INTRODUCTION ABOUT THIS ISSUE ’s NDCs – An Opportunity for Co-creation of Green Technologies his issue of T Southasiadisasters.net is titled 'Enriching The Asia Regional Plan ndia’s much awaited NDCs The main features of India’s NDCs Inputs from India.' It highlights the I (Nationally Determined are: importance of what India can, Contributions) are out – and to 1. Calls for the transfer of green should, and will do in order to widespread acclaim. This is a firm technology and low-cost develop a Disaster Resilient leap forward for the country; not only international finance including Society. towards a robust INDCs policy funding from the Green Climate framework, but also in terms of a Fund (GCF). The various aspects highlighted in bold and clear public stand on 2. Enhancing a wide range of this issue serve to depict the making India’s NDCs work! adaptation policies by investing manner in which India has in sectors vulnerable to climate developed their NDCs by The entire team at the Ministry of change, such as agriculture, accepting the need of investing in Environment, Forest and Climate water resources and the Green Technologies. Also it will be Change must be congratulated for Himalayan and coastal regions. discussed the importance of making the process open and Health and disaster making safer cities. They are transparent. A far more balanced management have also found a comprised of systems, which approach on adaptation and place on INDC agenda. include human, economic, physical, mitigation in the context of India and 3. Unconditional emissions political and social systems that are a wide range of ideas and insights intensity reduction of 33-35% by impacted by internal and external have been included in this process 2030 based on 2005 levels. 'disturbances' which provide an of finalising the INDCs. What India 4. Creating a carbon sink of 2.5 to opportunity to adapt, transform or can, should, and will do has been 3 billion tonnes of CO2 decline and therefore there is a reviewed over the past several equivalent through additional need to make them safer spaces for months with great care and caution. forest and tree cover by 2030. the population. This could be done India’s rapid economic growth 5. A target of 40% of production by taking actions to re-shape the efforts, steps to lift citizens out of of electricity from non-fossil humanitarian response through poverty and need for better based energy sources by 2030 following the Core Humanitarian livelihoods and income generation with expanding focus on solar Standard. is addressed in INDCs. energy.

In addition, India compromises to give especial attention to the future Structural Mitigation Plan by promoting the construction of safe buildings and smart cities where the Urban Ecosystem ensures a healthy humane habitat. Other aspects this issue takes into account are the need to develop a Disaster Preparedness Plan, giving especial attention to Select Religious Places in India, due to the large amount of population that attend these places every year; and the need to build resilience Child Sensitive Social Protection with Technology in the country. – AIDMI Team Vijayawada. Photo: cdkn.org

2 southasiadisasters.net September 2016 India’s INDCs join a select number Change made a strong point recently range of green technologies that will of country initiatives which aim to at the Observer Research Foundation not only benefit India, but also those integrate Disaster Risk Reduction (ORF) Round Table about ‘Co- countries fighting poverty and with Climate Change Adaptation. creation’ of green technologies to looking towards accelerated The National Disaster Management Ms. Amber Rudd, MP, Secretary of economic growth. Authority (NDMA) actively pursued State for Energy and Climate this inclusion and the Climate & Change of UK when she was in Time has come to focus the energies Development Knowledge Network Delhi. His comments were positive of India’s scientists, technocrats, (CDKN) played its role by offering and forward looking, emphasising business, bankers, industry, inputs into the process of integration that India must ask for access to researchers, and common citizens in at two major events – The National green technologies not available to this direction of co-creating Green Consultation on Adaptation and it so far, that it should not rest or Technologies. Opportunities exist for Disaster Resilience in India’s depend on these technologies alone, India to work with global actors for Nationally Determined Contribution but develop its own technologies to the sharing of ideas and technical (INDC), July 23-24, 2015 held at IIC address the challenges of climate know how and for the development by Climate Action Network South change. Ms. Rudd was open and of ‘co-creation of green technologies’ Asia (CANSA) and AADRR, and at cooperative to finding ways to jointly between India and UK. the 2nd Annual South Asian Cities transform the debate on technology Bringing in global knowledge on Summit, New Delhi at IHC May 22- towards a joint action. green technologies will also help in 23, 2015, organised by CDKN and making knowledge the leading Cities Network Campaign and All India has stood on its own feet in ingredient to ‘co-creation’ in India. India Institute of Local Self developing its own Space and When implemented well India’s Government. Nuclear Technology; it should now INDCs will reduce emission, reduce work towards developing its own poverty, increase jobs and co-create Shri Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Green Technology. Given the chance, knowledge based green Environment, Forest & Climate India can and will make a wide technologies. – Mihir R. Bhatt

