INSIDE - United Nations Development Programme

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Monthly newsletter of the Disaster Management Unit, UNDP, New Delhi, India Nb n j

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February – March 2012, Issue XIX

INSIDE Training on International Recovery Guidelines UNDMT agencies trained on resilient recovery planning P- 3 Disaster Risk Reduction involving youth and children Personal encounters and lessons learnt on Disaster Risk Reduction involving Youth and Children. P-4-6 Is the health sector in India prepared enough to deal with disasters?

Knowledge Fair organized during UNDP RBAP cluster meeting P-14

UNDP Administrator visits the stalls put up at the Knowledge Fair. DM knowledge products from DRR Programme and DM Community, Solution Exchange were showcased in the fair

PAGEWISE Highlights

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Knowledge Management 4 School Safety Initiatives 6 Mainstreaming DRR 8

Capacity Building 9-12 Views 14 Look book 16 Upcoming Events 17

Photo album on PAGE 11

HIGHLIGHTS Integration of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) into Biodiversity & Ecosystem management on coastal and marine areas in the South Asia March 6 – 7, 2012, New Delhi A workshop on Integration of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) into Biodiversity & Ecosystem management on coastal and marine areas in the South Asia was conducted by UNDP India in collaboration with UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) and Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction (GFDRR) in New Delhi. The five coastal countries of South Asia – Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have extensive areas of coastal ecosystems – mangroves, coral reef, sea grass meadows, river deltas and estuaries and include some of the world’s most significant coastal habitats. The experts from these countries gave presentations on current status of coastal ecosystem management in their respective countries. The best practices and approaches to mainstream Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation into ecosystem management were also discussed during the workshop.

Knowledge sharing for effective risk management of hydro-meteorological hazards in the Hindu-Kush-Himalayan region Kathmandu, Nepal, 22-24 March, 2012 Practitioners, scientists, researchers and policy-makers, who are engaged in various aspects of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), gathered recently in Kathmandu for a three day regional workshop on 'Knowledge sharing for effective risk management of hydro-meteorological hazards in the Hindu-Kush-Himalayan region’. The workshop highlighted preparedness and risk reduction measures implemented in this region as well as in other parts of the world. The discussions focused on technological advances, institutional arrangements, funding mechanisms, knowledge sharing initiatives, and involvement of local governments and communities in planning adaptation and disaster risk reduction at the local and national levels. Advocacy and awareness raising initiatives on climate variability and its impacts on ecosystems were emphasized as a significant step toward policy changes and promotion of adaptive behavior. The workshop participants reiterated the need for regional collaboration in order to mitigate the effects of hydro-meteorological hazards; they also stressed that such initiatives should leverage existing knowledge, experiences and innovative practices. Fifty five participants from national governments in the South Asian region, regional and international NGOs, the World Bank, UN and donor agencies as well as experts from academic and research institutions from within and outside the Hindu Kush Himalayan

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region attended the workshop, organized by UNDP with the support of United Nations International Strategy of Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) and the World Bank.

International Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction and Contingency Planning – Surakshaayanam 9-10 March, 2012, Kerala A two day international workshop on “Disaster Risk Reduction and Contingency Planning” was held in Kerala. The event was organized by the department of Revenue and Disaster Management, Government of Kerala, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) and Institute of Land and Disaster Management (ILDM). The workshop provided a platform to interact and establish relationships with scientists and experts in hazards and disaster risk management from all over the world and to receive global inputs for the formulation of world standard scientific frameworks and policies to manage and reduce future disaster risks and threats. The major focus of the workshop was framing various scientific policies to reduce the risks which emerge from ever persistent threats of hazards and disasters. The workshop provided concrete inputs to build a generic framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) policy formulation and streamlining of governance strategies based on scientific understanding of the hazards, vulnerabilities and risks. It provided guidance for deriving a suggestive framework for mainstreaming and institutionalizing disaster risk reduction through systematic and scientific planning which could be a role model in the country for comprehensive disaster risk reduction policy formulation.

