october 2016 southasiadisasters.net 1€¦ · about the akshaya patra foundation the akshaya patra...

southasiadisasters.netOctober 2016 1

southasiadisasters.net October 20162

ABOUT THIS ISSUE

BUILDING RESILIENCE THROUGH CSR

DRR and CSR: What Must bethe Agenda?While India has a long-standing

tradition of corporatephilanthropy, there is today anincreased focus on CSR or corporatesocial responsibility with thegovernment issuing clear guidelineson expenditure regarding activitiesclassified as CSR. The clause 135 ofthe Companies Act 2012 provides aframework for private and publiccompanies to spend 2% of theirprofits after tax on sociallyresponsible activities in thematicareas suggested under schedule VIIof the bill.

In its initial versions Schedule VIIdid not mention natural or man madedisasters – neither relief nor mitigation– speaking only of environmentalsustainability. Subsequently though,it was later modified to include onlydisaster relief. The guidelines urge aliberal interpretation of the ScheduleVII and give ample opportunity forcontributing to various areas basedon the requirement of the region andcorporate.

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)positively impacts the economics,social welfare and natural resourcesof a country. Corporates would befostering both national welfare andtheir business sustainability bycontributing CSR donations intoDRR. To align with Schedule VII,

and for ease for reporting to thepublic and authorities, the agenda forDRR under CSR could beapproached by companies inpartnership with organisations andNGOs specialising in DRR under thefollowing thematic areas:

1. Promotion of EducationEducation is high on the CSR agendaand many corporates supportlearning and skill building.Fortunately both these are easilyaccommodated as components underDRR.

Capacity and Skill BuildingVulnerability to disaster and theability to contribute to DRR variesaccording to gender, region, caste etc.Hence there is a need to buildcapacity in communities throughexisting institutions since it can go along way in mainstreaming disasterrisk management. Policies andinitiatives also need to account forthese differences. Educating andcultivating relevant vocational skillsin children, women, elderly, and thedifferently abled would be synergeticto companies working withcommunities in vulnerable regions.

Livelihood Protection andEnhancementTraditionally, there has been focus bycorporations to contribute to

This issue ofSouthasiadisasters.net is

titled 'Corporate SocialResponsibility (CSR) andDisaster Risk Reduction (DRR).'It highlights the importance ofbuilding resilience societies byinvesting in DRR as a strategicCSR activity.

The various aspects highlightedin this issue serve to describehow India has a long-standingtradition of corporatephilanthropy, by explaining theCSR tradition in the country anddifferent examples in which ithas been applied. The clause 135of the Companies Act 2012describes the areas in which CSRprojects are developed, howeverthe guidelines do not mentiondirectly the need for investing inDRR. Companies shouldcomprehend that by investing inDRR as a strategic CSR activitythey will preserve livelihoodsfrom disasters and at the sametime they will ensure theirbusiness viability.

Therefore this issue will showdifferent examples of howbusiness sustainability can bereached by contributing CSRdonations into DRR. Experiencessuch as CAIRN in India; the needto children and youth as equalpartners in all stages of DRR inPost Sendai Framework; and theimportance of social media,Geographical education, IGUand Science-Policy are someexamples this issue will addressin order to understand theimportance of integrating DRR asa strategic CSR activity forbuilding a resilient society.

– AIDMI Team

The agenda for DRR under CSR could be approached bycompanies in partnership with organisations and NGOsspecialising in DRR under the following thematic areas:Promotion of Education on Capacity and Skill Buildingand Livelihood Protection and Enhancement;Empowerment of Women and Gender Equality; Focusingon Environmental Sustainability; and Rural Developmentand Poverty Alleviation.


livelihood generation initiatives;hence protecting livelihood streamswould be a natural next step for suchdonors. Disasters can causeunprecedented damage to thelivelihood streams of the rural andmarginalized population –businesses, infrastructure andagriculture are all hit with equalvelocity. It would be in everyone'sinterest to be suitably preparedthrough instruments like insuranceor be armed with the necessaryknowledge to combat the impact ofdisasters. There is a reasonable caseto organize such initiatives and getthe desired outcome in reducing riskand building resilience.