URBAN RESILIENCE Urban Disasters and the Core Humanitarian Standard

hen cities are not well appropriate and relevant – is highly Commission Humanitarian Aid and W managed they can be seen as debated in an urban context. Civil Protection Department crucibles of hazards, generating (ECHO) and the Global Shelter vulnerability and risk for large Urban humanitarian response Cluster (GSC) to assist entire populations. When a disaster strikes becomes appropriate and relevant neighbourhoods, rather than a city, how do humanitarians get it when it considers three key individual households. In other right, considering the aid sector's approaches, among others. The first words, the humanitarian sector is roots in rural traditions? is that of an Area Based Approach, retrofitting a proven development which can be described as approach to suit urban contexts in a The Core Humanitarian Standard, a geographically based, multi–sectoral way that promotes collaboration framework that supports quality and participatory in nature. over coordination and factors in the and accountability within aid Presently, there is a call for a shift need for timely relief response. agency response, is a step in the in paradigm in humanitarian right direction, having been assistance by agencies like the Inter– The second is using a complex developed in consultation with Agency Standing Committee (ISAC), adaptive systems approach to hundreds of humanitarian actors. United States Agency for understand the city. Such an While there are nine standards, the International Development (USAID), approach recognises that cities are first one – ensuring that Office for US Foreign Disaster complex, and views the city as a humanitarian responses must be Assistance (OFDA), European combination of inter–dependent

September 2016 southasiadisasters.net 3 Photo Credit: Crislyn Felisilda, World Vision 2013. Due to high levels of diversity in cities, urban approaches require extraordinary levels of contextualization because each household, each neighborhood and each city can be dramatically different from the next. parts working together at a social systems that bypass the voices effectively and reliably provide multitude of scales that shapes its of more vulnerable people in order centralised services. Such multi– overall behaviour. Cities are also to share power more equitably. stakeholders include planners, adaptive because their systems – for engineers, architects and universities, example, neighbourhoods, and the The third approach is to use a among others. Part of embracing the component parts of the resilience lens. Resilience is most new role of a facilitator requires neighbourhoods, for example, helpful when resilience for whom is taking steps that build self-reliance individual households or the rules defined alongside resilience to what. within neighbourhoods on the one that govern them, adapt to changing Due to high levels of diversity in hand while assisting governments to contexts such as the need to elevate cities, urban approaches require develop policy and legal frameworks houses over flood prone areas. Cities extraordinary levels of that protect people from disaster risk, are comprised of systems, which contextualisation because each especially the most vulnerable on the include human, economic, physical, household, each neighbourhood and other. Urban disaster resilience political and social systems that are each city can be dramatically might be able to achieve an entry impacted by internal and external different from the next. The point for the kind of integrated 'disturbances' which provide an opportunity to contextualise the programming humanitarians are opportunity for systems to adapt, term resilience can be seen as a key seeking to achieve. transform or decline. This conceptual strength of the concept. Moreover shift in thinking means that for when humanitarians use the lens of Part of making cities safer is taking humanitarian aid to be relevant and resilience it requires an action to re–shape humanitarian appropriate in urban centres it must understanding of the underlying response into a more relevant, more facilitate the provision of basic everyday risks that shape urban appropriate form that builds on the services through existing channels, vulnerability in addition to disaster opportunities and strengths that not attempt to be service providers risks. In addition to designing aid urban areas provide. as is the heritage of aid. responses with disaster–affected – Pamela Sitko, Urban Technical Furthermore, it means building on people, humanitarian workers are Advisor, Disaster Management, health care systems, rejuvenating also called upon to collaborate with World Vision International market systems and re–addressing urban specialists whose job it is to

4 southasiadisasters.net September 2016 DRR AND RELIGIOUS PLACES An Assessment of Disaster Preparedness Plan of Select Religious Places in India

isasters are a global D phenomenon. They are the cause and result of environmental degradation caused by nature or man. Disasters can be broadly classified into natural and man-made disasters. India is one of the most disaster prone areas. Disasters cost India 10 billion dollar per year (UN Report, 2015).