Training on International Recovery Guidelines 28-30 March, 2012, New Delhi UNDP India in collaboration with International Recovery Platform, Japan conducted a three day training programme for all UNDMT agencies and their staff on resilient recovery planning in New Delhi. The training programme was facilitated by the DM Community, Solution Exchange and DM Unit of UNDP India. The International Recovery Platform (IRP), Japan had drafted sector specific notes on nine thematic areas i.e., Livelihood, Gender, Governance, Environment , Shelter, Public infrastructure, Health and Psychosocial care, which captured some of the international good practices of disaster recovery programs and lessons learnt in recovery. UNDP supported IRP in organizing a series of consultations in the year 2010 in India in which National Disaster Management Authority and Ministry of Home Affairs representatives, State Government officers, UNDMT members and NGOs participated. Based on inputs from these consultations and detailed peer review, International Recovery Platform finalized the sectoral guidance notes, which has been widely disseminated to DRR practioners across the country.

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Knowledge Management – DM Community, Solution Exchange DM Community discussed the issue of Corporate Sector Engagement in Disaster Managements. Recognizing the corporate sector as an important stakeholder which can supplement the governmental and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) efforts at holistic disaster management, Sphere India posted this query to understand ways in which company efforts can be best channeled during Disaster Response; kind of Disaster Risk Reduction projects /activities can be carried out as CSR activities and experience/cases of partnerships between companies / CSOs. These inputs were used by Sphere India who is working towards developing a common platform to initiate dialogue and exchange ideas on strengthening the scope of work on various aspects of Disaster Management. The PDF version of the Consolidated Reply can be downloaded at:

ftp://ftp.solutionexchange.net.in/public/drm/cr /cr-se-drm-02011201.pdf (PDF Size: 196 KB) Two community updates were issued which can be downloaded atUpdate 85th- Issued on 3rd February, 2012 – ftp://ftp.solutionexchange.net.in/public/drm/co mm_update/drm-update-85-03021201.pdf Update 86th- Issued on 20 February, 2012ftp://ftp.solutionexchange.net.in/public/drm/co mm_update/drm-update-86-20021201.pdf Issue 3 of the News Round-up by India Water Portal was posted on 14th February- You can download the PDF version of this from ftp://ftp.solutionexchange.net.in/public/drm/N ewsletter/drm-newsroundup-4-14021201.pdf

Stories and lessons – An excerpt from the consolidated reply of a query on Disaster Risk Reduction efforts involving Youth and Children Disaster Risk Reduction

The experiences below are shared by a DM Community member in response to the query seeking experiences on Disaster Risk Reduction efforts involving children and youth Story # 1 (Personal) ‘Alternative Education for Children’ In 1976 when I was 8 years old I had the first brush with disasters. There was a flood in and around our village in southern Tamilnadu. Practically the entire village of about 300 houses was under water and many people moved into relatives’ homes and to the elevated podium in front of the local church. Since our house was on a higher ground our home also became a home to two other families. So, we had more rice being cooked in larger pots, lots of noise and with 17 people to share the meal instead of usual five. The families who came in had two young boys one of about 9 years, another of 12 years, and a girl of about 7 years. Our school was closed when there was huge rain, but immediately after the rains stopped, though we had to wade through water, the schools opened. The nuns were strict. I remember, for a few days the school was held in the church itself! (Lesson 1: Being ready with alternate venues for schools if the schools are affected due to disasters, it is easier to continue education with minimum disturbance. DM plans at local government, Block and District levels must include such plans to ensure continuity of education. )

