an-r&r 25 9 04 - preventionweb.net · community to lead with the impacts of climate change, ......

southasiadisasters.net Special Issue, December 20132

THEMATIC

Institutionalising CSDRM Approach: TowardsEffective Results to Cope against Climate Change

There are increasing amounts ofevidence to show that India's

coastal states are being affected byclimate change and that vulnerabilitywhich is already high is set to risefurther. Moreover, the frequency andseverity of natural hazards willincrease people's vulnerability andexposure. In order to equip thecommunity to lead with the impactsof climate change, both agencies andcommunity must involve in variousadaptation intervention.

Various agencies at governmentaland nongovernmental level areproactively involved in disaster riskreduction and are now involved inclimate change concerns. However,given the complexity and range ofissues involved with disaster riskreduction, climate change adaptation,and development; it has becomeapparent that a lot more needs to bedone to support and strengthen theefforts especially at the ground level.Understanding the threats posed byclimate change and disaster risk,Society of Women ActionDevelopment (SWAD), ahumanitarian organization based in

Puri district, Odisha agreed theimplementation of Climate SmartDisaster Risk Management Approach(CSDRM).1 CSDRM approach is onesuch tool that can be used bycommunity based organisations totackle disasters, poverty andadaptation through improvedintegration. With the support ofClimate Development andKnowledge Network (CDKN);Intercooperation Social Development(ICSD), Institute of DevelopmentStudies (IDS) and All India DisasterMitigation Institute (AIDMI) together

researched on how CSDRMapproaches can be institutionalised.

The CSDRM approach has beendeveloped and co-created by morethan five hundred practitioners,policymakers, scientists andacademics from climate change,disasters and developmentcommunities in ten 'at-risk' countriesacross Africa and Asia. CSDRMapproach is an 'integrated socialdevelopment and disaster riskmanagement approach that aimssimultaneously to reduce risks, adapt toclimate change and development'.CSDRM is a process-orientedapproach that provides guidance tostakeholders to systematicallyaddress climate change, disaster riskreduction and development not onlyat policy level, but also at theimplementation level. The approachdraws out different routes throughthree central pillars that are dividedinto 3 main silos (below) that have 12action points (see figure 1):1. Tackle Disaster Risks and

Uncertainties2. Enhance Adaptive Capacity3. Address Poverty, Vulnerability

and Their Structural Causes.

SWAD team decided to choose astrength as one of their entry point asthey believe that they would be ableto build on the activities better.SWAD has a lot of experience andexpertise to spread awareness andinformation about the disaster risks,response and recovery uncertainties,government policies and climatechange impacts. SWAD works as afacilitating organisation between

Steps used to conduct Climate Smart Disaster Management Approach ofinstitutional levelStepsStep 1&2: Where are wenow?

Step 3&4: 'Where do wewant to be?' and 'What dowe need to do differently?'

Step 5: The CSDRMJourney - 'Are we movingtowards integration?'Step 6: Looking back -'What has changed, whyand how?'

Actions• Self Assessment Exercise (Reflecting back on

organization's activities, capacities andlimitations through)

• Identifying potential entry points to apply theCSDRM approach

• Map out integration pathways• Develop action points and• To select indicators to measure progress.• Monitoring & Review of the progress• Understanding the internal and external factors

that enable or constrain integration efforts.• Evaluations• Reflections for way ahead

"The priorities and needs of theboth rural and urban communities,and the projects implemented bythe governmental and non-governmental organizations mustbe aligned and that main focusshould be on creating a climatesmart livelihood resilient societyin Odisha. This is important andwe want to institutionalise theCSDRM approach at ourorganisation".

– Ms Binapani Mishra,Secretary of SWAD

1 Harris, K., Seballos, F., Siva Villaneuva,P., and Curmi, P., Changing Climate,Changing Disasters: Pathway TowardsIntegration (2012) Strengthening ClimateResilience, Brighton, IDS.

southasiadisasters.netSpecial Issue, December 2013 3

Each pathway links the action points within the three CSDRM pillars and as the actions are inter-related, they need to be taken together.Figure 1 sets out the overall CSDRM approach with its three core pillars. Each puzzle piece consists of an action point with keyindicators. Integrated pathways can be charted by choosing any of the pieces as an entry point and following the correspondingsequence of puzzle pieces.


technical agencies from different statesand local people. They have conductedmany trainings for spreading awareness,sharing information, knowledgebuilding. Disaster risk information ismade available in the assessment ofpotential risks and for planning atcommunity level. SWAD aims to focuson to enhance the community resilienceto climate risks and to practicecommunity based approach byencouraging discussion spaces to informabout policies and programs. Thus, theentry point chosen by SWAD is Inform.

SWAD built on what has already beendone which enhances their ability toaddress challenges. They re-use theconcepts and techniques thatgovernment and the working bodies arealready familiar with such asempowerment of local community. Inaddition, SWAD improved the presentways of working by including 'climate-smart' in each of its future and currentactivities.

CSDRM approach provides a guide toSWAD for strategic planning,programme development that shouldbe used to assess how 'climate smart'are the existing disaster riskmanagement policies, projects andprograms. SWAD invested its staff andinvolved community members toflexibly adapt technical innovation. Afavourable environment was created forthe implementation of CSDRMapproach so that information sharingand decision making can be transparentand favourable in and with thecommunity. In addition, the efficiencyof these interventions varies in terms ofthe ability of different communities andeconomies to address the climate changerisk through projects like CommunityBased Disaster Preparedness. SWAD hasbeen constantly monitoring andevaluating its efforts so that its efficiency,effectiveness and sustainability areguaranteed. CSDRM approach can beinstitutionalised at different levels thatare responsible for managing disasters(directly or indirectly) at national, stateand local level. – AIDMI Team

QUOTES

India’s Commitment to CBDRM

“NDMA is engaged with thePlanning Commission from the10th plan period onwards on howDRR can be mainstreamed intodevelopment planning. TheApproach Paper to the 12th Five-year plan was titled "Faster,Sustainable and Inclusive Growth".To achieve this we have to fullyrealise that when disasters strikeit's the poorest of the poor whosuffer the most, Therefore, DRRassumes paramount importance.Planning for inclusive growth iscrucial in DRR. Large amount ofmoney and efforts will be investedby the public and private sectorsduring the next five years; thusDRR must be mainstreamedappropriately.”

M. Shashidhar Reddy,Vice Chairman, NDMA, First

National Platform for Disasters RiskReduction, May 2013, New Delhi.

"Over the years the trend of hydro-meteorological disasters isincreasing along with the climateinduced extreme weather events.Although, the number of humanlives lost has been reduced, theeconomic losses are escalating."

M. Shashidhar Reddy, ViceChairman, NDMA at the Meeting

with Planning Commission, YojanaBhawan, New Delhi, April 26, 2013.

"We need to focus on climatechange, extreme weather eventsand large-scale urbanization,which will pose tremendouschallenge to all of us."

M. Shashidhar Reddy, Hon'bleVice Chairman at the World

Ministerial Conference on DisasterRisk Reduction at Sendai, Japan.

"Urbanisation, industrializationand unplanned development inhigh-risk zones seriously increasesvulnerability to disaster risk.Climate Change adds a differentdimension to the whole thing."