Since independence India's approach towards disasters response remained relief centric till the Bhuj earthquake of 2001. After which, Government of India took two important decisions by setting up a national committee gatherings in the world, the Maha places in the country. India has a on Disaster management and a High Kumbh Mela in which about 120 total of 2,398,650 places to Worship. Powered Committee on Disaster million people participated in 2013. These are spread all across India in management. This led to the the following manner. enactment of the Disaster Religious tourism is a key Management Act in 2005. component of the tourism service Vulnerability industry. Several new tourist circuits India supports 1/6th of the world's However, the Uttarakhand floods of are being developed across India so population on 02% of the world's 2013 once again exposed the as to facilitate travel to and stay at landmass of which 59% of land is fragilities present within our system. religious places. The Ministry of vulnerable to earthquake, 28% to The Kedarnath valley (where the Civil Aviation has developed drought, 12% of its total landmass is Kedarnath temple is located) bore specialized infrastructure for the vulnerable to floods and 80% of the brunt of these floods. The development of Buddhist Tourism Indian coast line is vulnerable to Kedarnath temple is annually Circuit by developing an cyclone. It is estimated that on an visited by lakhs of Hindu pilgrims. international airport near Gaya. The average one million housed damage Thousands of such pilgrims were airport operates flights from key annually in India. According to the killed and over 70,000 were left SAARC countries and others, such as EM–DAT, the total number of natural stranded in the ensuing mayhem. It China, Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, disasters reported internationally has thus become necessary to Sri Lanka, etc. each year has been steadily develop a robust framework to increasing in recent decades, from 78 assess the disaster preparedness of Also the Ministry of Tourism has in 1970 to 348 in 2004. This has led religious places and also to improve already identified 35 destinations for to an increase in the vulnerability upon the existing practices. Phase I which will be developed with of religious places as well. the help of government assistance. Religious places They will then cover another 89 in Existing Measures of Preparedness There are a number of religious Phase II. The ministry has proposed The Government of India has been groups residing in India. In India one a required outlay plan of Rs 9,450 committed to the implementation of can find the oldest pilgrimage crore for the 12th Plan and is hoping the Hyogo Framework for Action tradition in the whole world. A to draw in private investment close (HFA) 2005–2015. UNDP India has large number of people visited to Rs 28,000 crore for such projects. supported the Ministry of Home various religious places annually. Therefore, it becomes pertinent to Affairs (MHA) in collecting India holds the record of organising assess disaster preparedness of information from various UN one of the largest peaceful selected disaster prone religious Agencies and non-governmental

September 2016 southasiadisasters.net 5 organizations on the contribution staff receives general awareness Another important step that the made by these entities through their training so as to ensure a basic level higher authorities of religious places work on the five priority areas as of response to any emergency must take is to evaluate their identified in the framework. These situation. Besides the above, local vulnerability and safety. The factor five priority areas of HFA are risks like snake bite, handling of proposed by some of the researcher governance, risk assessment and domestic fire, etc. also get addressed should be utilized by these early warning, education and during the training sessions. authorities to regularly assess their knowledge management, vulnerabilities. mitigation, and preparedness. Mitigation: Planning and Disaster management training has been The local authorities must maintain Governance: After the Disaster integrated with the overall Shrine a proper checklist which evaluates Management Act 2005 was enacted Developmental Plan. Various them on the 18 factors mentioned the local authorities, i.e. the Shrine development activities of the Board, above. They must regularly update board in Jammu & Kashmir including constant maintenance of this checklist. Government based undertook steps to ensure that the track, creation of fire lines in the agencies should evaluate these Disaster Management is forest area and controlled burning checklists on a regular basis and institutionalized. Four Disaster of grass to prevent forest fires, analyse the current condition of all Management Task Forces were strengthening of the slopes in these religious places. After proper formed for various locations on the vulnerable stretches, heavy analyses corrective steps must be 13 km track. Each Task force had plantation though special drives etc. taken by the local authorities in different number of members are some of the activities having partnership with the government so depending on the staff strength in direct bearing on risk reduction as to increase the safety of these that location and also the number of aspects. places. visitors in that particular place. Each Task Force consists of members for Disaster Preparedness: An Incident Acknowledgement crowd control, Fire, Earthquake, Response System has been put in This paper is based on the research Landslide, First Aid, and Search & place to ensure effective and quick work being carried out by first Rescue. response in case of emergency and a author Hamendra K. Dangi and location wise Contingency Plan is in second author Anish Krishna under Risk Assessment: Disaster place. The Task Force has powers to financial assistance of University of management trainings were react and respond suomoto during Delhi's scheme Research & organised for about 800 staff an emergency to expedite response. Development Grant 2014. The views members of the Shrine Board and They have regular meetings to are personal. other different agencies operating review further training and – Hamendra Dangi and there. Evacuation maps, Risk & requirements. A separate emergency Anish Krishna, University of Delhi, vulnerability maps were developed fund has been allocated for quick India with the assistance of the community dispersal during emergencies. Apart to help guide a safe escape with from this, location wise Disaster References minimal loss of life in an emergency. Management Store Rooms have also Diverse Beliefs: Tourism of Faith A robust communication system been established. Religious tourism gains ground, Strategic Initiatives & Government based on wireless, mobile and Advisory (SIGA) Team, April 2012 landline connectivity has been set up Further Measures Required Than, Ker (2005) 'Scientists: Natural keeping in view the sensitivity of The example of Shri Mata Vaishno Disasters Becoming More Common' the location, along with joint control Deviji Shrine in Jammu & Kashmir Yen, Y., Cheng, C. and Cheng, rooms at strategic places. provides us with an important H.(2015)' Disaster Risk Management model wherein the Government and and Measurement Indicators for Education and Knowledge the local bodies have been able to Cultural Heritage in Taiwan', ISPRS Ann. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Management: A two pronged combine their efforts to successfully Spatial Inf. Sci., vol.–53, pp. 383- strategy has been used so as to build implement the five key points of 388. a culture of safety and resilience. At H.F.A. This model must be Solution Exchange for the Disaster the first stage, the task forces are effectively replicated across all Management Community given specialized training based on places of worship (shrines, temples, Consolidated Reply, Query: the outcomes of needs assessment, mosques, churches etc.) present in Implementing the Hyogo thereby strengthening their India. Framework of Action. Experiences, Compiled by G Padmanabhan and capacities. At the second level, the NupurArora, March 2011 6 southasiadisasters.net September 2016 STRUCTURAL MITIGATION A Road To Earthquake Safe Buildings in India

