Officer in IDS, Nepal


Background: South Asia region is prone to different natural

hazards due to its unique geoclimatic conditions and preexistingsocio-economic vulnerabilities of thepeople makes it highly vulnerableto disasters. Many disasters in theregion are trans-boundary in theirorigin and/or impact. They can beprevented and better managedthrough bilateral and multilateralcooperation between South AsianNations and SAARC (South AsiaAssociation for Regional Cooperation)Disaster Management Center (SDMC)is one organization working towardsthis goal. However, the context ofSouth Asia is also politically verychallenging and desires moreproactive initiatives.

INFORMATION SHARING

Civil Society Networks in South Asia: Challengesof Humanitarian Action

Various civil society networks inSouth Asia are actively pursuing thegoal of coordinated effort towardsdealing with disasters. Sphere Indiais a national coalition of HumanitarianAgencies in India. Similarly, theDisaster Preparedness Network(DPNet-Nepal), Sphere Nepal,Agency Coordinating Body forAfghan Relief & Development(ACBAR) in Afghanistan, Consortiumof Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) inSri Lanka, Pakistan HumanitarianForum in Pakistan and SphereBangladesh and Nirapaud inBangladesh are some of thehumanitarian and civil societynetworks in different South AsianCountries. The collaboration andcommon road map between these

networks can help better strategize,advocate and deliver humanitarianimperative.

Potential Areas of Collaboration:Sphere India had organized one dayregional consultation on "SouthAsian Collaboration for Disastermanagement" in collaboration withCordaid, DCA and CA on April 16,2014 where representatives fromdifferent South Asian HumanitarianNetworks and key stakeholdersfrom National Disaster ManagementAuthority (NDMA), SAARC DisasterManagement Center (SDMC),multilateral and bilateralorganizations were present. Theobjectives of this workshop werecross learning, exploring the

Responsemechanism

1. Resourcemobilizationfor regionaland countrylevel supportto each otherduringdisasterprimarilyinformallythrough civilsocietynetworks

Quality andAccountability1. HAP and

accountabilityframeworkroll out andframeworkshouldincludecomplianceswithcommitments.

KnowledgeManagement

1. Collect evidencesof communitybased DRRpractices- (EW/coordination withlocal governmentin Nepal/Bangladeshexamples) andshare with SAARCcenter

2. Informationsharing betweennetworks

3. Mapping of focusareas and activitiesof each network

4. Digital mappingto shareinformation onvulnerability anddata needed duringdisasters and needassessment.

Themes

Food andNutrition

Health

WASH

Shelter

Education &Protection

DRR/CCA

CapacityBuilding

1. Communitybased DMguidelinesHFA II &MGD to befocused tostrengthencapabilities ofpeople

2. On DRR andCCA alongwith policyguidelinesandimplementation

Advocacy

1. Advocacy onminimum standardsand guidelines

2. On thematic areas-water management andsharing, particularlyflood early warningbetween Nepal andIndia- Bangladesh

3. HFA 2 processes andconsultation- toinfluence collectivelybefore Bangkokmeeting in last weekJune. CCA and DRRmainstreaming withSAARC DM center toplay a critical role

4. Transparencymechanisms for bettercoordination withinnetworks and improvedaccountability at alllevels


Review And Updating of NewlyDrafted State Disaster

Management Plan-Sikkim: Underthe Information Knowledge andLearning Management, Sphere Indiahas been commissioned to reviewthe existing drafts on State DM Plan,Sikkim and to provide technicalsupport to the Land Revenue &Disaster Management (DM) Dept.,Govt. of Sikkim for updating theplan. For this process Sphere Indiacoordinated with various linedepartments and other keystakeholder in the state to preparestate DM plan with state ownership.

Sphere India Program in SikkimIn this regards, one day state levelconsultation on Model State DisasterManagement Plan was organized inGangtok, Sikkim on 23rd April 2014with support from CORDAID andWorld Animal Protection with LandRevenue & State DisasterManagement Authority, Sikkim. Theconsultation was attended byparticipants including various linedepartments and other keystakeholders at the state level.

During the state consultation theexisting state disaster managementplan was shared with the participants

for their inputs. Sphere India hadcollected information & data fromvarious line departments forpreparation of SOPs and other keystakeholders in the state. Thecompilation of the four volumes onState Disaster Management Plan isin process by Sphere India.

Facilitation of Inter-Agency Group(IAG)-Sikkim: Under the InterAgency Coordination part, SphereIndia has facilitated the process ofIAG-Sikkim. Sphere India has beencoordinating with different NGOsat state level and government nodaldepartments to facilitate the processSphere India has identified the keystakeholders at the state level incoordination with LR & DisasterManagement Departments, Sikkim.The LR & Disaster ManagementDepartment had shown interest tobe part of the general body meetingand open the state emergencyoperating center as venue tofacilitate the IAG-Sikkim process.