M. Shashidhar Reddy, ViceChairman, NDMA, First National

Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction.

"Nothing more serious could havebeen witnessed. It is an exampleof extreme weather events we allare concerned about. We need tomake serious efforts to understandthe implication of such disaster towhich south Asia is vulnerable.The pace at which climate changeis taking place... we need to focuson some key areas. A detailedassessment of climate change isneeded."

M. Shashidhar Reddy onUttarakhand Disaster, South AsiaRegional Consultation on Climate

Change Adaptation (Jun 24, 2013)

Photo: ndma.gov.in


ADVOCACY

Conference of Parties in Warsaw: What ItHesitated to Discuss?The Conference of Parties (COP)

was held at Warsaw fromNovember 11 to November 22, 2013.The purpose of this COP was toexplore the opportunities in anincipient green economy in thebackdrop of a global economicslowdown. The COP initiatedsubstantial and profound discussionson the loss and damage caused byclimate change to individuals as wellas to natural and manmade assets.Discussions on this agenda was afollow up action to the previouslyconcluded InternationalConference on Adaptation, Loss andDamage Adaptation and Loss andDamage Associated with ClimateChange in the Asia Pacific:Integrating Scientific Aspects,Bangkok, August 30-31, 2013organised by United NationsEnvironment Programme (UNEP)Bangkok, Institute for GlobalEnvironmental Strategies (IGES) ofJapan, Ministry of Environment,Japan, and Asia Pacific AdaptationNetwork (APAN).

The loss and damage attributable toclimate change are not easy items todiscuss, for the fear that discussingthese things would lead to moreinconvenient questions ofcompensation and liability. But fearought never to be a reason forinaction. Loss and damage associatedwith climate change must be discussedin a constructive and cooperativemanner at Warsaw. In fact, theConference of Parties provided anopportunity to discuss someimportant aspects of this pressingproblem.

The debate on the loss and damageassociated with climate change wasnot initiated at the Conference ofParties (COP) at Warsaw. It hesitated

in focusing attention on the followingthree aspects:1. The loss and damage associated

with climate change in terms of itsadverse effects on human health isan important yet difficult area toaddress.

There is a dearth of work done byhealth service providers such asdoctors and hospitals and healthservice shapers such as healthresearcher's on assessing anddocumenting the impacts ofclimate change on people's health.Even health insurance data fallswoefully short of providing anyreasonable estimate of the impactof climate change on human health.

Against this backdrop, the recentheat wave preparedness workdone by the Ahmedabad MunicipalCorporation (AMC) in India in thesummer of 2013 as a pilot to assessthe impact of climate change onhuman health is a welcome step.The novel work done by the AMCfinds vindication in the FifthAssessment Report of theIntergovernmental Panel onClimate Change (IPCC) whichsuggests that heat waves are notonly here to stay but will alsoincrease in intensity and frequencyin the coming decades.

2. There is a gross mismatch betweenthe loss and damage suffered bywomen as a consequence ofdisasters and the safeguardsagainst such disaster lossesaccorded to women by law. Themost important reason behind thismismatch is the varying anddisempowering nature ofwomen's rights to property fromcountry to country. This mismatchmay lead to situations where the

losses suffered by women may notbe fully accounted for andsubsequently not rightfullycompensated during contingenttimes. This dismal fact has beenobserved by AIDMI working indifferent parts of India such as theflood affected areas of Bihar, thedelta areas of West Bengal and thehigh altitude regions of Sikkim.

3. The loss and damage associatedwith climate change is not easy tomeasure. It is even harder to assessthe extent of damage and loss thatchildren may suffer as aconsequence of climate change. Itis due to this difficulty inestimation that there is a mismatchbetween the priorities of thecommunity and the authoritieswhen it comes to formulatingstrategies to mitigate the impactof climate change on children. Thefocus on children is an oft repeatedpriority of the communities withwhom AIDMI works. For instance,the teachers from the schools in theMahanadi delta with which AIDMIhas worked identified children asthe most vulnerable group to theadverse impacts of climate change.More interestingly, those teachersdiscussed the potential threats ofclimate change on the cominggeneration with more vigour thanthey had on their presentgeneration. This points out to thefact that the climate change debateis undergoing a transition of alonger term time frame of reference.

Thus, initiating discussion on the lossand damage associated with climatechange on human health, on women,and on children was a good way totake ahead the climate change debateat the Conference of Parties (COP) inWarsaw. An opportunity was lost.

– AIDMI Team


SPEECH

National Commitment toMinimise the NegativeImpact of Disasters

"Iwelcome you all to the 5thmeeting of the National Disaster

Management Authority.

We have witnessed two majordisasters recently in our country -the tragedy of Uttarakhand andcyclone Phailin which affectedOdisha and Andhra Pradesh. Therains and floods in Uttarakhandresulted in large scaledevastation and severely tested theefficacy of our disaster responsemechanisms. There are importantlessons to be learnt from theexperience gained from the rescueand relief operations that werecarried out. I sincerely hope that allthe concerned agencies of theCentral and State Governments willutilize the experience ofUttarakhand in better managementof disasters that we may face in thefuture.

Our response to the more recentcyclone in Orissa and AndhraPradesh has been encouraging. I amhappy that the NDMA played asignificant role in this responsethrough close engagement andcoordination with various CentralGovernment Agencies, the StateGovernment and even the Districtadministration. It was only becauseof collaboration between differentagencies that the daunting task ofevacuating nearly 10 lakh people inOdisha and Andhra Pradesh wasaccomplished in a timely manner

and with minimal loss of humanlives.

Our response to cyclone Phailin alsounderscores the importance ofmeasures taken in the past for disasterpreparedness, including sentisizationof stakeholders and mock exercises. Iam informed that the sustainedguidance provided by NDMA overthe last 8 years proved to be veryuseful and enabled governmentdepartments to respond quickly andsystematically to the disaster.Collaboration between NDMA andthe Odisha Disaster ManagementAuthority in the pre-disaster phaseof preparation of DisasterManagement plans and formulationof Standard Operation Procedures;construction of a large number ofcyclone shelters etc. resulted inpositive outcomes. I am alsoinformed that the mock exerciseorganized in Srikakulam District on25th-26th April, 2013 and publicawareness messages published inthat area on 8th and 9th October 2013helped both the districtadministration as well as thecommunity in executing a disciplinedand quick response to the cyclone.

We are aware that the world over,extreme weather events are on therise. Such events impact the poor andmarginalized people in adisproportionate manner. Even as wemeet here the people of AndhraPradesh and Odisha are suffering

from very heavy rains in the pastfew days and the resultant floods.

It is therefore all the more necessarythat we quickly improve ourdisaster management capabilities.Every rupee spent on disasterpreparedness is a saving ofexpenditure on post disaster relief,rehabilitation and reconstructionmeasures. Disaster Risk Reductionstrategies therefore need to bemainstreamed into ourdevelopmental programmes andpolicies. This is an area on whichthe NDMA and the key Ministriesof the Central Government shouldlay greater stress.

Our early warning systems andresponse mechanisms should bestrengthened further so that we areable to minimize the negativeimpact of disasters. In this context,NDMA`s efforts to strengthencommunity preparedness fordisaster events and its engagementin activities related to disasterprevention, mitigation andpreparedness need to be continuedwith greater intensity.