he problem of unsafe prospects for growth for all those in of professionals from one T constructions, at times even in the construction industry are jurisdiction to another. the formal sector under the enormous, yet with the possibility supervision of architects and of continuing many of the (2) Enforcement of building codes engineers, is a rather sophisticated potentially fatal errors in our by the municipal authorities. problem that India must solve. It constructions as prevalent today. Municipalities in India do have will require a multi-disciplinary a system of checking the approach involving engineering, Foremost among the unfinished building for fire safety but no social, political and economic agenda to improve the construction such system exists for checking interventions. Research articles, process are: for structural safety. The reports, microzonation maps, codes guidelines prepared in 2007 by are all meant to improve what gets (1) Competence-based licensing for the National Disaster built on the ground, but do not make engineers in general, and Management Authority for any difference if the actual structural engineers in managing earthquakes improvement in construction does particular. Professional recommend enforcement of not take place. Hence, a narrow view licensing serves several building codes in addition to of earthquake safety from an purposes: (a) ensuring many other elements and it is 'earthquake' viewpoint cannot be competence of professionals, (b) now time to implement the effective and the focus must shift enhancing quality and same. In cities and towns, the from 'earthquake engineering' to accountability of professionals municipal authorities regulate 'good constructions'. India since the council can withdraw building construction (e.g., for anticipates unprecedented growth the licence to practise in case of bye laws and fire safety), while over the next decade, an opportunity misconduct or incompetence, there is no regulation for both exciting and daunting. The and (c) increasing the mobility buildings in the rural areas. As

Confined masonry construction at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar campus: first application in India.

September 2016 southasiadisasters.net 7 urbanization proceeds and rural masonry load-bearing masonry in India. There are six areas on the outskirts of cities constructions and low-rise G+3 student hostels (with 1,225 are incorporated within the reinforced frame construction student capacity) and 30 G+2 cities, the rural buildings up to G+3, and (b) providing buildings (with a total of 270 constructed without regulation reinforced concrete shear walls apartments) housing the faculty become part of the city. in the case of medium- and and staff. The construction was high-rise reinforced concrete completed in 2015 and the (3) Development and propagation frame buildings. Confined project received a HUDCO of building typologies that are masonry construction looks Design Award for Cost Effective inherently earthquake-resistant. similar to reinforced concrete Rural/Urban Housing Including There is an urgency to develop, frame construction in terms of Disaster Resistant Housing test and propagate construction building materials. However in (2015). typologies that are inherently confined masonry, the walls are safer. If a common man can constructed first and reinforced The focus of earthquake safety build a safe home with locally concrete components are should be on new construction of all available construction materials constructed later – it is kinds, from the millions of housing and skills, it will solve a huge essentially a load-bearing for the masses that the central problem of unsafe constructions masonry construction government has identified as a in the informal sector. In fact, technology. Confined masonry priority, to the expensive apartment such typologies are needed not is less demanding in terms of buildings for the affluent. Clearly, only for the informal sector, as special seismic detailing which India has come a long way on the even the formal sector can is necessary to ensure safety of road to earthquake safety. And yet, benefit from these. Most urban reinforced concrete frame much remains to be done before this construction in India consists of construction. Development of a journey is completed. Creating a either masonry load-bearing fully-residential 400-acre system and culture for building safe buildings of up to three or four academic campus of Indian houses in 21st century India is storeys, or reinforced concrete Institute of Technology something not only possible but an frame buildings with masonry Gandhinagar in the State of absolute necessity. in fills as walls. Their safety can has provided an – Sudhir K. Jain, Professor, be significantly enhanced by (a) excellent opportunity for the Civil Engineering, Director, adopting confined masonry first large-scale formal Indian Institute of Technology, construction in the case of deployment of confined Gandhinagar, India