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Since the houses were surrounded by water we had less place to play. But that gave us opportunity to explore new games! My elder brother (20 years old) was inventive and supportive. Besides playing with the paper boats and catching small fishes either by hand or by dragging a towel , we made boat with a small piece of tin that can run on kerosene. He taught us to throw flat hard objects on water and make them remain on top for a longer time. (Lesson 2: Children need to be engaged through entertaining and innovative efforts and games, especially in times of disasters. Voluntarism needs to be encouraged at community level as part of preparedness initiatives.) It was also my elder brother’s responsibility to take all children to places where the water was deep so that we can learn swimming and enjoy the Sundays and other holidays. We were not allowed by our parents not to go farther than 100 meters from our home without any elder accompanying us. We were punished if we disobeyed that. (Lesson 3: Strict vigil, community owned responsibility for protection of children, and enforceable social rules are necessary to ensure children are within the safe area of family and remain protected from all harm. At times we, the children, over spent time in water, and some of us had running nose and fever. We developed wounds due to rashes. The local dispensary was about a kilometer away. The nurse there was very kind. She used to sleep in one of the rooms there. And so we could go if we were very sick even at 8.00 pm, and call out to her. She was ready with a smile in few minutes. (Lesson 4: Ensuring support delivery systems function regularly and with a smiling face is all the more important for the safety and well being of children.) Story #2 (Personal) ‘Trauma counseling’ My second face-off with a disaster was in May, 1983. I was barely 15 then and being the month of May, like most families we were in our farm house as it was the season for palm candy preparation. Suddenly there was a huge storm erupting and we were all cuddled together in one of the rooms, and in another my sister-in-law with her 10 days old baby were together. Suddenly, there was a thud. We were all down as the house had fallen on us. When one of us managed to get out and the others were pulled out quickly, we saw to our horror that all of our house (six rooms) had been flattened in one shot and a huge palm tree had fallen on the room in which we were. The only room that survived the fury was in which the little baby and my sister-in-law were. Seeing the scenario my father was going into a sort of shock, as he started shouting “O God, O God!”. My mother immediately picked up a song that my father loved to sing the most. And my father and the entire family joined in standing in the rain as the storm continued for another hour or so. Later on my mother explained to me that if she had not started the song probably my father would have had a shock and a cardiac arrest. (Lesson 5: Trauma counseling is not essentially about response, but also about prevention. Preventive counseling sessions need to be included in DRR programs along with trauma counseling as a response.) Quick wit of my mother probably saved my father and protected me from losing my father at a very tender age. Story # 3 (Professional) ’Protecting rights of children’

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I had initiated a study on “If cyclone Aila led to distress migration, and if yes, to what extent”, with the support of Catholic Relief Services in August 2009 (three months after the disaster struck). The study showed that, 18% of the migrants (of 525 families selected from 4 panchayats in two blocks of South 24 parganas district, West Bengal) were young boys and girls who were in schools. This is a indication of how disasters have high impact on children and their education. Records also show that several schools were closed from one month up to three months. Midday meal and ICDS food supplies during those periods were non-existent in most cases and irregular in few. (Lesson 6: There is a need for several actors to work together to achieve common goals. Departments of government require to be further sensitized on the “rights of children” a lot more than about our service to children.) Story # 4 (Professional) ‘Addressing Vulnerabilities associated with culture and behavior’ While on a field visit to a remote village that regularly experienced flood in Samastipur district of Bihar, to help local NGOs supported by Unicef to learn to practice PLA tools, I saw a little kid of about 2 years old sitting and relieving herself in the courtyard of a house, and her mother was brushing her teeth and spitting around. Soon, I saw that this child was shifting her location from one place to the other to go and pick the spit of the mother (as she found it tasty!) and putting it into her mouth. I was shocked, and I took the opportunity to educate the woman and few other women who gathered around. (Lesson 7: Vulnerabilities associated with culture and behavior need to be thoroughly scrutinized in DRR programming along with physical and social and economic vulnerabilities and preventive action and education must be included to reduce such vulnerabilities.)

Preparing Schools children to deal with Disasters effectively Schools prepared to deal with disasters

Awareness Campaign on School Safety

Angul, Odisha 24 February, 2012

Mizoram, 21 February 2012

To create a culture of preparedness and safety, the school safety programmes of various schools in Angul district, Odisha were reviewed and the teachers and members of school safety committee were oriented to integrate different survival skills in day to day activities of the school. Apart from school fraternity, local NGO representatives, parents, State Project Officer under the GoI-UNDP Disaster Risk Reduction Programme, Project Support Associate, URR were present in the orientation programme. Under the programme, various training initiatives like training on search and rescue, first aid, drawing competition, debate competition on various issues related to disaster management, weekly mock drills were conducted in the schools.

An awareness campaign on school safety was held in the state of Mizoram with the aim of sensitizing the school teachers and students on school safety planning. The students were trained in search and rescue and first- aid and the training sessions were facilitated by the officers of line departments.

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School Sensitization Programmes at NSS Camps Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 22 February 2012 More than 200 students participated in the workshop on school safety held at NSS Camps. The sensitisation programme involved making the participants aware about the disaster terminology, the state and city scenario in terms of natural hazards. The basic dos and

don’ts were explained to the students and emphasis was laid on the importance of sharing the information to generate awareness on this issue.

do’s and don’t’s during disasters and DM funding for schools. The teachers group was selected by the education department and these teachers will further train other schools in the municipal region.