2. Empowerment of Women andGender Equality

We have seen that women are veryvulnerable to the impacts of adisaster, and they are not made a partof the planning and implementationof disaster risk reduction ormanagement. An increase in theirunderstanding of the risk, and, theirrobust participation would be astrong empowering exercise for theaffected women. They can also beincluded in futuristic planning

Round Table Discussion on CSR and Disaster Risk Reduction, August 10, 2016, New Delhi.

through participation in programspromoting renewable energy, inleading small environmentallysustainable businesses and buildingresilient families and communities.They can be empowered with climateresilient agricultural methods too.Through CSR programs robustknowledge sharing, informationexchange, capacity building and skilldevelopment to proactivelyparticipate in climate centricdevelopment and monitoring.

3. Focusing On EnvironmentalSustainability

There is already a willing corporateparticipation in nurturing ecologyand building environmentalsustainability through CSR initiatives.Fortunately the DRR agenda alsoincludes maintaining an ecologicalbalance, conservation of forests andnatural resources like soil, water etc.Thus initiatives to invest in theenvironment can be readilyintegrated with disaster riskmanagement.

4. Rural Development and PovertyAlleviation

There is a valid case for CSR

contributions in preparing thecountry to reduce risk of and managedisasters including climate changefall-out. Sound DRR strategies andmanagement have a direct impact onbusiness continuity. Initiatives canalso be extended to taking preventivehealth measures and investing insanitation, clean water etc.Infrastructure development, financialaccess and risk- transfer mechanismsalso empower the poor andmarginalized. A disaster hassignificant impact on the economicsof the people and the region and thusDRR initiatives would be a win-winfor rural development in vulnerableareas.

It is time to understand theimportance of DRR in the context ofexisting sustainable developmentframeworks. It is necessary tothematically integrate it within largerprograms or as a part of a whole. Itis inherent in most areas of focusdefined in the CSR agenda and canbe easily integrated to lend gravitasto existing and future initiatives.

– Ms. Madhu Singh Sirohi,Former Country Head,Vodafone Foundation

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CASE STUDY

DRR and CSR: Experience of CAIRN in India

CSR and DRR The concept and practice ofcorporate social responsibility inIndia is by and large restricted toinitiatives related to the socioeconomic development of the peopleliving in the vicinity of theiroperations. In times of disaster, thecorporate efforts are mainlychannelized towards relief andrehabilitation. Very seldom have weseen deliberate CSR interventions inthe area of disaster risk reduction andbuilding of resilience. However sincemarginalized communities are morevulnerable and have less resilienceto disasters and the focus of CSRactivities are these vulnerablecommunities, corporate through theirCSR efforts can contributesignificantly to DRR and build'National Resilience'.

The CAIRN ExperienceAs with all CSR initiatives, the mainthrust of the Cairn CSR effort is toattain a sustainable future of thecommunities in the areas of ouroperation – Rajasthan, Gujarat, and

Andhra Pradesh. Towards this end,our programs primarily focus onreaching across communities forbringing about an overallimprovement in the socio–economicindicators.

This article will bring to light how aprogram envisaged for socioeconomic development, not onlyachieved its goals but how it becamea major component and contributingfactor in DRR.

As part of our 'Livelihood Initiatives',Project 'Unnati' a farm basedlivelihoods program covering threeblocks of Barmer District waslaunched in 2013 to t to increaseincome through productivityenhancement of agriculture andlivestock.

Among the various components ofthis program, one module- 'The Soiland Moisture Conservation Program'which mainly consisted of buildingKhadins, not only achieved theobjectives for which it was designed

but can be said to have a directimpact on DRR.