I now look forward to yourconstructive suggestions for furtherenhancing the capabilities of ourdisaster managementmechanisms."

Dr. Manmohan Singh,Prime Minister and Chair Person,

NDMA(Source: http://pib.nic.in)

Photo

: ndm

a.gov

.in


RISK ANALYSIS

How can Communities Help Unravel theAdaptation Finance Web?More financial support for

climate change adaptation isavailable than ever before but despitecommitments made in the UNFCCCnegotiations, dispersed funds fallwell short of what is needed bydeveloping countries – and what hasbeen promised by developedcountries. Moreover, it is not clearhow much of this finance is actuallyreaching the most vulnerable. Foradaptation initiatives to be mosteffective they need to be directedtoward the local level so that they canaddress the context-specific nature ofvulnerability and localised impactsof climate change. Local institutionsare therefore pivotal in directingresources to the poorest and mostvulnerable.

The Adaptation FinanceAccountability Initiative (AFAI) is acollaborative research and advocacyproject bringing together Oxfam, theOverseas Development Institute(ODI) and the World ResourcesInstitute (WRI), together with CleanEnergy Nepal (CEN), Institute forClimate and Sustainable Cities (iCSC,Philippines), Climate ActionNetwork Uganda (CAN-U) and theZambia Climate Change Network(ZCCN) to examine how climatefinance is delivered at the local levelto improve accountability.

Phase I of AFAI looks at theinstitutional environment for climatechange adaptation in Nepal, thePhilippines, Uganda and Zambia andtracks international-to-nationaladaptation finance flows in thesecountries. Inclusion of localgovernment representatives innational decision-making bodies onadaptation issues is key to promotingmore decentralised delivery of

adaptation finance and in all of thecountries studied, with the exceptionof Zambia where the institutionalstructure has yet to be agreed upon,representatives of local governmentare included in national climatechange councils and bodies. In Nepal,the Minister for Local Developmentis a member of the Climate ChangeCouncil and the coordination body(MICCICC) has three localgovernment representatives.

National governments were found tobe the largest initial recipients ofinternational adaptation finance ineach country. In 2010 and 2011, thenational government in thePhilippines received more than 60%of adaptation-relevant funding frominternational sources, while inZambia, Nepal and Uganda the shareof funding going to nationalgovernment was lower at 30%, 33%and 42% respectively. Otherimportant recipients included donororganisations based in thesecountries, which handle the moneybefore distributing it. The data

provided by donors is however oftenincomplete and can be improvedupon. In particular, the lack ofinformation on both recipients andgeographic location in the OECD CRSdatabase makes it difficult to startunravelling the national adaptationfunding web.

Phase II of the AFAI project willinvolve tracking funds to see wherethey end up and examining the localinstitutional environment thatdetermines how they are allocated.Critically, this work will be carriedout by civil society organisations.These stakeholders are best placed todetect information gaps, advocate forgreater transparency in publicfinancial management systems andfor improvements in the quantityand quality of adaptation projects.These stakeholders also ensure thatmoney with an adaptation label isactually reaching those who are mostvulnerable to climate change.

– Emily Wilkinson,Research Fellow, Climate and

Environment Programme,Overseas Development Institute, UK

Adaptation finance in action – reaching the most vulnerable in Karamoja, Uganda.

© 20

13 M

atteo

Cara

vani.


KNOWLEDGE SHARING

Coping with Disaster – Home Truths from theCyclone AilaThe relentless recurrence of

natural disasters has ensured acertain amount of immediacy indisaster response. With the mediaglare on climatic catastrophes beingincreasingly intense, internationalaid agencies waste little time inrushing to do their bit in the event ofa natural disaster.

But what about some time after whenthe storm has abated and thebrouhaha has died down? When a lotof 'help' has been handed out and asemblance of normalcy has returned?It is then that the survivors of thedisaster are left absolutely alone todeal with the near irreversibledamages to life and livelihoodwreaked by a sudden cyclone or aspell of bad drought. The 'silentkillers' are on a rampage butinternational agencies have longreturned to their snug offices, thegovernment has pulled out, and themedia have turned to more'happening' things.

Let's zoom into the case of Aila, adevastating cyclone that swept acrossSouthern part of West Bengal India

on the wee hours of 25th May 2009,particularly the deltaic Sundarbanskilling people, their livestock andrendering thousands homeless. Thevery next day islanders were foundlined up on the embankmentpleading, shouting and jostling witheach other trying to grab relief andaid that came their way. And manyothers having lost their land, houses,and also their family membersalready started to migrate out of theSundarbans in search of an uncertainfuture in Kolkata.

The West Bengal State Governmentand many non-governmentalorgnisations responded by providingaid and relief on a war footing.However, relief and aid materialswere short in supply to meet the needsof the victims. And secondly, evenwhen relief materials were availablein plenty they never reached thepeople who needed them badly. In otherwords, the story of aid and relief couldprovide insight into how politics wasplayed out at the local level.

In a land marked by ecologicaluncertainty, food insecurity, risky

agriculture and the absence ofindustries, people's livelihood needsbecame pressing with limitedoptions. Even the pursuit of theselimited livelihood options is nowviewed by many experts asdetrimental to the conservation of thebio-diversity of the delta and manytraditional livelihoods such as fishingare subjected to restrictions and bans.Not surprisingly, migration over theyears has grown to become a keylivelihood strategy for many. Casesabound of entire families includingwomen leaving the area. There arewhole tracts of deserted anddevastated lands which can be justlytermed as 'the land of the old andthose in the footsteps of death'. Asubstantial portion of it is disguised:a steady but unmistaken caravan ofwomen of marriageable age is forcedor is coerced to become domestic helpin the cities or worse is being suckedinto prostitution. For these girls lifeis an unending yo yo of uncertainty.

The story of embankment protectionin the Sundarbans is one of continuousland acquisition without anycomprehensive policy of relocation

Photo

: Shib

aji B

ose

A mother with her kids in front of her home in the Sundarbansafter the devastation wrought by Cyclone Aila.

Brothers standing on the temporary embankment and surveyingthe approaching Hataniya-Doyaniya river in Sundarbans.


INFORMATION SHARING

CIVIL SOCIETY and the STATE: Turkeyafter the Earthquake

On 17 August 1999 Turkey was hit by a massive earthquake. Over17,000 lives were lost and there was extensive damage to Turkey's

heartland. How did various public and private institutions, (includingthe state, NGOs, and the media) respond to the needs of earthquakesurvivors?

Evidence shows that NGOs were extensively involved in the relief effortsimmediately after the disaster. It also shows that state response to thedisaster went through several phases - from a period of ineptitude toeffective management. The credit goes to the media and the NGOs foracting as advocates for survivors and forcing changes at the state level.

As this research and other studies have shown, disasters are political eventsfor they challenge the dominance of institutional powers. While theearthquake revealed the vibrant nature of Turkish civil society, it alsoshowed the restraints imposed by the state on both its relief and adversarialactivities. However, for Turkey to be well prepared to respond to futureearthquakes, the cooperation between the two parties is essential. Evidencefrom both developing and developed countries has repeatedly shownthat no government in the world can provide immediate, effective disasterrelief without community participation. Countries need to developinnovative ways to foster synergy between state and society so that disastersbecome a predictable and manageable feature of there environment. Anideal response system, which fully addresses the needs of victims, canonly be based on state-civil society relations that are both collaborativeand adversarial.