Earthquake awareness programmes for Schools Nanded, Maharashtra, 7-9 February 2012 An awareness campaign on earthquake was conducted in five schools of Nanded city. The programme was facilitated by the research students of International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad. More than 1000 students attended the event and were made aware of the basic dos and don’ts, earthquake’s cause and effect, safety measures etc. The teachers were also sensitized in the process and the schools would organize awareness programmes on disaster management from time to time. Mock drills conducted in Schools Thane, Maharashtra, 17- 22 February, 2012 To test the preparedness level of the school disaster management team and effectiveness of school disaster management plan, a mock drill was conducted in a school in Thane city. It was facilitated by Regional Disaster Risk Management, Pune and the school administration. More than 700 students from the primary and secondary sections of the school participated. In another school of the city that witnessed a fire incidence in the past, a mock drill on fire safety was conducted in which 75 staff members and more than 500 students participated. The mock drill was conducted with support from Thane Municipal Fire Brigade. School Disaster Safety Programme Nashik, 19 February, 2012 A one-day school safety workshop was organized by Nashik city Municipal Corporation under the GoI-UNDP Urban Risk Reduction Project. More than 100 students and 10 teachers were trained on DM plan preparation,

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120 schools and 3000 students participated in a earthquake mock drill conducted in Kanpur under the URR Project on 4 April 2012

Integrating Disaster Management in the departmental development agenda Disaster Management integrated with fishery department Tripura, 13, February 2012 A one day workshop on the role of fishery department in Disaster Management was conducted with support of Revenue Department in Tripura. During the discussion, the structural safety of the department’s infrastructure, support to state and district administration in damage assessment and other allied activities were identified. The fishery department has an important role to play in hazards like floods and cyclone. The department has constituted a damage assessment team, response team and necessary specialized training schedule for the team members was also finalized.

Integration of Disaster Management with Agriculture Department

Alternative livelihood Programmes for Self Help Groups to deal with disasters Orissa Rural Marketing Society (ORMAS) officials agreed to create market linkages for selling of homemade products produced by the Ward Self Help Group Members. A farmer’s club was formed in Kendrapada district, DRR Programme district in convergence with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Agriculture Department, Government of Odisha. The members will take up alternative livelihood programmes such as incense stick business with support of ORMAS. This is done to ensure they SHG’s have alternate livelihood means to sustain during natural disaster. The society would provide raw materials and will make linkage with market for selling of products. A meeting in this regard was held where more than 70 WSHG members and members of farmers club participated. Support was provided under the DRR programme in terms of training and the meetings were facilitated by the DRR Project personnel.

Tripura, 18 February, 2012 A one day workshop on the role of agriculture department in disaster management was conducted in Tripura. The Director Agriculture, scientists, district, sub division and block level agriculture officials participated in the workshop. The primary role of agriculture department is towards mitigation, prevention of drought like situation, agriculture extension services, crop insurance, prompt and effective damage assessment and awareness and training to the farmers on disaster management. Training of the DM Teams constituted at all levels was linked up with the Central Training Institute.

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Integration of Disaster Management with Science and Technology Department Tripura, 15 February 2012 Science and Technology has a major role to play in all phases of disaster management. Keeping this in mind, a one day workshop on role of science and technology in disaster management was conducted by the department of science and technology with support from the revenue department. The department presented a report on the work undertaken like the departmental disaster management plan, status of HRVA, study of flash floods in river erosion of Dhalai district and emergency call management system.

Capacity Building Initiatives Training of Civil Defence Volunteers

NSS students Management

sensitized

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Disaster

8-12 February 2012, Bhubaneswar February, 2012 Pithorgarh, Uttarakhand A training programme of Civil Defense volunteers on Collapsed structure search and rescue was organized at Civil Defence training center. More than 25 volunteers were trained in the organization of rescue service function, rescue operation in high rise buildings, rescue by chute nets, cages, self escape pulley etc. The trained volunteers will be used as resource persons during emergency situations.

Six awareness and sensitization programmes were conducted for NSS students in Pithorgarh District. More than 500 students participated in the programme. They were made aware of the disaster scenario in the state and district. Basic dos and don’ts during disasters were shared with the students with the aim of preparing them to deal with disasters.