Khadin is an ingenious constructiondesigned for in-situ conservation ofsoil and moisture in the agriculturefield and for harvesting surfacerunoff water for agriculture. It is anearthen embankment built across thegeneral slope which conserves themaximum possible rainwater runoffwithin the agricultural field. TheKhadin system is based on theprinciple of harvesting rainwater onfarmland and subsequent use of thiswater-saturated land for cropproduction.

The Direct Impact of the Khadins• Converting 100 hectare the long

fallow/waste land to cultivableland

• Increasing soil moisture andproductivity in 300 hectares

• Estimated volume of waterharvested – 3,75,000 cum. Thisharvested rain water contributedtowards the ground waterrecharge, leading to rising of thewater table in the wells

• Runoff from the catchmentharvested in a storage area of 90hectares to an average height of0.6 m and estimated volume ofwater harvested is about 5,40,000cum.

While this direct impact wasvisualized and intended, what thisprogram contributed indirectly cameto be slowly recognized and visiblein year three when about 270Khadins were complete.

Indirect Impact• Harnessing the flood water

runoff effectively• Improvement in land

productivity - cultivation ofsecond crop and cropdiversification which increasedHousehold individual Khadin.


the community's resilience todrought and reduced socioeconomic vulnerability

• Mitigated the adverse effects ofdesertification and adverseclimatic conditions

• Restored ecological balance by

Jalela Community Khadin (Before & after rain pictures, harvested around 43000 Cum rain water).

CASE STUDY

Role of The Akshaya Patra Foundation in ReliefGoing beyond meals, Akshaya

Patra has also extended supportto millions of people during naturalcalamities and disasters as a part ofits disaster relief initiative. During theChennai Floods in January, 2016,Akshaya Patra supported flood ravagedChennai to alleviate the distress inthe region. To this effect, our teamconstantly served freshly cookedmeals every day with the aim ofincreasing the reach to 10,000 mealsa day. Cumulatively 89,600 mealswere served, including food packetsto people in need at sixteen differentlocations in and around Chennai.

When a massive earthquake wreckedNepal during April 2015, AkshayaPatra set up an Earthquake ReliefCentralised Kitchen in Nepal with thecollaboration of Sipradian SahayataSanstha (SSS) and the Tata Trust. The

kitchen was set up over an area ofapproximately 2,500 sq.ft at Bhaktapur.One lakh meals comprising of puris,pickles, cakes, biscuits, channa andmakhana were prepared in the Jaipurkitchen, and transported to Delhi,from where it was airlifted to therelief site. The Nepal kitchen closedoperations on September 17, 2015after serving 1.4 million meals across88 days in the region.

About The Akshaya Patra FoundationThe Akshaya Patra Foundation withits every endeavour wants toeradicate classroom hunger for schoolgoing children in India. In June 2000,The Akshaya Patra Foundationstarted the mid-day meal programmein Bengaluru, Karnataka, with an aimthat "No Child in India shall bedeprived of education because ofhunger". What started as a humble

beginning of serving mid-day mealsto 1500 children across fiveGovernment schools in Bengaluru,we are able to feed 1.6 millionchildren in 12,652 schools, across 10states and 24 locations. With partialsupport from the Government, wealso depend on corporate funds,philanthropic donors, volunteers andwell-wishers for managing this largeoperation. This year (2016), weachieved the milestone ofcumulatively serving 2 billion mealsmaking us the first not-for-profit tohave achieved this feat in the worldever. In appreciation of our work,The President of India, Shri PranabMukherjee recently visited ourfoundation on the 27 August to takepart in commemoration of serving 2Billion Meals. – Mr. Muralidhar Pundla, Director -

Quality & Continual Improvement,Projects, The Akshaya Patra Foundation

harnessing, conserving anddeveloping Natural Resourcesi.e. land, water, vegetative coverand increasing landproductivity.

These can be clearly categorized asan impact of CSR on Disaster Risk

Reduction and contributing to theresilience of the community todisasters of drought and flood.

– Sahima Hannan Datta,DGM, CSR, Cairn India Limited,

Gurgaon, New Delhi


Disaster Medicine Training.