This is a summary of an article published in the journal of DISASTERS(vol. 26 #2:120-139).

– Dr. Rita Jalali, Middle East Technical University, Turkey

or compensation offered to thepeople. The ring embankmentproposed by the erstwhile leftgovernment in the aftermath of Ailahas ran into problems with thevillagers who are owners of theadjoining fields refusing to hand overtheir lands due to the poor trackrecord of the successive governmentsin providing compensation at marketprice or for that matter anycompensation at all. The governmenthas put up a temporary structure andtrue to its tradition has not paid thelabourers / farmers who toiled to putup the structure. The term 'ostityahin'or close to 'exclude' has time andagain come up in conversations withthe islanders particularly those livingin the vicinity of the river or the sea.

Aila that struck the Sundarbans isformally over and emergency reliefand aid has nearly stopped. Theelectronic and print media are nolonger interested in Aila and theSundarbans and are now focussing onthe next disaster. However, almostfour years on from Aila, people arestill living in tents and onembankments and their farmlandshave been destroyed by saline water.Natural disasters like Aila cannot beprevented, but what can be preventedis the longstanding impact of suchdisasters. In the face of high andincreasing uncertainty, it is importantto enhance the resilience of such areas.Also it is clear that adapting throughincremental changes is not sufficientand to tackle such extreme shocks alsorequires social transformation whichinclude radical change, innovationand experimentation as well asaddressing power imbalances, beliefsand values.

The recent occurrences of cyclonePhailin in Odisha and HurricaneHaiyan in the Phillipines havedemonstrated that climate shocks andstressors may be on the rise. Theseare examples of uncertainties thatplanners, resource managers andlocal people in the global South are

confronted with regularly. However,in many cases, experts and policymakers are ignorant of how climatechange and uncertainties areexperienced and understood by poorand marginalized people whousually bear the brunt of climaticshocks and stresses. The project'Uncertainty from Below' (LINK) isseeking to understand how climatechange and uncertainty areconceptualized from 'below' and'above' and aims to bridge the gapbetween expert and lay perceptionsof climate change and uncertainty. It

is critical to address issues ofresilience, long term transformation,politics and imbalances of powerbecause as we have seen in the case ofAila, people bearing the brunt ofdisaster and climatic shocks usuallylive in areas such as the Sunderbanswhich are characterized by ecologicaluncertainty, poverty and extremegovernment neglect.

– Shibaji Bose, Upasona Ghosh andLyla Mehta, and are working together

on the STEPS Centre projectUncertainty from Below and Above,

UK


GREEN ECONOMY

Innovations in Green Economy: Top ThreeAgenda

The transition to a green economyhas reached a crossroads: while

multilateral global initiatives havebeen long-running and complex, theidea of a green economy still seemsfragile and achieving it far fromcertain. In the face of the ravages ofthe global economic crisis that hasraged since 2007/2008, countries arenow trying to roll back their greenpledges or slow the pace of transition.

This exposes a dilemma: a perceptionthat a green economy is in conflictwith economic growth, prosperityand the advance of humandevelopment, particularly indeveloping countries seeking tomake rapid gains in reducing povertyand building a middle class,consumer society.

Three things need to be foremost inthe minds of those who care aboutcreating a global green economy inthe 21st century: innovation in design,

in market prices and in businessmodels. I think these three factorswill be the deciding elements inwhether green technologies are takenup quickly and used by large numbersof people to improve their lives.

The green option needs to always bethe more appealing, cheaper optionthat also improves living standards.Happily, many people are doing thisall around the world - you just maynot have heard of them yet (unlessyou are reading Southern Innovatormagazine that is).

As editor of the magazine SouthernInnovator since 2011, I have had theprivilege to meet, interview and seefirst-hand green economy innovatorsacross the global South and profilethem in the magazine. What has stoodout for me is this: the ones who haveachieved sustainable success have puta great deal of effort into design - howthe technology is made, what it looks

like and how it is used, how efficientlyit is made and distributed - while alsothinking through the business casefor their work and how to make itappealing to others.

We have tried to apply this thinkingto the magazine as well, by using clearand modern design with bright, eye-pleasing colours, and by choosing touse 100 per cent renewable energy(much of it from geothermal sources)for the magazine's design and layoutand to have it printed on paper fromsustainable forest sources.

The fourth issue of SouthernInnovator (www.southerninnovator.org),on cities and urbanization, launchedin October at the Global South-SouthDevelopment Expo 2013 in Nairobi,Kenya. It profiles many practicalinitiatives and innovators that arecurrently building green homes,communities and even whole cities.The magazine's fifth issue will focuson the theme of waste and recyclingand hopes to be a one-stop source ofinspiration to better use the finiteresources of planet earth.

– David South, Editor,Southern Innovator, UK

Further Resources:1. Southern Innovator Magazine Issue

4: Cities and Urbanization http://www.scribd.com/doc/133622315/Southern-Innovator-Magazine-Issue-4-Cities-and-Urbanization

2. Development Challenges, South-South Solutions e-newsletterwww.southerninnovator.org

3. Mongolian Green Book http://tinyurl.com/p4szr9l

4. Environmental Public AwarenessHandbook: Case Studies andLessons Learned in Mongolia http://tinyurl.com/obuf2xz

SouthernInnovator’s fourthissue on Citiesand Urbanilization,shows howinnovators arehandling thelargest migrationto urban areas inhumanity history.


KNOWLEDGE SHARING

Reducing Mismatch in CSDRM Priorities

Is there a missing link between thedisasters and the response given to

local people by humanitarianagencies? Is there a mismatch betweenthe priorities of humanitarianagencies and those of local people? Ifyes, why so? How much do culturaland social issues influence thepreparedness and risk perception?

These are a few questions that areanswered through the research studyunder the project. We have strived toget a closer understanding of what isrequired by the people of the state.Through this exercise partners andstakeholders aim to put forward thevoice of the people to the institutionsso the gap in priorities of local peopleand humanitarian agencies isreduced.

The mismatch between thehumanitarian agencies and localpeople can be seen as an opportunity.Disasters test the reactivity of thesystems, especially the capacity ofdifferent actors to work together.They demand solution that includesgovernment, civil society, militaryand humanitarian agencies amongstothers. In normal conditions theyhave a very little incentive to worktogether, however when a disasterstrikes, they are all forced to worktogether and combine their capacityto reduce human suffering. It hasbeen observed that the lack of clearcoordination at the national anddepartmental level has led toineffective systems of management.This is often reflected in the poorresponsiveness to dealing withdisasters, and mixed signals fromsources of expert information1.

Humanitarian agencies implementthe risk reduction activities that willbuild a resilient society. However, asmost of the humanitarian

organizations are project based, theyget involved in other project. Thus,no one is there to help the communitywhen they struggle with the newmethods and ways, and thus they stopusing it. It is essential to take intoconsideration that withdrawalstrategy plays a key role during andlast stage of the program. An efficientstrategy should be flexible which willreduce the gap between these twogroups and build ownership andsustainability. It is essential thatmonitoring visits after thecompletion of projects are conductedso that they can see the actualsituation. However, some of themtend to impose their own agendas andbecome self interested at the expenseof people they are helping.