Training of State Disaster Response Force

Training Programme for medical practioners

13 February, 2012, Mizoram

14 February, 2012, Karnataka

The training of the second batch of Mizoram State Disaster Response Force was inaugurated in the month of January at the 5th India Reserve (IR) Battalion Headquarters. In the month of February, the batch consisting of 50 trainees were trained by instructors from first battalion of NDRF.

A one day training programme on Disaster Management and health issues was conducted for medical doctors and health workers working with the department of health and family welfare. Around 50 medical practioners participated in the programme.

Community trained in Disaster Management Planning

Orientation of builders and contractors on safe construction

14 February, 2012, Angul, Odisha

10 February, 2012, Nanded, Maharashtra

To be better prepared, it is important that the community is involved in the process of disaster management planning. Angul city is prone to different kinds of natural disasters like earthquakes, mine fires, road accidents and slum fires etc. Under the GoI-UNDP Urban Risk Reduction Project, initiatives have been taken to sensitize the community members and different stakeholders on urban risk and necessity of preparation of ward level disaster management plans. Sessions covering various aspects of disaster management planning were facilitated by the project support associates under the URR Project. The resource inventory and resource maps were prepared by the participants during the session.

An orientation session for builders and contractors was organized in collaboration with IIIT Hyderabad, National Geophysics Research Institute, Hyderabad and SRTM University. The experts are also implementing the microzonation project in the city and safe construction issues are on a priority list. The participants raised queries on various aspects of hazard resistant construction, which was explained by experts during the interactive sessions.

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Road Show on Disaster Management

Training on Medical First Response (MFR) and Collapsed structure search and rescue (CSSR)

7 February, 2012, Kerala 3 February 2012, Tripura The department of Disaster Management, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) in association with Malayala Manorama, leading daily in Kerala launched a road show programme – Surakshitha Keralam. The programme was formulated to generate awareness among the school students and general public on disasters and disaster management. The programme was flagged off from Thirvananthapuram to Kasargode covering 60 schools and 20 public places for 30 days. State level earthquake and fire safety mock drill 23-24 February, 2012 Tripura A state level earthquake and fire drill was conducted for the officials of line departments, central government agencies, army and central para-military forces, NDRF, NGOs, students, teachers and media professionals. During the mockdrill, the Incident Response System was implemented where State Emergency Operation Center acted as the Incident Command Center and the preliminary meeting was done. The communication system, coordination and control was established in State Emergency Operation Center during the drill. The entire communication was established within half an hour of the incident reported. Mass Casualty Management Training 18 February, 2011, Tripura A one day refresher training for the doctors and paramedical staff was organized with the purpose of training the medical staff on Mass Casualty Management System. More than 20 doctors and 25 paramedics attended the training programme.

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A six week comprehensive training on MFR and CSSR was completed at Central Training Institute, Agartala. A total of 43 personnel from Tripura State Rifles attended the training programme. The training is a part of strengthening state disaster response team in the line of NDRF. The trained personnel are also used to conducting community based trainings for the disaster management teams. Community Based Disaster Risk Management February 2012, Tripura Various capacity building initiatives were conducted across the districts of Tripura in the month of February. Basic training on disaster management and mock drill were conducted in the schools. More than 1000 students and teachers participated in the programmes. A number of sub-division and block level disaster management trainings were organized in five sub-divisions by involving the line department officials, disaster management committee, team members and NGOs in which a total of 166 participants participated. For awareness generation, video shows on disaster management were showcased at busy market areas and a radio talk was also aired in the local AIR station. In the district of Dhalai, a total of 19 sensitization and awareness programmes on disaster management were conducted for PRIs, Disaster Management Teams, and school children. A total of 134 members were trained, out of which 51 were women. Preparation of Hospital Safety Plan Nanded, Maharashtra, March 2012 A meeting with the hospital representatives for the preparation of DM plans was held in Maharashtra. More than 50 representatives from 10 hospitals of the city participated in the

meeting. The Municipal Corporation has communicated to other hospitals in the region to initiate the process of DM plan preparation. Emergency Operation Centre established in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh To establish communication with line departments during emergency, an Emergency Operation Center (EOC) was established in Mathura under the Urban Risk Reduction Programme of Government of India and UNDP. The EOC is equipped with basic communication devices like computer, printer, digital camera and other basic office set-up. Toll free number 1077 is also activated in the EOC during the working hours. To ensure efficient functioning, the Assistant District Magistrate pay weekly visits to the EOC. Training of masons in Earthquake Resistant Building Construction Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, 3 March, 2012