CHILDREN AND DRR

Children and Youth in the Sendai Process

Over the last century, the numberof disasters has increased

significantly, as have the number ofaffected people. The economic impactgrave, along with breakdown ofsocial systems and environmentaldestruction.

In parallel to this, we have aninflation of the humanitarian needs.Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)investment can no longer be ignoredby any sector. The Sendai Frameworkfor Disaster Risk Reduction (agreedto in March 2015 in Japan) hascreated consensus among countriesto act of this critical topic.

Children and youth constitute overhalf of the population of the world,and owing to special needs, they arespecially vulnerable in situations ofdisasters. They are also drivers ofchange.

They recognize the importance ofDRR, and have not waited for globalpolitical consensus to start workingon all aspects of DRR. A few recentinstances include medical students

providing assistance and first aidduring the Nepal earthquake in April2015, and youth groups leadingdevelopment and distribution ofhome-made water cleaning sets to beused during disasters.

In order to sustainably andinclusively implement the SendaiFramework, it is critical that childrenand youth in all their diversity areincluded as equal partners in allstages including decision making,

planning, implementation,monitoring, and review.

For this engagement to bemeaningful, it needs to be facilitatedand protected through mandatedinstitutionalized spaces. The UnitedNations Major Group for Childrenand Youth (UN MGCY) as a UnitedNations General Assembly createdand mandated space for youngpeople is one of the existing avenuesfor young people around the world.

It has facilitated youth participationin intergovernmental and other alliedprocesses (now over 10) at the UNsince 1992. The UN MGCY mobilizedthousands of youth, facilitateddozens of consultations around theworld, and advocated for thepriorities of youth in the negotiationsof the Sendai Framework throughoutthe cycle of the process including theregional meetings, preparatorycommittee meetings, and the Sendaiconference itself.

In post Sendai Framework adoptionphase, it is now preparing to ensuremeaningful participation of childrenand youth in its follow up and reviewincluding the High Level Political

Keep in hand with hot air full of International Youth Forum, March 15, 2015, Sendai.


Forum, the Asian MinisterialConference for DRR & its preparatoryprocess, along with other regionalmeetings, and the Global Platform.Furthermore, in the area of scienceand technology, in order to providemore evidence-based policy making,UN MGCY launched the youngscientists platform on DRR at theUNISDR Science and TechnologyConference on Implementing the SendaiFramework in January 2016. Thisplatform is operated under of the UNMGCY Youth Science and PolicyInterface Platform. It provides spacefor young scientists to shareknowledge, leverage their capacity,and contributing to science-policydiscussion through their ownexperience in research.

Through all these initiatives andefforts, we realize that partnershipsand networks are crucial to build a

resilient society. Through adaptivelearning, sharing knowledge,mobilization of resourcespartnerships and networks could bea strong instrument for an effectiveand collective approach to disasterrisk reduction initiatives.

Children and youth are open to worktogether with all stakeholders inreducing disaster risk. We urge forstronger partnerships with allstakeholders, including government,civil society, the private sectorsincluding business and corporates.However, it is crucial that thepartnership is built on the base ofrecognizing children and youth'srights as equal partners.

In benefiting society, businesspractices must promote and focus oninclusive approach in their model. Itcan be embedded through CSR

programs aimed at buildingcapacities for children and youth,engaging them in constant dialogue,decision-making, and accountabilitywith community. Though CSRmodels alone are not enough, andshould not become a whitewashingexercise without any accountabilityfor the core business itself. Manyprivate sector models and in somecases entire industries are seriouscontributors to actually enhancingdisaster risk. CSR is of little relevancefor rectifying this behavior andbuilding genuine resilience.

You can learn more about the specificpriorities of young people in theSendai Process http://childrenyouth.org/blog/2015/03/24/mgcy-updated-drr-policy-brief.

