ROLE OF NGOS IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT

M.K. JyosthnaTAD/2014-10Dept of Plant Pathology

Outline

•Definitions

•India’s disaster risk and vulnerability

•Major disasters in the country

•Role of NGOs in disaster preparedness

•Role of NGOs in disaster mitigation

•Role of NGOs in disaster response

•Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and development

•Challenges encountered while responding to disasters

•Opportunities provided by the NGOs

Definitions Disaster-a sudden accident or a natural catastrophe that causes great damage or loss of life.

NGOs are organisations that are nonprofit making, voluntary and independent of government, engaged in activities concerning various societal and developmental issues

Voluntary organizations are defined as formal as well as informal groups such as: community-based organizations (CBOs); non-governmental development organizations (NGDOs); charitable organizations; support organizations; networks or federations of such organizations; as well as professional membership associations

India’s Disaster Risk and Vulnerability

About 40 million hectares of land in India is identified as flood-prone and on an average 18.6 million hectares of land gets flooded annually.

More than half of India’s total area of 3.28 million square kilometres falls in moderate to high seismic risk zones

Of the nearly 7,500 km long coastline, approximately 5,700 km is prone to cyclones arising from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

The hilly regions of India are susceptible to forest fires, landslides and snow avalanche hazards.

The most vulnerable to landslides are the Himalayan Mountains followed by the North-Eastern hill ranges.

India’s vulnerability to disasters

57% earth quakes68% drought12% floods8% cyclones

Major disasters in the country•The Latur Earthquake in Maharashtra in 1993

•Chamoli Earthquake in Uttarakhand in 1999

•Super Cyclone in Orissa in 1999

•Bhuj Earthquake in Gujarat in 2001

•Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004,

•Kashmir Earthquake in 2005

• Barmer Floods in Rajasthan in 2006

•Kosi Floods in Bihar in 2008

•Cyclone Aila in West Bengal in 2009

•The Cyclone Laila in Andhra Pradesh

•Cloudburst in Leh in August 2010

•Sikkim earth quake

•Floods in Kashmir in 2014

Role of NGOs in

Disaster preparednessDisaster mitigationDisaster responseMainstreaming disaster risk reduction in development

Disaster preparedness

Disaster preparedness is

ability to quickly and appropriately respond when required

“the state of readiness to deal with a threatening disaster situation or disaster and the effects thereof

It includes-early warning systemsrisk and vulnerability assessment,capacity building,the creation and maintenance of stand-by capacities contingency planning stockpiling of equipment and suppliesarrangements for inter agency coordinationevacuation plans and public information and associated training and field exercises

Areas of intervention by NGOs

•Advocacy•Assessment•Capacity building•Knowledge management

Disaster mitigation

Any action that seeks to make the impacts of a disaster/ hazard less likely to cause losses or to reduce its negative impacts

The focus of disaster mitigation measures is to minimise disaster risks and losses by:

a. Analysing the risk (likelihoods and consequences) b. Taking Risk reduction measures c. Risk Hedging (Transferring, sharing, or spreading disaster risks)

Measures of disaster management

Structural measures focus on some form of construction, engineering or employing physical changes or improvements to the risk context, such as building or strengthening flood embankments, constructing community shelters, and installing earthquake vulnerability reduction measures. -

Non-structural measures

focus on non-engineered activities like adopting and enforcing land use and building codes, conducting community training programmes in disaster risks and essential disaster management skills, diversifying livelihoods, fostering behavioural changes, and developing environmental controls.

The Role of NGOs in Disaster Mitigation

Pre disasters Post Disaster & Pre (till the next event)

- advocating at the appropriate forums including legislative

and policy levels for disaster mitigation to be

institutionalised in policy, legislative and institutional

frameworks,

- disaster mitigation awareness and capacity-building

activities- promoting inclusive disaster management

approaches

Participatory and inclusive approach in mitigation by NGOs

•Mitigation planning

•Information dissemination

•Sector specific mitigation efforts

•Climate related adaptive mitigation

mechanisms

•Techno legal and techno financial regime

Disaster mitigation initiativesMulti hazard mapping, including development of different hazard maps at community levels and collating them for block, district and higher levels, using PRA, remote sensing and GIS based community information systems.ii. Vulnerability mapping, including local level assessment covering geographical location, structures, occupations, living pattern, cultural practices etc.

iii. Capacity mapping, including identifying capacities from community level upwards, incorporating indigenous coping practices and identifying capacities of CBO and NGOs.

iv. Action planning for disaster mitigation, based on local actions towards targetted achievements of avoidance of adverse impact of disasters through multi-stakeholder participation, should extend to participatory implementation and monitoring processes.