HUMANITARIAN EFFECTIVENESS The Importance of Humanitarian Standards in Asia

s the most disaster-prone region quality responses that are people, by working with Ain the world, Asia occupies 30% accountable to the individuals and humanitarian and development of the world's land mass, but communities they serve. This can be actors on quality, accountability and experienced 40% of the world's challenging in a sector characterised people management initiatives. We natural disasters over the past by high turnover, rapid work closely with our 240+ members decade. This resulted in a deployments, steep learning curves, and other disaster responders in disproportionate 80% of the world's and the need to collaborate with Asia to ensure they know when and disaster deaths over the period, multiple humanitarian actors on a how to apply the standards that according to the Centre for Research response. enable them to deliver their best on the Epidemiology of Disasters. work. Central to our work is the The CHS Alliance improves the Core Humanitarian Standard on When disaster strikes, it is critical effectiveness and impact of assistance Quality and Accountability (CHS) that humanitarian workers deliver to crisis-affected and vulnerable that sets out Nine Commitments

8 southasiadisasters.net September 2016 Judith F Greenwood (far left) at the launch of CHS in Bangla. organisations and individuals members in Bangladesh where she one-day workshop offered for free involved in humanitarian response witnessed the strong application of to all conference attendees. They will can use to improve the quality and quality and accountability principles. be able to choose from three topics: effectiveness of the assistance they Judith was impressed that the Introduction to PSEA, PSEA and provide. organisations she visited put people Investigations for Managers and and communities affected by the Introduction to the Core Over 50 of our members are based crisis at the centre of responses as a Humanitarian Standard (CHS). in Asia, making it a region of matter of second nature. During the week before the particular importance for our work. conference, from 30 August to 2 Over the past 18 months, we've Many disaster responders in Asia are September, the CHS Alliance will be partnered with national NGOs to already engaged with humanitarian offering an Investigations workshop translate the CHS into the languages standards such as the CHS. Amongst in Bangkok. This four-day workshop spoken across Asia from Seoul to our members, Community World demonstrates how to conduct fair, Kathmandu. The CHS is now Service Asia has been conducting thorough and confidential available in Arabic, Bahasa training on the CHS in Afghanistan investigations into complaints of Indonesia, Bangla, Khmer, Korean, and Cambodia while Christian Aid staff misconduct with a focus on Nepali, Thai, and Urdu. We've is using the CHS as a framework to SEA.1 worked to ensure this important evaluate its Nepal response. tool is available in the tongues of At the CHS Alliance, we envision a regional and national disaster The CHS Alliance also delivers humanitarian response where all responders in order to encourage the training on the CHS and other organisations make the voice of the dissemination of good quality and quality and accountability practices. population their guiding principle accountability practices as widely as Our Prevention of Sexual by using jointly agreed, country- possible. Exploitation & Abuse (PSEA) specific collective accountability and conference will take place in quality standards such as the CHS, Our Executive Director Judith F. Bangkok, Thailand, on 5 September and we look forward to working Greenwood launched the CHS in 2016 focusing on good practice in with stakeholders in Asia to achieve Bangla in Dhaka earlier this year on investigations of allegations of this. the invitation of our member sexual exploitation & abuse (SEA) by – Emily Tullock, COAST Trust. Judith carried out field aid workers. The conference will be Communications Officer, visits to the project sites of Alliance followed on 6 September 2016 by a CHS Alliance, London, UK