– Moa Herrgard, UN MGCY DOPfor DRR; and Annisa Triyanti, UN

MGCY DRR SPI Focal Point

The term 'private sector' is takento mean businesses that produce

goods and provide services for profit.This includes businesses of all sizes,from local enterprises up totransnational corporations. It alsoincludes informal-sector enterprisesas well as registered and regulatedbusiness: in developing countries, theinformal sector is often extensive andsignificant economically and as anemployer.

The social responsibility of theprivate sector goes beyond thesector's day-to-day operation ofproducing a certain range of productsand services in the most efficient andeconomical manner. The socialresponsibility of the private sector(also referred to as corporate socialresponsibility) concerns therelationships of a company not justwith its clients, suppliers andemployees, but also with othergroups, and with the needs, valuesand goals of the society in which it

PRIVATE SECTORS AND DRR

The Private Sectors and DRRoperates. All these groups can beregarded as stakeholders in thecompany. Stakeholders can beidentified as those individuals orgroups of individuals that have aninterest, or take an interest, in thebehavior of the company both withinand outside its normal mode ofoperation. (UN 2000: 2)

Therefore corporations andbusinesses have become important indisaster risk management eventhough there is still lack ofregulations and incentives for theprivate sector to invest in DRR andCSR. The importance of addressingdisaster risk factors through disasterrisk-informed public and privateinvestments is because it is more cost-effective than primary reliance onpost-disaster response and recover,and by doing this it contributes tosustainable development.

The private sector is already heavilyinvolved commercially in disaster

reduction. Engineers, consultants,software designers, insurers,transporters and suppliers of goodsand services of many kinds areamong those for whom risk anddisasters are business opportunitiesfor two main reasons:1. The necessary replacement of the

old command-and-control stylewith more integrated, collaborativeapproaches involving a range oforganisations; and

2. The sheer scale of manyinternational humanitarian crises,especially those resulting fromconflict.

Where does the role of the privatesector lie in disaster management?1

• In training, equipping andachieving proficiency foreffective response capacity forhigh risk communities.

1 Disaster Management: A Role for thePrivate Sector, https://www.gdrc.org/uem/disasters/dm-privatesector.html


• In assessing institutional needs,developing and implementingprogrammes to assist keyorganizations with sustainabilityissues and measures

• In improving disasterconsciousness of the generalpopulation

• In improving access to accurateinformation and basiccommunication, energy andwater systems for high-riskcommunities by facilitatingappropriate technologyalternatives on credit toqualifying communities.

At the same time, local authoritiesneed to provide a more effectiveframework for unleashing the fullpotential of private sectorcontribution. This framework caninclude policies that contributedirectly to safer industrial operation,and incentives for business to becomemore involved in disastermanagement programmes.Mechanisms whereby businesses andthe authorities meet to discuss theirrespective roles and contributions tonational disaster security need to beset up and operationalized on aregular basis.

In a session organized as a part ofthe World Conference on DisasterReduction (WCDR, January 2005,Kobe, Japan), a number of interestingviewpoints were put forth:

1. It apparent that the private sectorplays both vital and varied rolesin emergency management. Infact, it is not an exaggeration tostate that the contributions ofbusinesses in mitigation,preparedness, response, andrecovery activities have beenwoefully underestimated.

2. The private sector interactsfrequently with the public sectorto fulfill necessary communitydisaster functions. Therefore, thelines between the public andprivate sectors appear to bedisappearing, blurring, or evenartificial.

3. The public sector relies heavilyupon the goods and servicesprovided by the private sector.Many functions, such as publicinformation, debris removal, andemergency medical care, couldnot be adequately performedwithout the assistance of theprivate sector.

Disasters and the Informal SectorAn additional dimension to be considered for the needs of very low-income households is the role of the informal economic sector. In developingcountries, 40 to 90 percent of all economic activities happen informally; 30to 70 percent live in informal settlements, and more than 40-60 percent ofan economic investment takes place using informal credit/finance.