Further, it has been observed that thedifferences between relief anddevelopment become difficult inpractice. The relief and developmentagencies are not same; relief agenciesreach first and provide help to thesurvivors of the disaster and once thesuffering has been relieved to acertain extent, another set of agenciesthat work for development arrives toorganize a better functioning society.In the changeover between thesedifferent sets of agencies, there is anexodus of local knowledge.Development agencies have toremake contacts and build a newrapport and earn trust with localpeople, to implement the activities.

The nature of work done by the twoset of agencies are different; and so isthe response from people. Theprovision of water, basic health andsanitation services by relief agenciesmakes people's lives more pleasanton a day-to-day basis. Butdevelopment is about creating a fullyfunctioning society withopportunities for people within a

framework of rights and freedomfrom oppression. Therefore, the linebetween relief and development isextremely blurred, and of coursedevelopment is inconceivable ifpeople are struggling to survive.

Difference in perception of need anddemand increases the gap in thepriorities of humanitarian agenciesand local people. The main priorityfor local communities is usuallyrelated to livelihood security andincome generation; whereas technicalagencies have their focus ondevelopment and long term aspects.

Lastly, it is important to make theDRR strategies compatible withcultural aspects of the communitiesto strengthen community's copingcapacity towards disasters. Theintegration of local knowledge withappropriate scientific knowledge inan effective way can make thedisaster affected communities'resilience against natural disasters. Itis essential to note that understandingand studying culture only on surfacewill not lead to be successful. Properengagement with culture is therefore,a vital part if we are to utilize culturetowards effective DRR activities andvice-versa.

Each organization involved indevelopment sector will havedifferent capacities and resources tobring to disaster-prone area. Eachorganization has somethingimportant to contribute; some bringtechnical skills while others equallyessential more generally applicablecommunity based knowledge andskills. All we need is streamlining theefforts by using a process wherebyvarious voices are heard early, adialogue can be initiated anddifferences worked out before, ratherthan during a hazard response.

– Vishal Pathk with AIDMI Team1 http://www.fig.net/pub/uruguay/papers/ts07a/TS07A_nabutola_6401.pdf


RISK REDUCTION

Livelihood Diversification: Reducing ClimateDependencyAn inordinate amount of people

in India are dependent on farmbased livelihoods. Farming is still ofcentral importance, but is unable toprovide a sufficient means of survivalin rural areas due various factorsincluding population growth andthus increase in involvement inagriculture sector, technicaldevelopment and climate change.This makes the 'climate dependent'population particularly vulnerable tothe debilitating impact of disasters.In order to promote the issue oflivelihood security, the researchstudy undertaken byIntercooperation SocialDevelopment; Institute ofDevelopment Studies, UK; and AllIndia Disaster Mitigation Institutewith the support from ClimateDevelopment and KnowledgeNetwork (CDKN) that focused; on thepossible need for and role of the RuralNon Farm Economy (RNFE) andchallenges and; to understand if theexisting knowledge on RNFE andlivelihood diversification providebasis for reducing climatedependency in rural India

The fact that climate change hasexacerbated the frequency andseverity of disasters (IPCC, 2012) hasin turn increased the vulnerability of

farm based livelihoods. In this light,the promotion of non-farm basedeconomic activities is seen as asurvival strategy of rural households(in India). Livelihood diversificationplays the role to mitigate the effectsof disasters; and seeks to offerprotection to communities who losetheir livelihood on account of thedisruption caused due to disaster.However, such diversifications arealso subject to the local naturalendowments, geography and policies

prevalent. There is a positivecorrelation observed betweenlivelihood development anddiversification which can be workedupon to develop disaster resilientlivelihood practices.

Cyclone Phailin provides a strongevidence that it is inevitable topromote and strengthen livelihooddiversification in rural (coastal) Indiafor a balanced income at family level,as a strong adaptation strategy andfor safer recovery options. It wasobserved that those involved inclimate dependent activities weresustainable post disaster.

While witnessing increasing impactof climate change in Odisha,livelihood diversification should beseen as an opportunity rather than achallenge to cope with climate changeimpacts. Resilient development mayrequire reducing the number ofpeople (especially those in rural and

Photo

: AID

MI.

A Patachitra artist post cyclone Phailin (2013) in Rajgopalpur, Odisha stressing onthe idea that reducing climate dependency is key to sustainable development.

Small enterprises are most vulnerableto disasters; The increasing frequencyof flood every year coupled withinadequate hardly mitigation measurescreate a devastating impact on be villageeconomy. The capital should reach tothe lowest level, to the end user, to theaffected small businesses.

– Dhirendra Behra,Grocery Shopkeeper,

Balapur Village, Puri, Odisha


agricultural livelihoods) who areheavily 'climate dependent'.Awareness of this will lead toincreased interest in thediversification of rural livelihoods,and will significantly help in povertyreduction. In order for the RNFE todevelop, it is important that thepolicy makers focus on alleviatingpoverty and strengthen both ruralsupply and demand side policies. Thefollowing areas should be consideredfor future actions:1. Both income and nonfarm

employment must be growing ifnonfarm growth is to contributeeffectively. This growth in nonfarm economy will requireinvestments in productiveactivities and infrastructure. Fordevelopment of rural non farmsector, it is inevitable to developgood transport andcommunication system that willopen up many avenues for bothmarketing of goods and servicesproduced by rural enterprises

CASE STUDY

Empowerment through Self Help Group

15 years back, women were isolatedand were not allowed to take part

in village planning and decisionmaking. A ray of hope was seen whencommunity-based organisationSWAD (Society for Women ActionDevelopment) entered the village andstarted an SHG with collecting rice.This gave us a chance to be a part ofpali-sabha and gram-sabha; and thusparticipated in community decision-making process.

Our SHG group had 12 members who contributed money to buy a piece ofland for cultivation; which will help us to support our families. Today, wehave more than 1.5 lakh in our SHG account.

Other than that, we have also started fish cultivation, pond renovation andplantations. We are exploring more methods for diversification oflivelihood for security and development.

– Rashmi Rekha Naik, Deulipuri, Puri District in Odisha (Female, 46 years)

'Acute and frequent floods causemigrations; My husband migrates everyyear during monsoons due to lack oflivelihood opportunities here. I joineda Self Help Group to support my family.The SHG gives me strength. We aremany. Our strength lies in our unity andnumbers. For what a group can do anindividual can hardly do.

– Shavitri Parida,Coir worker,

Madhuban Village, Puri, Odisha

and procurement of rawmaterials.

2. Upgrading the traditionaltechniques of production that isused by the rural population willreduce the dependency on theclimate and natural resources;and would improve theefficiency of rural enterprises andagriculture.

3. Improvement in the quality ofgoods will boost sales.

4. The government must provideemployment opportunities in the

rural areas; and ensure that theposts are filled by ruralpopulations.

5. Post disasters the conditions ofthe people in the rural areas areusually very bad; governmentmust ensure that trainingprograms are held to developnew skills to reduce thedependency on climate.

6. Greater focus on improvingeducational standards in ruralareas which can help theprinciple players understand thechallenges and therefore adapt.

