PROVENTION CONSORTIUM Community Risk Assessment and Action Planning project NEPAL – Nawalparasi and Rautahat Districts Copyright 2002-2005, Maps-Of-The-World.com The maps used do not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies or National Societies or the ProVention Consortium concerning the legal status of a territory or of its authorities Flood Disaster Impacts and Responses in Nepal Tarai’s Marginalised Basins CRA Toolkit This case study is part of a broader ProVention Consortium initiative aimed at collecting and analyzing community risk assessment cases. For CASE STUDY more information on this project, see www.proventionconsortium.org. Bibliographical reference: Dixit A. et. al., Flood Disaster Impact and Responses in Nepal Tarai’s Marginalised Basins, in: Working with the Winds of Change. Towards Strategies for Responding to the Risks Associated with Climate Change and other Hazards. M.Moench, Dixit, A, (eds), ProVention Consortium, Institute for Social and Environmental Transition-International and Institute for Social and Environmental Transition-Nepal, second edition, Kathmandu, 2007, chapter 6, pp. 119 -157. Case study can be downloaded from: (http://www.proventionconsortium.org/themes/default/pdfs/winds_of_change.pdf) Click-on reference to the ReliefWeb country file for Nepal: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc104?OpenForm&rc=3&cc=npl Note: A Guidance Note has been developed for this case study. It contains an abstract, analyzes the main findings of the study, provides contextual and strategic notes and highlights the main lessons learned from the case. The guidance note has been developed by Ben Wisner and Stephanie Bouris in close collaboration with the author(s) of the case study and the organization(s) involved. CHAPTER6 Flood Disaster Impacts and Responses in Nepal Tarai’s Marginalised Basins Ajaya Dixit, Madhukar Upadhya, Anil Pokhrel, Kanchan Mani Dixit, Deeb Raj Rai and Madhav Devkota WORKING WITH THE WINDS OF CHANGE Case Study Guidance Note Country: Nepal Location: Nawalparasi and Rautahat Districts. The coordinates of four study sties are: a. Brahmapuri N 26o 44' E 85o 19' b. Bhasedwa N 27o 02' E 85o 14' c. Rampur Khadauna N 27o 26' E 85o 43' d. Devgaun N 27o 29' E 83o 42' Date: May 2007 Sector and Spatial focus: Flood related disasters and Northern Gangetic plains Title: Flood Disaster Impact and Responses in Nepal Tarai’s Marginalised Basins Bibliographical reference: Dixit A. et al. (2007) Flood Disaster Impact and Responses in Nepal Tarai’s Marginalised Basins Abstract The Gangetic plain is home to some of the poorest populations in the world. Their impoverished living conditions are often attributed to regular floods and drought-like conditions. Flash floods, inundation for prolonged periods, bank-cutting and sand-casting devastate life, livelihoods and property for the already poor, especially within marginalized (smaller, un-gauged) river basins. Each disaster makes the poor more vulnerable to the next and, consequently, each single disaster is converted into a process. The problem of flooding is exacerbated by built systems including flood control embankments and urbanisation which constrict natural drainage patterns. In addition, communities report increasing rainfall intensities and changes in the timing of precipitation, especially in the last few decades. This also exacerbates flooding. This paper presents preliminary findings of a programme in the Nepal Tarai on disaster risk reduction (DRR) and adaptation to climate change. The study includes pilot testing of some strategies identified in four sites within the Bagmati and the Rohini river basins. Adaptive FLOOD DISASTER AND DISASTER AND RESPONSES RESPONSESFLOOD FLOOD IMPACTS IMPACTS TARAI’S TARAI’S IN IN NEPAL NEPAL MARGINALISED MARGINALISED BASINS BASINS strategies for four communities in these two river basins have been identified using a number of tools. These are segregated as adaptation specific interventions and underlying systems for adaptation. Technical Description Hazard/risk type: Flooding Type of assessment: Research to understand the factors that constrain and enable local communities to reduce risk and adapt to climatic and other sources of vulnerability. Contextual Notes Frequent shifting of rivers has permanently displaced homes in Bhasedwa and Brahmapuri village development communities (VDCs) of Rautahat District over the last two decades. In Devgaun and Rampur Khadauna VDCs of Nawalparasi District, most displacement is temporary. Families take shelter at their relatives or in public buildings such as schools during periods of high floods. Prior recovery attempts in all four VDCs were primarily limited to distributing petty relief materials such as food