At stake in the immediate aftermath of a disaster are informal sector jobs,informal enterprises, houses built in slums and squatter lands, etc. Theseissues become further complicated due to concerns of governance, legalityand tenure of these informal sector activities.

4. Numerous factors facilitatecoordination among the privateand public sectors. Planningmeetings, communicationscapability, and cooperation werementioned as variables thatpromoted close collaboration.

5. Much more needs to be knownabout the roles of businesses indisasters. For example, are therefunctions performed by theprivate sector beyond thosementioned here.

6. Additional research oncoordination will be required,focusing on the interaction of thepublic and private sectors inemergency management.

7. Methods of educating andinvolving businesses inemergency management must bepromoted. Public officials andagencies should include, wherepossible, the private sector in alltypes of disaster prevention andplanning activities.

8. Practitioners must continue toemphasize networking andpartnering. The performance ofemergency management isincreasingly a result of successfulcollaboration amonggovernment agencies and theprivate sector.

9. The factors that hinder and helpcoordination must be exploredby academia. Practitionersshould familiarize themselveswith the lessons provided byscholars in order to augmentfuture emergency managementcapabilities.

– Brij Chauhan, AIDMIView of highway between Gangtok, Bagdogara.

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THE BIG PICTURE

CSR and DRR: The Indian Narrative

Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR), like many concepts

underpinned by positive motives, isoften misconstrued and practiced asa pragmatic tool businesses use tolimit consumer and civil societypressures. Grippingly, India, the firstand perhaps the only country in theworld to enshrine corporate socialallocations, offers insights on how toreimagine and embed CSR as both anarrative and practice.

Under the Companies Act of 2013,private and public companies "witha net worth of Rs 500 crore (or aturnover of Rs 1,000 crore or netprofit of Rs 5 crore1," must invest atleast two percent of their average netprofit for the preceding threefinancial years on CSR activities.These activities span livelihoods,social, economic, and environmentalcategories that are paramount toIndia's development.

While there is need for greater clarityon compliance, particularly howcomplex company structures accountfor social spending, this is a formativemoment for the emerging modernIndian narrative on CSR. Theformalization of CSR spending hasundoubtedly reenergized the practiseand should be viewed as a distinctphase marked by the expansion ofoverall charitable spending bycompanies, and hopefully better CSRactivities. Two years since the lawcame into effect; independent reportsnote that private businesses havespent nearly 250bn rupees, seven and

a half times more on charitableactivities compared to 20132.

Though some critics contend that theformalization of CSR in terms ofmonetary contributions may dilutethe spirit and level of corporategiving, and point to reduced givingby companies that would otherwisespend more than the rate required, Ibelieve this shift at the policy leveldoes more good than harm. The lawbroadens the range of firms that mustgive and has resulted in socialspending being vastly higher today.It stipulates spending in critical facetsof Indian life that, if done strategically,could address some fundamentaldevelopment challenges. ReorientingCRS toward being a strategic actionthat enables risk management couldchange the nature of CSR for the better.

In the environmental sphere, acategory wisely included in theapproved fields for CSR spendingunder the 2013 legislation, companiesmust begin to see their CSR spendingobligations not just as something towrite-off as a gift to the marginalized,but as an investment in the crucialbusiness and livelihoods ecosystemsnecessary for their own viability. Inother words, investing in disaster riskreduction (DRR) as a strategic CSRactivity is a 'no-regrets' activity asthere is a strong business case fordoing it. The most compellingindication of this is that India, whichexperienced the third highest numberof climate and weather relateddisasters in the world between 1995and 2015, loses nearly two percent(1.8%) of GDP per annum due tothese disasters3. These costs areincurred directly by businesses, andindirectly when critical infrastructurethat enables efficient business andeconomic flows are destroyed ordamaged. So, while preserving

livelihoods is a primary motivator,it's important that more 'corporates'develop a more nuanced andprogressive view of CSR, particularlyas a risk management tool with directlivelihoods benefits – a 'win-win.'