It is the onus of policy makers todesign policies and investments thathelp local/rural economies to adjustand take advantage of the newsituation. Putting roadblocks formedium or large scale firms to enterrural areas is not going to help ruralareas much in their growth, it willjust isolate them. Production sectorpolicies will play a key role inspurring equitable RNF sectordevelopment — which is frequentlya missing part in the policy debate.Also important for facilitating suchparticipation are institutional andinfrastructure development policiesthat level the playing field for smallercompanies, reduce transaction costsfor those in the hinterlands and raisethe skills of the poor. It is importantto help poor overcome theirconstraints and ensure that they areable to participate and benefit fromRNF activities.

– Khyati Halani with AIDMI Team


CASE STUDY

Significant Accomplishments of GSDMA in2013Gujarat is vulnerable to manmade

as well as natural hazards. Thestate has experienced destructivedisasters caused by cyclones, floods,and earthquake in past, and is alsosusceptible to industrial accidents.Taking lessons from GujaratEarthquake 2001, the Government ofGujarat passed Disaster ManagementAct, by which Gujarat State DisasterManagement Authority (GSDMA)was formed with a focus on reducingdisaster risk through proactivepolicies, capacity building andeducation of communities. GSDMAhas been proactively working forenhancing preparedness andresilience. As one of the steps towardsit, Hazard Risk Vulnerability Atlaswas prepared in the year 2005 bywhich the vulnerability of differentdistricts to various natural and man-made disasters was mapped. TheDisaster Risk Management activitiesconducted by GSDMA in all thedistricts aims at preparing thecommunities and administration toface various probable hazards arebased on this study. Moreover worldclass fire safety equipments andvehicles have also been distributed

to Municipalities and MunicipalCorporations and adequate trainingis being imparted to the fire staff forusing these for tackling industrialaccidents.

The trainings and capacity buildingactivities have been useful in variousinstances which can be depicted fromthe following:

1. One of the nine tanks at IOCL'sHazira terminal caught fire onJanuary 4, 2013 and 2 adjacenttanks came very close toexploding due to the dominoeffect. GSDMA coordinated withnearby fire brigades to deploymassive resources in a shortperiod of time. As a result, 71 firetenders procured by GSDMA fordifferent municipalities weremobilized for fire fighting andit successfully doused the fire intwo days. Gujarat's response tofire at Hazira was spontaneouswith minimum lead time.

2. Gujarat received unprecedentedrainfall in 2013 affecting 14districts of south and centralregion. GSDMA played a keyrole in supporting andcoordinating the rescue efforts.Over 1,58,244 persons wereevacuated to safer places and 5,31,595 food packets weredistributed. District disastermanagement plans updated eachyear by GSDMA helped in rapid

Photo

: GSD

MA.

Water bowsers dousing fire at Hazira, Surat, Gujarat.Ph

oto: G

SDMA

.

Evacuation and Rescue work in Bharuch District, Gujarat.


evacuation of affected citizens topreidentified evacuation points.GSDMA equipment such asportable lighting towers and boatsproved to be crucial in saving livesin the worst affected districts ofBharuch, Surat and Vadodara.GSDMA's online State DisasterResource Network (SDRN) helpedin quickly getting emergencycontact details of key governmentofficials and providing them earlywarning of impending floods. Thedisaster impact was substantiallyreduced due to the flood specificmock-drills and training providedto community on a continuousbasis by GSDMA. Based on thisexperience, GSDMA is furtherrefining and improving the districtlevel disaster management plans.

3. Heavy rainfall in the catchmentarea of Narmada River in MP andGujarat caused a major deluge inthe Bharuch district leading tosevere soil erosion in NarmadaRiver. About 150 meters width ofNarmada river bank was washedaway upto a depth of 13-14 meters.Reliance and GAIL pipelinesruptured under the severe stressand there was the danger of aspillover affecting other pipelines.GSDMA's GIS based oil and gaspipeline software prevented amajor disaster by identifying all themajor oil and gas pipelines passingthrough the Bhadbut village inBharuch district and shutting themdown to prevent the possibility offurther damage.

The above incidents are the recentexamples of how GSDMA has been ableto use its capabilities and resources forthe prevention and response to some ofthe recent incidents that could havemagnified to major catastrophes. Butdue to interventions by stateauthorities, the damages sustained andlosses incurred were minimal. – Dr. R. Bannerji (IAS), CEO of Gujarat

State Disaster Management Authority,Govt. of Gujarat, Gandhinagar.

EXPERIENCE SHARING

Making a Case for Political EconomyAnalysis of Disaster Management

Over the years there has been increasing evidence that powerrelations, governance gaps and institutional factors influence

Disaster Management (DM) policy, including prioritization of actions,allocation of resources, and practice. The evolution of the DM policy andpractice frameworks in South Asia is yet to be systematically analysedfrom the political economy lens despite the increasing aid investmentson disaster response as well as risk reduction in the region. RedR Indiahosted a panel on this topic at the World Conference on HumanitarianStudies, held in Turkey in October 2013, for building an understandingof the political economy of DM in South Asian countries. RedR India got anopportunity to present its (yet to be published) paper titled 'Disaster managementdecision-making: how riskinformed is policy and practice?' at this panel.

The paper analyses the determinants behind decision-making for disastermanagement, specifically, the role of disaster risk analyses and politicaleconomy factors. The locus of analysis for this paper was the disastermanagement landscape in Bihar, India. This was analysed using a politicaleconomy approach since it emerged in the initial stages of research thatdisaster risk analysis was not the primary determinant behind disastermanagement decision-making. As analysed in detail in the paper, theemerging determinants of disaster management related decision makingincluded:• Political incentives based on the decision makers' short-term horizons,

emphasis on visibility of actions, patronage and rent-seekingbehaviour, political costs and political geography related calculations.

• Non-emergence of a political constituency around disaster riskreduction amongst the key constituents (viz. disaster-affected) andlimited collective advocacy around risk reduction issues.

• Persisting exogenous imaginaries of disaster and consequently, ofdisaster management.

It was thought relevant to explore this relationship in light of the shift indiscourse from stand-alone disaster management to risk-informeddevelopment planning. While the interaction of disaster risks anddevelopment processes has been globally recognized for over a decadenow, there is now a greater push for incorporation of disaster riskmanagement in development planning in the post-2015 agenda. As werevisit our successes and shortcomings towards the MDGs and the HFA,this is an opportune time to take stock of the current determinants ofdisaster management decision-making and learn from them.

The political economy approach enables this through an analysis of thepolitical and economic factors influencing individuals' and institutions'interests, incentives, interrelationships, and interplay in policy andpractice. The rising interest in such an analysis for disaster managementcan also be attributed to an increasing realization that despite theexpressed commitment to reducing disaster risks, this is not reflected inpolicy direction, resource allocation or citizen demands. The politicaleconomy approach, thus, offers an appropriate gateway for addressingthese questions, where quasi-technical approaches are unable to do so.

– Kaustubh Devale and Sheena Arora, RedR India


A very innovative area where'Getting Climate for Disasters'

focused was on the ReverseEngineering of disasters. Everybodyis aware of the scale of death anddevastation visited to the placeswhere disasters are struck. However,the specific reasons as to why wasdamage was so massive are yet to beuncovered.