Ramgarh District Administration, Local network of Civil Societies and Disaster Management Department of Govt. of Jharkhand. More than 100 newly elected functionaries of GoI-UNDP DRR Project were sensitized in the holistic aspects of Disaster Management. Training Needs Assessment (TNA) study Bihar, February 2012 A training Needs Assessment study is being carried out by the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) under the GoI-UNDP Disaster Risk Reduction Programme. The assessment at field level has been completed in all three DRR programme districts i.e., Patna, Sitamarhi and Madhubani and an initial report on various training needs on Disaster Risk Reduction is prepared. The final report of TNA study will identify specific training programmes to be organised at various levels to mainstream DRR issues in the state. This will help in chalking out a road map for conducting various capacity building initiatives in the state. Awareness on Disaster Management during observance of Bihar Diwas

A Masons training was conducted in collaboration with Rural Engineering Department, Building Construction Public Welfare Department, Engineering College and Architects. Fifty masons attended the training that oriented them on Earthquake Resistant building construction. An exposure visit was also organized with the help of local organization “Bharat Sewa Mission.” Sensitization of PRI functionaries Ramgarh, Jharkhand, February 2012 A one day sensitization workshop for PRI functionaries was organized in collaboration of

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22-24 March, 2012, Bihar Bihar State Disaster Management Authority observed Bihar Diwas from 22-24 March, 2012. Various initiatives were taken by the authority to launch a mega awareness programme on Disaster Management in partnership with various government and non-government partners like Fire Department, Traffic Police Department, NDRF, Civil Defense, Save the Children,Kilkari-Bihar Bal Bhawan, NIT-Patna, Bharat Scout & Guides, IRCS, Bihar State Branch, UNICEF, UNDP, GFDRR. Various thematic stalls were put up like Flood Awareness Centre, Earthquake Safety Measures, Fire Safety, Road safety measures, Awareness for Women/ old aged / disabled persons. School children were also involved in

the process through quiz and painting competition programmes. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) demonstrated sophisticated equipments for Disaster Response and preparedness. Live demonstrations on various aspects of Disaster Management were carried out by Civil Defence and Nukkad Natak groups used traditional folk form to create awareness on Disaster Management. A free Earthquake safety clinic was also set up by involving faculty members and students of National Institute of Technology, Patna. Various IEC material published under the GoI-UNDP Disaster Risk Management Programme and other regional language knowledge material published by DRR states was on display.

trained on basic dos and don’ts to ensure their safety. Community Based Disaster Management Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, February 2012 An awareness programme with the use of traditional folk forms to spread the word on Disaster Management was held in Lucknow. A snap-shot

Capacity Building of NGOs-CBOs in Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction Patna, Bihar, 25 February, 2012 A training programme was organised at Patna District on “Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction” by involving local NGOs. The main objective of the training programme was to orient volunteers of NGOs on process and techniques to be followed for preparation of Village Disaster Management Plans by involving community members. About 15 NGO representatives participated in this training programme. Other officials present were officers from the line departments i.e, Fire Department, Civil Defence, Health department and State Project Officer, GoI-UNDP DRR Programe. Volunteers were also selected to prepare village plans in 3 villages identified under GoI-UNDP DRR programme. Students Training Programme 10 March, 2012, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh A one day training programme for school students on various types of hazards and preparedness measures to be taken during disasters was conducted for school children. More than 100 students have been given

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Training of Gram Panchayat elected members for Disaster Management Lucknow, February 2012 Elected members of Gram Panchayat were trained on the issues of drought mitigation and fire accidents with the support of State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) in three blocks on Lucknow (Kakori, Malihabad and Bakshi ka Talab). The members were briefed on the importance of mitigation plan and storing basic necessities during the time of drought and flood situation.