Disaster response

Aggregate of decisions and measures taken to

•contain or mitigate the effects of a disastrous event to prevent any further loss of life; property and/or environment

•Restore order in its immediate aftermath

•Reestablish normality through early recovery reconstruction and rehabilitation shortly thereafter

Fundamental principles of disaster response

•The Humanitarian Imperative•Neutrality•Impartiality (non-discrimination)•Do no harm•Accountability•Participation of affected populations•Respect for culture & custom

Phase Needs and Timely Actions Timeline/remark

Phase-IAcute emergency phase orearly recovery

Search and rescue, first aid, disposal of dead bodies and animal carcasses, damage and needs assessment,relief mobilisation and distribution, temporary shelter, registration,information management, coordination etc.

1 to 30 days (depending on extent and gravity of disaster)Timely and appropriate response will depend on the preparedness and contingency planning put in place bythe Government and NGOs, CBOs and CSOs.

Phase-IICare, maintenance andrecovery phase

Food, water, sanitation, health care, psycho-social care, education, livelihoods,training, coordination

The length of this phase will depend on the type of emergency. In floods this might not exist while in case of big earthquake it might be coupleof years. This is the phase before affected population can return to normal ways of living. It also called transitional phase.

Phase-IIIReconstruction and long termrecovery

‘Durable solution’ for livelihoods, housing,skill building, institution building, coordination etc.

It may take 2 to 5 years to restore thelife back to normalcy and establishall the institutions and infrastructure‘better than pre-disaster days’

Key phases of disaster response

NGO Disaster Response Processes•Early Warning and evacuation•Search and rescue•Damage and needs assessment•Relief and humanitarian assistance•Social protection•Advocacy•Monitoring evaluation and learning documentation•Planning for early recovery•Coordination during response•Accountability•Civil-military coordination•Rapid and Progressive Needs Assessment•Participation and Self Reliance•Proactively Addressing Vulnerabilities•Appropriate Technical Support•Capacity Building

Typical NGO Responses to Emergencies

WaterSanitationPublic Health PromotionVector ControlFood Security and NutritionShelterReconstruction

Mainstreaming DRR in development

DRR refers to a wide sector of work on disaster management including: mitigation, prevention, risk reduction, preparedness, and vulnerabilities

As defined by the United Nations,

DRR represents “the conceptual framework of elements considered with the possibilities to minimize vulnerabilities and disaster risks throughout a society, to avoid (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and preparedness) the adverse impacts of hazards, within the broad context of sustainable development

Opportunities for NGOs in mainstreaming DRR

•Integration of DRR in to their developmental policy•Mainstreaming DRR in to their developmental strategy•Ensuring DRR through capacity building and training of NGOs•Geographical planning as an opportunity for mainstreaming DRR•Mainstreaming DRR in their project cycle management•Integration of DRR into development through mutual collaboration with others

Challenges encountered while responding to disasters

Weak Coordination

Brief time-spans for relief interventions

Neglect of remote and inaccessible disaster-affected areas

Tendency to rush to the epicentre of disastersInadequate adherence to humanitarian standards and good practicesIn adequate transperacy and accountability to donors and disaster affected CommunitiesNeglect of Rural-Urban Diversity and Primacy of Attention to Rural areas

Lack of clear exit strategy during transition

Advocacy Role of NGOs – “Do No Harm Approach

Opportunities provided by the NGOs

•Setting up a Functional GO-NGO Coordination Platform

•GO-NGO institutional arrangements

•Common accessibility to disaster affected areas

•Focus on the most vulnerable

•Setting and Committing to Minimum standards by GO-

NGO

•Institutionalizing Knowledge Creation and Management

Thank you