and blankets. In some VDCs, organisations such as the Nepal Red Cross 120 WORKING WITH THE WINDS OF CHANGE FLOOD DISASTER DISASTER AND AND RESPONSES RESPONSESFLOOD FLOOD IMPACTS IMPACTS IN IN TARAI’S TARAI’S NEPAL NEPAL MARGINALISED MARGINALISED BASINS BASINS Society, Oxfam GB and local NGOs have initiated group formation, distribution of information kits, installation of communication equipment, wooden boats and construction of small shelters. Construction of physical infrastructure such as canals, roads, railways and efforts in ‘taming’ rivers has had negative consequences. Structures, built along the Indian border, have in many instances been related to the cause of flooding. During flood periods people commute long distances in search of daily labour. The eastern Tarai political unrest has intensified despite a peace accord to end a decade-long insurgency. Protests (mostly violent) and unexpected and continuous strikes have affected accessibility to the communities and delayed visits to communities since January 2007. In the third week of March 2007, about 30 people were beaten to death in Gaur, the district headquarters of Rautahat. Brahmapuri, one of our study sites, is situated 5 kilometers east of Gaur. Research and Analytical Process Methods/tools used: Scoping, Shared Learning Dialogues, Household Surveys, Mass meetings, Capacities and Vulnerability Analysis, Ranking, etc. Role of Climate Information: Climate information is non-existent. People hear weather information on radio and television programmes. Key Insights Generated for Vulnerability Reduction and Capacity Enhancement In all four project sites, poor access to information and gender issues emerged as major factors contributing to vulnerability. Information refers to policies, news, radio, knowledge about relief activities, information on floods/rainfall and knowledge of selling price for local produce in nearby towns. Women, particularly pregnant women, lactating mothers, women who have recently given birth, elderly women, the disabled and menstruating women are more vulnerable. Spontaneous measures of adaptation (such as building flat-roof houses, two-story houses and houses on raised plinths) have been widely observed. Livelihood elements that are not likely to be much affected by inundation or flooding are also increasingly pursued. Examples include an increasing preference for water buffaloes over cows and ducks over goats. In addition, young men migrate in search of alternative livelihoods. Adaptive strategies can be categorised into climate adaptive interventions and underlying systems of adaptation. Tables A and B present the findings. Potential Strategies Identified See tables at the end of this guidance note. Strategic Notes and Lessons Learned - Key Points to Emphasise The study has provided three main lessons. First, in the last 50 years there has been reliance on the structural or macro or engineering approach to mitigate flood damage. The concerns of affected individuals, families and communities have not been systematically woven into decision- and policy making. Government policies have not contributed to building resilience for coping with floods. Second, cooperative efforts of the governments of the region have been technologically guided in a project-centric mode. Despite repeated references to flooding and the need for its mitigation in pubic discussions, cooperative efforts have not aimed at building institutions for mitigation. Third, institutional dysfunction is widespread as state agencies fail to innovate in effective responses to flood disasters. 121 WORKING WITH THE WINDS OF CHANGE | TABLE A | Adaptation Matrix for Nepal VDCs: Adaptation Specific Interventions Disaster Risk Organisation Skill Financial and VDC Diversification Ecosystem Reduction and Incubation Development Risk Spreading Communication Rampur Farming on land Community Seed bin storage, Self-help groups, Non-formal Crop and cattle Early-warning Khadauna affected by sand forest improved homes and saving and education, insurance, life system, rain casting (e.g. plantation shelter (e.g. hooks on credit, community insurance, gauges, guava, existing flat roofs to tie community health and savings and networking watermelon). tents), boats, raised groups, train sanitation credit group through Productivity roads, first aid kits, local youths to awareness formation by volunteer enhancement. raised tubewells; become trainings, cooperatives organisations, Access to forest panyalo (RWH), volunteers at exchange visits, theme land line and resources, chlorination, hanging times of disaster gender mobile phones, diversification of seed beds, improved sensitisation, CDMA, income cooking stove, spurs accounting and community FM, (floriculture,