The main objective of the research isto examine the behaviour of relevantinstitutions in relation to recentdisaster, through a process of "reverseengineering" to assess interplay ofvarious factors natural, social,economic and political thatexacerbated the severity of the impactof the disaster on the vulnerablepeople. To understand what needs tobe done in the future; we should stepback and reflect what was done andachieved. Keeping this in mind, theresearch was conducted usingFORensic INvestigations (FORIN) ofDisasters that investigated the eventsthat have occurred in the past withless serious or high consequences toaccumulate evidence of good practices(IRDR, 2011). The examination ofgood practice with low impacts wascompared with bad practices and highimpact to improve future activities.

We chose Cyclone Aila (2009)as our case study; where weassess the availability andquality of data, reports andother resources related tocyclones in order to analysethe disastrous effects of thecyclone; its root causes andimpacts; its preparednessmeasures and; finds ways toreduce the after-math ofdisaster by having programsthat can reduce the adverseeffects. Specific socio-

economic causes that increased thevulnerability of the people of the areato the debilitating impact of CycloneAila (2009) will be revealed throughthis reverse engineering.

Coastal states of India and Bangladeshhas to cope with a wide range ofenvironmental threats from suddenonset events such as cyclones andfloods to slow-onset processes ofenvironmental change anddegradation. In combination withthese factors, the people are notprepared well to deal with theseshocks and thus are highlyvulnerable. There have been severalproblems to establish the disastermanagement model in effect. Due toabsence in broad based ownership ofthe disaster risk reduction actionplans, every stakeholder implementsa different strategy to overcome risks.The government must aim toestablish a mechanism thatcoordinated disaster related activitieson all levels; however in most of thecases these were non-functional.Further, many people are not awareof the information about polices thathinders them from implementingthem at national level.

The actual damage caused by Aila wasmuch more than the threat perceived

by the communities. Since, theintensity was much lesser than theprevious Cyclone Sidr (2007), thecommunity did not take the warningsvery seriously and hence the level ofpreparedness was low. Thecommunity believes that althoughAila did not take away many lives ittook away most of their livelihoods.Thus, the recovery will take a longertime than anticipated. Further, risktransfer mechanism should bepromoted at large scale in relationwith recovery. For example,introduction of micro-insuranceagainst disasters for the poor will helpthem to recover their losses quickly.Without insurance, the poor who arealso the most vulnerable are forcedto use all their savings or have to takeup new loans at higher rates ofinterest. Micro-insurance will help tobreak this cycle by providing themwith the post disaster liquidity. Lackof such efforts in Aila has made thecommunities vulnerable andunprepared for future disasters.

On the other hand, efficient planningof preparedness activities beforecyclone Phailin in Odisha state, Indiais perhaps the greatest reason behindthe minimal loss and damage in anydisasters especially climatic extremeevents. Other reasons include the

constant monitoring ofweather patterns andwarnings, clear instructionsto district authorities,positioning of relief materialsand teams well in advance,coordination with the centralgovernment for defence andother agencies' assistance, andmost importantly, theevacuation of a large numberof vulnerable citizens to safelocations. – Vishal Pathak

and Khyati Halani

TITLE

Reverse Engineering: Aila Cyclone (2009)RISK ASSESSMENT

Understanding Disasters Differently

Photo: AIDMI.


Ecosystem based disaster risk reduction is theway to go if Kyoto commitments are to be met and

sustainable development is to be achieved. No where elsethis ecosystem based disaster risk reduction is more neededthan in the delta areas of Ganga, Brahmputra, and Meghnarivers. AIDMI's ongoing work in this delta area suggestsfollowing key challenges.• Slow Knowledge Sharing and Servicing among actors.• Need to set up Ecosystem Monitoring including

impacts on Wildlife buffer and Critical habitats.• Scoping Water Management and Irrigation Systems

Rehabilitation including Monitoring.• Reviewing Investments in Regional Roads Corridors.• Studing Impact of Development of Secondary Cities.• Unavailability of Key Ecosystem Indicators.

– Vishal Pathak

RISK REDUCTION

Ecosystem based Disaster Risk Reduction in Ganga,Brahmaputra, and Meghna Rivers: Key Challenges

BOOK

Environment and UrbanizationAtwice yearly journal

'Environment and Urbanization'aims to provide an effective means forthe exchange of research findings,ideas and information in the fields ofhuman settlements and environmentamong researchers, activists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)in low- and middle-income nationsand between these and researchers,international agency staff, studentsand teachers in high-income nations.E&U is prepared by the HumanSettlements Programme of theInternational Institute forEnvironment and Development(IIED) and published by SafePublications with support from Sida,DANIDA and UK Aid from the UKgovernment. It is a sister journal toMedia Ambiente y Urbanization,published in Spanish by the IIED-America Latin and to E&U Asiapublished by Sage Publications India.

The current issue titled "Towardsresilience and transformation forcities" released in October 2013 is the50th issue of E&U, Volume 25 andNumber 2. The issue contains:

• Urban environmental challengesand climate change action inDurban, South Africa, (DebraRoberts and Sean O'Donoghue)

• The constraints on climatechange adaptation in a city witha large development deficit: TheCase of Dar es Salaam (RobertKiunsi)

• Incorporating climate changeadaptation into planning for aliveable city in Rosario,Argentina (Jorgelina Hardoyand Regina Ruete)

• Experiences of integratedassessment of climate impacts, adaptation and mitigationmodelling in London andDurban (CLWalsh, D Roberts, RJ Dawson, J W Hall, A Nicksonand R Hounsome)

• The political underpinnings ofcities' accumulated resilience toclimate change (DavidSatterthwaite)

• Shared learning" for buildingurban climate resilience -experiences from Asian cities(Sarah Orleans Reed, RichardFriend, Vu Canh Toan, PakamasThinphanga, Ratri Sutarto andDilip Singh)

• Governing urban climate changeadaptation in China(Bingqin Li)

• Addressing flooding in the city ofSurat beyond its boundaries (G KBhat, Anup Karanth, Lalit Dashoraand Umamaheshwaran Rajasekar)

• Flood disaster vulnerability ininformal settlements in Bursa,Turkey (Murat Tas, Nilüfer Tas,Selen Durak and Gül Atanur)

For more information:http://www.iied.org/eandu

Photo

: AID

MI.


As the country heaves a collectivesigh of relief at the minimal loss

of life in the aftermath of CyclonePhailin, certain disconcertingquestions need to be answered.Among these inconvenient questionsis the one that speculates on the impactof climate change on the intensity andfrequency of cyclonic storms.

As of now the impact of climatechange on the intensity and severityof cyclonic storms is yet to beunderstood fully and provedconclusively. However, there havebeen certain studies that tangentiallypoint towards this end. For instance,a study published in Nature Geosciencein 2010 states that greenhousewarming will cause the globallyaveraged intensity of tropicalcyclones to shift towards strongerstorms, with intensity increases of 2-11 per cent along with 34 per cent

1 Cyclone Phailin and climate change, http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/cyclone-phailin-and-climate-change2 Phailin and Climate Change, Connecting the Dots, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chaitanya-kumar/phailin-and-

climate-change_b_4096231.html3 Variations of Surface Air Temperature Over the Land Areas in and Around the Bay of Bengal, http://link.springer.com/

article/10.1023%2FB%3ANHAZ.0000023368.81668.e34 The geography of poverty, disasters and climate extremes in 2030, http://www.odi.org.uk/publications/7491-geography-

poverty-disasters-climate-change-2030

decrease in the average frequency oftropical cyclones by 21001.