This view is beginning to capture theminds of India's social sector andbusiness community. Recently,AIDMI, a leading agency in the field,partnered with the AssociatedChambers of Commerce of India, thecountry's leading business lobby, toexplore the idea at a Round Table inNew Delhi. The event highlighted anumber of pioneering DRR orientedCSR work by corporates that shouldencourage all of us. However, thescale of these individual projects alsopoints to the need for greatercoordination, collaboration andimagination to safeguard livelihoodand business ecosystems at a greaterscale.

The key benefits of the policy shiftgoes beyond boosting livelihoods andpotentially tackling bigenvironmental and business risks. Itserves a fundamental generativepurpose by undermining thenarrative and perception that Indiadoes not hold the moral high groundon questions of social responsibility.Compelling companies to contributeto alleviating key national challengesat a rate identical to the spending thatNATO, the world's largest militaryalliance requires of member states,shows commitment and action thatcan result in seismic change. In myview, it minimizes what someconsider a credibility gap for Indiain raising questions about risks andresponsibility in other domains bothnationally and internationally.

– Tyrone C. Hall, PhD Student,Communication and Culture, York and

Ryerson Universities, Canada

1 The Indian Express (February, 2014).Mandatory 2% CSR spend set to kick infrom April 1.

2 Satish Y. Deodhar (May 2015). India'sMandatory CSR, Process of Complianceand Channels of Spending. W.P. No.2015-05-01. Indian Institute ofManagement.

3 Asian Development Bank.


GEOSCIENCE AND DRR

Geography and IGU for DRRthrough CSR and HumanGeoscience based Policy Making

Geographers with digital andspatial information technology

knowledge have been promotingdisaster risk reduction in ordertoillustrate socio-cultural, economic,ecological, institutional and politicalissues at different spatio-temporalscales. They provide biophysical,human, place-centered and region assystem perspectives on thetransformation of environments bysociety and nature at a variety oflevels, from the local/regional to thenational/global. Future imperativesdemand focus on recent globalinitiatives viz. Disaster RiskReduction, COP 21, SustainableDevelopment Goals, Urban Healthand Wellbeing and Habitat III inorder to solve common publicchallenges relating to food, energy,water, climate and health care usinggeographical education, social mediaknowledge, skill development,disaster mitigation, space informaticsand sustainable innovations. Thecorporate sectors across the countryis increasingly called upon to sharethe responsibility along with thepolicy makers and academia infinding viable and effective solutionsto geographically vulnerable regions.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)is a initiative which has been evolvedto help industry become "activepartners" in these above mentionedinitiatives and has been accordedlegal status in India.

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)Recently, the major disasters viz.Uttarakh and Srinagar Flash Flood,Earthquake in Nepal, Phailin Cyclonein Odisha and Drought inMarathwada caused serious

disruption of activities in India, butthe calamities were drasticallyreduced during Phailin event due tobetter forecasting and communitycommunication. In 2004, the lossesincurred during Tsunami were highdue to lack of technological expertise.As per World Bank estimate directlosses from natural disaster are upto 2% of the India's GDP. Moreimportantly, the impact of most ofthe disasters is disproportionatelyhigh on the poor. In this context,there is an urgent need to recognizenatural disasters in a comprehensivemanner and take effective steps forprevention and mitigation in spatialperspective. In the Sendai Frameworkfor Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, it is important to thoroughlyinvolve industry and businesses invarious Disaster Risk Reductioninitiatives. Active collaboration withthe corporate world can providemuch needed finance and technologyin making disaster preparedness,mitigation and response effective andviable. Geography can prioritize theproblem.

