The
year 2001 saw the Indian Red Cross disaster management approach
move from being purely response-centred to one that incorporates
disaster preparedness and mitigation.
Over the years, Indian Red Cross disaster operations have been
significantly improved through a range of initiatives. These
include the building of cyclone shelters in Andhra Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Orissa, and six regional warehouses
in strategic locations around the country. A central training
institute has also been established.
Following the Assam flood in 2000, the Indian Red Cross began
a pilot study on risk reduction in the area with financial and
technical support from the Department for International Development
(DFID) and the International Federation. This highlighted the
importance of, and need for, community-based disaster preparedness
and branch capacity development.
Further flood operations in 2002 and 2004 underlined the need
for longer-term disaster preparedness plans and the need to
adopt a multi-sectoral approach. Recent years have therefore
seen the Indian Red Cross undertake a number of successful initiatives
to build the capacity of national headquarters and the state
branches. Prominent among these is the work undertaken by the
Bihar Red Cross state branch.
“I am empowered”
Bihar suffers from floods almost every year during the monsoon
season, predominantly due to The Ganges and its tributaries.
Twenty-one of Bihar’s 38 districts are flood-prone and
13 are chronic drought-prone. Such complexities compound the
impact of disaster on vulnerable people.
Under the dynamic leadership of Mr SP Singh, Honorary Secretary
of Bihar state branch, the branch has successfully scaled up
disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts. “We have
realized that this is the most cost-effective and sustainable
approach in the long run,” he explains.
Under the DFID-II disaster risk reduction programme (2005-08),
the branch this year is planning to build a warehouse, one raised
platform and 20 further raised tube wells in addition to the
100 tube wells already installed as part of the 2004 flood mitigation
programme.
The branch also plans to create a pool of trained master trainers
on vulnerability capacity assessment (VCA) and other aspects
of disaster management. The focus is primarily on community-based
preparedness and risk reduction activities.
This programme is being implemented in eight districts: Samastipur,
Muzaffarpur, Khagaria, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Nalanda, Aurangabad
and Nawada. Within these, all 15 of the most vulnerable communities
have been identified both from the flood and drought-prone areas.
The aim is to reduce their vulnerability through training and
raising awareness of risks, preparedness and mitigation measures
by the end of 2008.
According to Asif Shahab, Disaster Management Coordinator in
Bihar, 100 volunteers have already been trained in VCA and disaster
preparedness. Sixty more volunteers have been trained in first
aid and mental health. State disaster response team members
were included in the first VCA training so that they in turn
can become local resource persons in future VCA trainings.
“I am empowered,” says Vimala Devi from Samastipur,
one of the participants in the VCA training. “Now I know
about the hazards and risks that I and my community face. I
have to respond well when disaster strikes but also need to
be prepared before it.”
Other activities completed this year include a baseline survey
in 10 communities adopted for 2006 and the preparation of awareness-raising
street plays and folk songs on disasters. The emphasis of the
disaster risk reduction programme is on lesson learning through
documentation, videos, written case studies and participatory
evaluation.
Bihar state branch has come a long way since 2001 and is marching
on the path of success with the help of its committed and trained
volunteer force.
Major current activities include the construction of a raised
platform in the village of Barari Kothi in Muzaffarpur district
and the construction of warehouse in Samastipur district. Once
completed, these structures will surely ensure safer communities
in the future.
The Bihar experience clearly highlights the need for community-based
disaster preparedness and underlines that local interventions
with community participation are much more effective than any
efforts planned in isolation.
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Site
marked for building raised platform for flood victims-
Under the DFID-II disaster risk reduction programme. (p14762)
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According
to Asif Shahab, Disaster Management Coordinator in Bihar,
100 volunteers have already been trained in VCA(vulnerability
capacity assessment). (p14763)
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Construction
of Red Cross warehouse- Under the DFID-II disaster risk
reduction programme (2005-08), the branch this year is
planning to build a warehouse. (p14761)
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