Testing the level of preparedness – Mock-drills conducted across Uttar Pradesh

Fire Disaster Search and Rescue Mock Exercise in Kanpur A joint mock exercise with Indian Army was conducted by Kanpur District Administration with the support of Government of India-United Nations Development Program-Urban Risk Reduction Project on 3 March, 2012 at two different locations and topics. The objective of the Mock drill was to: Validate the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of various departments, Highlight the role and responsibility of different stakeholders taking part in mock exercise, Create general awareness amongst the community Review the Emergency Response Plans of District Administration towards man- made disasters

Fire Safety Workshop and Fire Drill for the security staff, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh

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Views

Is the healthsector in India prepared enough to deal with disaster? India has always been vulnerable to natural disasters on account of its geoclimatic conditions; and to man-made disasters such as terrorist attacks, fires, accidents etc. In this situation, hospitals are the first resort for the recovery of victims of disasters. The injured ones need to be transferred immediately to the hospital or should be provided medical care on-site. Hospitals including other smaller healthcare facilities are such institutes which need to maintained 24x7 to provide emergency care services in day to day routine and in cases of mass casualty incidents. But the question is “Are we prepared to handle the situation?” Public health infrastructure has been planned in a pyramidal fashion in India, starting from primary healthcare facilities up to medical colleges. The emergency plan varies for different type of health settings, it may be only to provide first aid for Primary Health Care units or to provide immediate stabilization and further referral for Community Health Centers, and can vary up to a well written disaster management plan for a tertiary care district/private hospital. However, whether the policy is put in to practice is still a question mark. There may be well articulated DM plans, however not many institutes adhere to it. Apart from these, such life line buildings are also not strong enough to withstand the effects of disasters? A lot needs to be addressed before we actually say that the health infrastructure is sound enough structurally as well as non-structurally to handle the emergency situations. Many initiatives have been taken by National Disaster Management Authority and state governments for disaster management, but are they sufficient enough to handle the next disaster? Many practices which are there at the policy level has not been implemented and practiced. There is a requirement to have a well trained staff specifically trained in emergency health management to handle the emergency situation. Many International agencies like UNDP, WHO, PAHO have developed guidelines on structural and non-structural safety of hospital buildings, contingency management plan and hospital emergency management plan which can be of help for implementing agencies for standardization of procedures and proper preparation for large scale emergencies.

-Dr. Shilpa Jain, BDC, PGDHHM, International Institute of Health Management Research New Delhi (Dr. Shilpa Jain is working as an intern with UNDP. Presently she is writing a dissertation report on “Preparedness of healthcare facilities for disasters in Delhi” and the article is an excerpt from the report)

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Knowledge Fair – Disaster Management publications and DM Community Solution Exchange showcased during the knowledge fair conducted during the UNDP RBAP meeting (March 2012)

“It is not enough for an organization to simply ‘have knowledge’; it must be able to harness and apply that knowledge to bring better results.”

-Helen Clark – UNDP Administrator

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Look Book

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Upcoming Events

Second State Disaster Risk Reduction Congress 27, 28 & 29 April, 2012, Jalpaiguri Town, West Bengal

Organized by State Inter Agency Group – West Bengal in collaboration with Department of Disaster Management Government of West Bengal

The Second State DRR Congress (SAMBIT II) is to bring together organizations and individuals in diverse disciplines and sectors and in assembling, synthesizing and further disseminating knowledge on disaster management in diverse sectors. Objectives: 1. To provide a common platform for stakeholders and communities for sharing of ideas and knowledge of DRR in West Bengal. 2. To focus on challenges while implementing risk reduction initiatives in the multi-hazardous environment. 3. To advocate and demonstrate good practices for an enabling environment in DRR activities. 4. Strengthen the institutionalization of unified response strategy through inter-agency coordination Deliverables: The congress will encourage the participants from different parts of the state as well as country to come together, stimulate thinking and effectively share their experience and lessons learnt on DRR. 1. Active participation by all stakeholders will evolve greater action to address DRR issues in organized manner. 2. Increased level of awareness among the community, practioners, students and the society at large on concepts and issues related to DRR. 3. A true sense of culture of prevention, mitigation and preparedness will emerge 4. Strengthened platform for addressing advocacy issues related to Disaster Risk Reduction at state and district levels 5. A resource pool would be created for working on all issues related to Disaster Risk Reduction as well as for emergency response.

E-mail: [email protected] Group: [email protected] Web: www.iagwestbengal.org.in

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GoI-UNDP Disaster Risk Reduction Programme (2009-2012)

United Nations Development Programme, India 55, Lodhi Estate, Post Box No. 3059, New Delhi-110003, India E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.undp.org.in For project information, details also available on: www.ndmindia.nic.in, www.ndma.gov.in

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