The science behind cyclone formationalso sheds some light on the issue.Cyclones are low pressure systemsthat form over warm tropical oceans.They derive energy from the warmerwaters and do not form unless thetemperatures are over 26.5 degreesCelsius. The recorded temperature inthe Bay of Bengal where Phailindeveloped was 28-29 degrees Celsiuswith very high heat content2. Further,sea surface temperature variationsover the Bay of Bengal show a warmingtrend over the last few decades3.

In fact, the Overseas DevelopmentInstitute (ODI) an influential thinktank has ranked India as extremelyvulnerable to the risks of extremeweather disasters, in its new reporttitled 'Geography of poverty, disasters

and climate extremes in 2030'4. Thus,there is a very high likelihood of therecurrence of extreme events likeCyclone Phailin in India.

This increased vulnerability of Indiapoints to an urgent need for having alegislative and policy infrastructurein the country that is dynamic enoughto respond to the threats posed byclimate change. Political actionvindicated by academic research willbe needed to mobilize resources tobe expended to counter the threat ofclimate change in India. Theadministrative apparatus at the behestof the government has indeed done acommendable job in saving livesduring Cyclone Phailin. Such effortscan now be taken forward by makingclimate change adaptation as apriority and an indispensable part oftheir agenda as well.

– AIDMI Team

Photo

: AID

MI.

KNOWLEDGE SHARING

Cyclone PhailinKNOWLEDGE SHARING

Cyclone Phailin


On December 07, 2013, All IndiaDisaster Mitigation Institute hosted

a group of 15 students of Social Workdiscipline of the famous Karve Institute ofSocial Science in Mumbai along with theirfaculty Mrs. Anjali Maydeo Ambedkar. Theevent featured a presentation on AIDMI'swork and current projects; and exploredways to include an aspect of gender in theClimate Smart Disaster Risk Management(CSDRM) approach. The presentation wasfollowed by an enriching discussion onideas about adopting innovative, inclusiveand community based approach to climatesmart disaster risk reduction. Mihir R. Bhattencouraged the students to further explorethe ways to integrate gender in CSDRMapproach and; reinforced AIDMI'scommitment to involve more and moreyoung people in AIDMI's disaster risk reduction efforts. The social science view found that impact of climate changerisk and women must be better understood, plans for adaptation must start with the focus on women; and women'slivelihood are most important link to both family's economy and the local economy. – Khyati Halani

EXPERIENCE SHARING

Gender and CSDRM Approach: A SocialScience View

All India Disaster Mitigation Institute has publishedthe 100th issue of its newsletter

Southasiadisasters.net. Ever since its inception in May2005, Southasiadisasters.net has received contributionsfrom our 345 authors belonging to 188 organizationsfrom India and 33 countries, covering 13 disasters,spanning over 30 themes and 11 important nationaland international policy discourses. The uniqueness ofSouthasiadisasters.net can be highlighted in thefollowing points:1. Southaisadisasters.net has a rich repository of

knowledge on themes that address all the 5priorities of the Hyogo Framework for Action(HFA 1).

2. Southasiadisasters.net has comprehensivelycovered a total of 13 disasters since 2005.

3. Southasiadisasters.net has made considerable inroads in shaping the discourse on 11 policiesrelated to disaster risk reduction at national andinternational level.

4. Southasiadisasters.net has been enriched bycontributions from that have come majorly from

action oriented and local level implementationagencies. The Southasiadisasters.net has beenfortunate enough to receive contributions fromdistinguished researchers and academics.

5. Southasiadisasters.net espouses a truly globalperspective to the policies and practices related tothe field of disaster risk reduction. But it is rootedin down to earth. It has received contributions fromindividuals and organizations from 33 countries.

6. In advocating better and improved disaster riskreduction policies and practices,Southasiadisasters.net has collaborated with a totalof 188 national and international organizationsthat range from governments departments toeducational institutions to United Nations System'sand from international NGOs to the private sector.

Thus, the hitherto published 100 issues provide over17,000 readers with a rich repository of knowledgecovering a wide range of issues and themes related todisaster and climate risk reduction.

for more information: [email protected], www.aidmi.org

Photo

: AID

MI.


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

PRINTED MATTERBook-Post

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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!

TITLEPRESS RELEASE

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World BankGroup President Jim Yong Kim Outline Plans toMobilize Financing for Sustainable Energy for All

NEW YORK, November 27-UnitedNations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank GroupPresident Jim Yong Kim announceda concerted effort by governments,international agencies, civil societyand private sector to mobilizefinancing to deliver universal accessto modern energy services such aslighting, clean cooking solutionsand power for productive purposesin developing countries, as well asscaled-up energy efficiency,especially in the world's highest-energy consuming countries.

"Energy powers growth andopportunity," said the UN Secretary-General. "We count on all actors to leadby example in scaling up andaccelerating action that will provideclean, efficient and sustainable energyfor all. Today's many announcementsare a testament to the resolve of partnersto chart a path forward."

Among these announcements,Brazil's "Light for All" programreached the milestone of 15 millionbeneficiaries, resulting in over 99percent of the population havingaccess to electricity. Norway has

committed to support renewableenergy and energy efficiencyactivities with about NOK 2 billionin 2014. Bank of America announcedthat its Green Bond, the world's firstof its kind, has raised $500 millionfor three years, as part of Bank ofAmerica's 10-year $50 billionenvironmental businesscommitment. The OPEC Fund forInternational Developmentannounced a $1 billion revolvingfund for energy access. The UnitedNations Development Programmeannounced the creation of a Hub forBottom Up Energy Solutions toadvance energy access at countrylevel. The World Bank Group'sEnergy Sector ManagementAssistance Program has launched aCity Energy EfficiencyTransformation Initiative covering 50cities worldwide.

The two leaders also announced thatenergy assessments have beenlaunched in 42 countries, whichaccount for 361 million peoplewithout access to electricity."Financing is the key to achieving theseobjectives," said World Bank GroupPresident Kim. "To reach our goals for

access to energy, energy efficiency, andrenewable energy, we need to mobilizean additional $600-$800 billion a yearfrom now to 2030".

President Kim also said that theSE4ALL Advisory Board pressed forrapid action to scale up energyefficiency improvements, especiallyin OECD countries which includethe world's largest energyconsumers. Denmark and theUnited Nations EnvironmentProgramme have launched anenergy efficiency hub to support thisprocess.

Kandeh Yumkella, the Secretary-General's Special Representativeand Chief Executive forSustainable Energy for All, pointedto widespread support for not onlySustainable Energy for All fromnumerous partner, but for energyto be at the heart of any negotiatedoutcomes on a Post-2015Development Agenda.

(source: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/11/27/secretary-general-

ban-ki-moon-world-bank-group-president-jim-yong-kim-outline-plans-mobilize-financing-

sustainable-energy-for-all)

an-r&r 25 9 04 - preventionweb.net · community to lead with the impacts of climate change, ......

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