Geography, IGU and Science-PolicyInterfaceThe role of geographers to tacklespatial issues in disaster riskreduction have strong connotationsfor decision making through Science-Policy Interface. It is required toexplore the new arena of humangeosciences, integrating the earth,natural and social sciences, physicaland technological sciences. Thegeosciences approach provides aninnovative vision, society relevantgoals, mobilization of resources,participatory design and diagnosis

and efficient science-policy-community linkages which shouldnow evolve into science-policy-community-industry linkages. Focusshould be to conduct integratedproblem analysis taking intoconsideration science, communityand economic activities. Variousinteractive issues are being debatedduring International GeographicalCongresses towards need ofexploring new frontiers like Weatherforecasting and capabilities, Increasedagriculture, water and biodiversityvulnerability in the context of climatechange induced disaster, IdentifyingUrban Heat Island and impacts onHuman Health and Wellbeing, Oceanobservation system for monitoringSST and Integrated Coastal ZoneManagement (ICZM), Ecosystemservices and biological productivity,Participatory Resource Managementand ecological footprint, Naturalhazards and disasters risk mapping,Risk of Glacier Lake Outburst Floods(GLOF), Demographic dividend inthe region, Environment and securityinduced migration, LULC, SiteSuitability Analysis and Livelihoodsecurity. All of these could beexplored through utilizing SystemsApproach for promoting disasterSustainability (Figure 1).

The role of early warning system indisaster risk reduction in South Asiais very crucial. The emphasis need tobe given on the importance of multi-stakeholder approach andcommunity based disasterpreparedness (CBDP) in the coreconcept of disaster management.Here, the integration of small andmedium enterprises can prove to be


crucial in disaster response training,warning dissemination, publiceducation and outreach. Theseenterprises can also play an inevitablerole in recovery of livelihoodsalternatives in the aftermath of adisaster.

Participatory Spatial Technology forRisk ReductionIn recent years, Participatory SpatialTechnology incorporatingcommunity knowledge is becomingan effective tool for risk reduction.The five action points required forreducing risk include (i) Participationof local community, industry(through CSR platform) andacademia in capacity developmentand awareness generation throughInformation, Communication andTechnology (ICT) in DRR; (ii)Development of integratedassessment tools, methods andmodels for analysis and reducingrisk; (iii) Proper implementation of

rules and regulations by adoptingBuild Back Better theme inconstruction of settlements/infrastructure and management ofenvironment and habitat around us;(iv) Learning from best practicesavailable around us in reduction ofrisk and provision of multipleoptions to community; (v) Effectivecoordination between multipleagencies/stakeholders in dealingwith DRR; and (vi) Self–promotionand initiatives taken by the peoplethrough risk neighborhood mappingin DRR.

ConclusionAs South Asia is among the mostvulnerable regions to disasters, it isimportant to understand that thehazards are only naturalphenomenon, but aggravated todisasters by human /anthropogenicinterference. Media particularly socialmedia is emerging as an importanttool of change regarding disaster

Figure 1: Understanding Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) through CSR.

prevention. There are some graveconcerns of electronic and printedmedia regarding coverage andeffective communication.Geographical education in generaland IGU commission on Hazard andRisk in particular is required to solvedisaster induced common publicchallenges relating to food, energy,water, climate and health care. Thegovernance along with CSR needs tobe pro-active and encourage efficientcommunity partnership. Theassessment, evaluation andmonitoring is inevitable in DRR. Theassociation of industry and businessshould be promoted by providing anenabling environment with avenuesfor debates and discussions,cooperation from bureaucracy andcommunity leaders.

– R.B. Singh, Vice President-International Geographical Union (IGU)& Member, ICSU Scientific Committee;

Department of Geography, Delhi Schoolof Economics, University of Delhi,

New Delhi


ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION

Editorial Advisors:

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

AIDMI is delighted to receive generous support of UNICEF (India) towards this issue.

CSR and Disaster Risk ReductionAugust 10, 2016, New Delhi

– AIDMI Team

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

Dr. John TwiggSenior Research Associate, Department of Civil,Environmental and Geomatic Engineering,University College London, London

Madhavi Malalgoda AriyabanduSub-Regional Coordinator, Central Asia & SouthCaucasus, United Nations Office for Disaster RiskReduction (UNISDR), Kazakhstan

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, Institute of Rural Management Anand(IRMA), Anand, Gujarat, India

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