State Level Consultation on Model State Disaster Management Plan, Sikkim onApril 23, 2014, Sikkim.

mechanism to work forward andthematic areas over which thecollaboration can happen. It wasrealized that humanitarian networksand civil society organizations haveto ensure that each individual ofSouth Asian countries has a right tolive their life with dignity and meetthe minimum requirements of food,shelter, water, education andprotection. Some of the thematicareas emerged out during theconsultation where a lot of scope forwork is present, details are in table.

Key Challenges of civil societynetworks:1. Complex Geo-Hazard

Vulnerability: The diversegeographical location, the falloutof more frequent, more intense,less predictable and longer-lasting nature of (Climate driven,manmade or other) disastersmagnifies the existing complex

vulnerability and risk in theregion. The situation gets furthercomplicated with the prevalenceof socio-economic vulnerabilitylike malnutrition which is widelyprevalent in South Asiancountries. There is also a need forawareness generation among thepublic on disaster preparedness.

2. Coordination: Lack ofcooperation & coordinationamong the key stakeholders is abig challenge which intensifiesthe vulnerability of people.

3. Political Challenges: Access tosome neighboring countries isdifficult due to visa process andother political issues which hinderknowledge & informationsharing on humanitarian actionsbetween the countries.

4. Institutional Mechanism: are notstrong among the civil societynetwork which hampers thesustainable development.

Moreover, there exists limitedcapacity in the government andCSOs to manage complex disasterson disaster management.

5. Conviction: Lack of trust amongthe CSO's results into ineffectivecollaborative response.

Conclusion:There are issues related to disastersand different vulnerability profileacross the region. Although, theGovernments and Civil SocietyOrganizations in the region haveshown commitments to reducedisaster risks and manage theseemergency situations. Yet, there is astrong need for more collaborativeinitiatives from CSO's to share theknowledge & cross learning whichcan lead to effective & earlyresponse, making communitiesmore resilient and prepared foremergencies. – Neha Khara and

Pooja Rana, Sphere India

– Chhemet Lamo and Saikhom Kennedy, Sphere India


DRR OPINION

Miles to go to achieve Resilience

Rural and urban communities inIndia have been coping with

natural hazards from timeimmemorial, improvisingindigenous coping mechanisms,based on local knowledge andexperiences, which were significantbut not adequate, and oftenoverwhelmed by furies of hazards,resulting in disasters, causingunimaginable losses of lives andlivelihoods. Communities wereresigned to catastrophes as destiniesand even the most benevolentadministration never went beyondproviding a modicum relief to thosewho managed to survive.

The paradigm shift from ad hochumanitarian assistance toorganised management of risks ofdisasters took place in the latenineties, triggered mainly by theearthquake at Latur and supercyclone in Orissa, and further pushed,in close succession, by theearthquake in Bhuj and Tsunami inthe southern coasts.

During the last decade the countryhas developed significant legal andinstitutional mechanisms on disastermanagement, improvedpreparedness through better earlywarning and response and enhancedcapacities through education,training and awareness. These haveresulted in significant reduction inloss of lives and livelihoods, asdemonstrated during the trail ofcyclone Phailin, which earned allround appreciation.

In contrast, the unprecedenteddisaster caused by the floods andlandslides in Uttarakhand, monthsbefore the cyclone, exposed theunderlying risks of disasters createdby unplanned and unsustainable

development, which are beingcompounded by the changing climateand the rapid growth of population,particularly in large cities, addingnew layers on already accumulatedrisks of disasters.

Assessing the emerging complexitiesof risks and taking measures toreduce the risks are uphill taskswhich would require sustainedefforts of all stakeholders at all levels.The country has taken many stepsbut there are miles to go before wecan say with confidence that we havebeen able to reduce the risks ofdisasters in a significant manner.

The risks of major natural hazards— earthquake, cyclone, flood,landslides and droughts – have beenassessed at macro level but there aresignificant gaps in our knowledgeand understanding of how thesehazards would affect thecommunities at the local level. Thereare many other hazards, both naturaland manmade, for which suchscientific assessments are yet to bemade even on a national scale. Theextent to which climate changewould be intensifying the risks isstill largely uncertain.

The country has adopted the nationalpolicy and guidelines for disastermanagement and developedstandards, codes and regulations forreducing risks of disasters, butimplementation and enforcement ofthe regulations have beenchallenged by lack of capacity andaccountability in governance at alllevels, particularly at local levels,where lack capacities, authorities andresources still remain critical issues.

The country has instituted funds fordisaster response and early recovery,

but the legally mandated funds forrisk mitigation at different levels areyet to be constituted. Mechanisms forrisk transfer are virtually non-existent.

The efforts of the newly createdinstitutions on disaster managementhave focused mainly on response, yetthere wide gaps in responding tocatastrophic disasters, necessitatingcontinuing dependence on the armedforces, despite creation of aspecialised response force at hugecosts to the exchequer.

The national authority is yet to comeup with a national plan of action ondisaster management, as mandatedby the decade old disastermanagement Act; very few ministriesand departments at national and statelevel have developed similar plan ofaction, equally mandated by the Act.

The government has set up aNational Platform for coordinatingthe activities for disaster reductionacross sectors and stakeholders, butit never met to chart out the roadmap for future. There is anunfortunate tendency ofcompartmentalisation of the newlycreated institutions of disastermanagement, with very littleoutreach to other departments andstakeholders, and of mainstreamingdisaster risk reduction indevelopment.

Al these shortcomings need seriousintrospection and a time bound planof action to reduce the risks ofdisasters before the mounting risksmake the tasks more formidable.

– Dr. P.G. Dhar Chakrabarti,IAS (Retired), Distinguished Fellow at

The Energy and Resources Institute(TERI), New Delhi


CLIMATE CHANGE AND URBAN RESILIENCE

Urban Resilience Work of TERI in India

We live in a world that isincreasingly urbanizing.

Rapid growth of cities, bothdemographic and spatial is posinghuge demands on resources,infrastructure and services in a city.Climate change impacts poseadditional pressures on cities as theseimpacts like changes in temperature,rainfall patterns and incidences ofextreme events like floods andstorms, seriously undermine thedevelopment goals of the cities.Globally cities are increasinglyexperiencing the impacts of climatevariability and change. Many citiesin the western world have startedadopting policies and programs thataddress impacts of climate change.More and more cities in thedeveloping world as well, seekexpertise, hand holding and capacitybuilding to prepare themselves to theuncertainties involved with climatechange.

Recent calamities across the worldhave drawn attention towardssolution and options that couldaddress this. Building climateresilience is one such option whichoffers holistic mechanisms to addressclimate variability and changewithout compromising on presentdevelopment challenges. Climateresilience is not about developmentin a new way. It is about addingclimate variability and changeconsiderations in the planning anddevelopment framework to ensurelong term sustainability andpreparedness to climate change.

Every city is a unique entity withdifferent dominant function,topography, governance systems andinstitutions at place and differentpriorities for development. Everycity would also be impacteddifferently by the impacts of climatechange. This will depend on theclimatic-geographic conditions of thecity, the city's financial andinstitutional capacity, its structuralcapacity to withstand climate relatedhazards and calamities, its socio-economic standing in terms ofdegree of urban poverty and accessto basic services and quality ofinfrastructure.

There is therefore, vast opportunityto work with cities and itsgovernments to prepare the cities towithstand climate impacts and buildurban resilience. There are hugebenefits that a city can draw byconsidering resilient development.It will not only prepare the city towithstand climate calamities andclimate variability, but will alsosteer development towardssustainable and environmentsensitivity in the long run.

The Energy and Resources Institute(TERI) is the National Partner to theAsian Cities Climate ChangeResilience Network (ACCCRN1)since the year 2009. ACCCRN is a 9years long initiative supported byThe Rockefeller Foundation to helpsecond-tier cities in Asia becomemore resilient to the impacts ofclimate change.

TERI supported the policy relatedinitiatives under the program anddeveloped a policy synthesis reviewto identify opportunities formainstreaming urban climateresilience concerns into urbandevelopment planning in India. TERIalso prepared 3 policy briefs2 thatdiscuss pertinent issues related toneed for a mandate on urban climateresilience and advocate for nationaland state level urban climateresilience policy. In Gorakhpur city3,TERI prepared a detailed institutionalregulatory and policy analysis andprepared a climate resiliencemainstreaming plan for the city. Thein-house film and television unit atTERI made a film, "Tales ofGorakhpur: A Path towards a Climate–Resilient Future"4 that captures thestory of a medium class town in Indiaand how it has fared in developingclimate resilience strategy for itself.

In Guwahati city, TERI conducted adetailed climate risk andvulnerability analysis and prepareda climate resilience strategy5 for thecity. Later in the subsequent phaseof ACCCRN in India a detailedanalysis of work in seven Indiancities–Shimla, Surat, Bhubaneswar,Mysore, Guwahati, Indore andGorakhpur was conducted. Thepaper6 analyses these methodologiesand the overall processes adopted ineach of these cities for its potentialfor replication and brings out theinherent challenges, gaps andopportunities in achieving this. Thestudy looked at the methodologies

1 http://www.acccrn.org/2 http://www.teriin.org/policybrief/docs/Urban.pdf; http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/10655IIED.pdf; http://www.acccrn.org/

sites/default/files/documents/Policy%20Brief%203%20TERI_Climate%20Resilience%20in%20Built%20Environment.pdf3 http://acccrn.org/sites/default/files/documents/Gorakhpur%20report_Synthesis.pdf4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93P49Xy4pM8&list=PLJRwiYPH5RkTfzhCjYcSwJPCW0BLIsll45 http://acccrn.org/sites/default/files/documents/TERI_Guwahati%20Synthesis%20Report.pdf6 http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/10650IIED.pdf


Do you wish to receive this publication regularly? Write to AIDMI ([email protected]). The publication will be sent byE-mail. Your comments help southasiadisasters.net remain an effective and informative resource for regional issues of disasterrisk management. Please contribute comments, features, reports, discussion points, and essays about your work. Today!

Editorial Advisors:

Anshuman SaikiaRegional Programme Support CoordinatorARO, IUCN (International Union for Conservation ofNature), Thailand

Denis NkalaRegional Coordinator, South-South Cooperation andCountry Support (Asia-Pacific), United NationsDevelopment Programme, New York

Ian DavisVisiting Professor in Disaster Risk Management inCopenhagen, Lund, Kyoto and Oxford BrookesUniversities

Madhavi Malalgoda AriyabanduInternational Strategy for Risk Reduction (ISDR) –South Asia, Sri Lanka

Mihir R. BhattAll India Disaster Mitigation Institute, India

Dr. Satchit Balsari, MD, MPHThe University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell,New York, USA

T. Nanda KumarChairman, National Dairy Development Board(NDDB), Anand, Gujarat, India

ALL INDIA DISASTER MITIGATION INSTITUTE411 Sakar Five, Near Natraj Cinema, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad–380 009 India. Tele/Fax: +91-79-2658 2962E-mail: [email protected], Website: http://www.aidmi.org, www.southasiadisasters.net

used for climate resilience planningand analyzed the implications interms of potential to scaling up theACCCRN process in other cities inIndia.

One of the ongoing activities isfocused on coastal cities of Panaji andVisakhaptanam. Supported by theUSAID's Climate ResilientInfrastructure Services (CRIS)program, the study analyses theimpact of sea level rise and otherclimate parameters like rainfallextremes and storm surges on thecase study cities. The study preparesa detailed infrastructure inventoryfor the project cities and links it tothe inherent parameters needed forclimate resilience planning .Theinventory, which uses MicrosoftAccess has been developed as adatabase management system whichalso integrates spatial maps preparedusing GIS. The outcomes of the studywill be shared with the citygovernment and capacity buildingprograms will be conducted for thecity officials to acquaint them withthe data base management system.One of the outcomes of the study is amethodology that could be used by

coastal cities to assess theirvulnerabilities to climate impacts.

TERI is poised to build more workoutputs around climate resilienceand will soon engage with a fewselected state governments forconducting training programs thattarget elected officials, city officials,students and early researchers. Thework is supported by the Asia PacificNetwork grant. Besides this, ongoingState level engagements of TERIinvolve engagements with the StateGovernments to help prepare roadmaps for bringing in climateresilience in the State urban agenda.This is an important area becauseurban development is a state subjectand therefore an essential avenue forbringing in climate concerns into urbandevelopment planning framework.

The entire activities at TERI on thisimportant subject have beenstrategically designed such that theynot only lead to a change at policylevel but also have impact at locallevel. Besides this the focus isconstantly maintained on awarenessgeneration and capacity building atvarious levels and amongst different

stakeholders. The overall servicesoffered thus, by TERI include thefollowing:i. City specific climate modeling

information to cities to identifyfuture change in climate

ii. Risk and vulnerabilityassessments of cities to climatechange impacts and developingclimate resilience plans for cities.

iii. Policy analysis and recommen-dations for assisting cities tomainstream climate resilience

iv. Capacity building of the citygovernment to take up resilienceplanning in their cities

v. Film/ knowledge dissemination/awareness targeting cities andmajor stakeholders to increaseawareness and facilitate actions

TERI identifies urban climateresilience as one of its flagshipmissions and acknowledges the roleof cities in the development of thenations. This particular stream atTERI is a step towards the dream ofclimate resilient, environmentallyresponsive and sustainable cities.

– Divya Sharma, Fellow, Centre forResearch in Sustainable Urban Development

and Transport Systems SustainableHabitat Division, TERI, New Delhi

an-r&r 25 9 04 · the impact of climate change on sikkim nestled in the eastern himalayas, the...

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