1 More information: www.chsalliance.org/our-events/events.

September 2016 southasiadisasters.net 9 SMART CITIES Can we have Smart Cities without Smart Citizens?

hat is the Smart Cities Scheme? approach requires not only the social, cultural, economic and WUnder this scheme the selected participation of, but also guidance political vibrancy. city will get Rs. 100 crores from the from the beneficiaries (citizens) of Central Government every year for that intervention or process. The All in all, it would be correct to say a period of five years. And this is to precondition for any intervention to that the expenditure of Rs. 811/– per be matched by the State Government be successful is for the beneficiaries capita per year would be most and the local body both. So the total to have ownership of that effective if it is spent on improving budget from Government Sources intervention (because they are the citizen participation in the decision will be 300 crores per year or Rs. ultimate users). making process. The amount of 1500 crores over a period of five money that we have at our disposal years. The annual budget of Pune The Pune Smart City Vision should should be spent on empowering Municipal Corporation for the give primary importance to good citizens and communities to ensure current year 2016–17 is in excess of governance and especially e– that they make smart changes in 5100 crores. The money which will Governance and citizens' their behaviour which will lead to be received by the PMC by way of participation in order to form a smart decisions which will make the grant will be about 4% of their flexible, rigorous, efficient, scalable city SMART. annual budget. The per capita and sustainable smart city system amount available to this city of 3.7 and to create an integrated Smart The other 9 core infrastructure million people is 811/– per year. The City ICT ecosystem. schemes have funding lines through question is where can it be spent various schemes such as AMRUT, most effectively which will ensure The stakeholders, including the HRIDAY, Swachcha Bharat, Indira that the City becomes Smart. citizens, the elected representatives, Awas Yojana, etc. But, there is no the administration as well as experts earmarked funding available for The scheme says that this money and in various fields, who are involved "Good governance, e-governance and whatever the city raises in addition in the creation of the Pune vision, citizen participation." Since this is at through the SPV should be spent on must appreciate the fact that the the heart of whether we succeed or the core infrastructure elements of a Smart City process will have to be fail. If we spend five years with a Smart City and offers a choice from propelled and guided through grant of Rs. 1500/– crores and an ten (10) clearly identified areas1. identifying, measuring and equity of 52% as well as investment improving quality of life indicators from other sources through the SPV Pune: Smart City as all amenities, services and on improving the quality and For Pune the best option from these facilities provided to citizens are quantity of citizen participation, we would be no. 7, "Good governance, implemented to improve the quality will go a long way towards building especially e-governance and citizen of life of the citizens. Appropriate transparency, accountability and participation". A city will only be as technological inputs and platforms sustainability in the governance smart as its citizens. The World can only be decided after identifying process and achieve the aim of Health Organisation says that Pune and mapping the amenities, facilities creating a Smart City. ranks very high on all pollution and service delivery processes in indicators. Most of these are driven order to ensure evidence based A word of caution about the SPV. by the behaviour of the Citizens. decision making. This will mitigate Smart Cities is a scheme of the lacks, gaps and mismatches that Ministry of Urban Development and Conceptualization, design, currently impede efficient delivery delegating statutory decision implementation and monitoring of of entitlements. making powers to a Special Purpose any plan, intervention or Vehicle created for executing the programme cannot happen without An Urban ecosystem that evolves decisions made by the Constitutional a bottom-up approach and such an through the above mentioned Authority would set a bad precedent process will create an environment and would be illegal. 1 Smart City Mission Statement & that adheres to the principles of a – Prof. Aneeta Gokhale–Benninger, Guidelines. Ministry of Urban healthy humane habitat that ensures Executive Director, CDSA, Pune, India Development, Govt. of India, June 2015.

10 southasiadisasters.net September 2016 CHILDREN AND DRR Building Resilience of Children and their Communities by Integrating DRR, Child Sensitive Social Protection with Technology

ave the Children and NOKIA Shave forged a partnership to build the resilience of children and communities through improved access to social protection and increased capacity for disaster risk reduction. The proposed initiative aims to build resilience of vulnerable children, their families and communities in 5 states (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu) across India, through an innovative approach by integrating Disaster Risk Reduction and Social Protection framework with Information Technology. The project is being implemented in 350 locations with varied hazard profiles Disaster Management Planning Demonstration to Project Team with Children and and will reach around a million Adult Community Representatives at Navjivan Camp Urban Community. lives. Some of the important initiatives respond to any emergency Besides the conventional approach of undertaken are: situation. building capacities of the 1. Disaster Management Resource 2. Network in a Box (NIB): It has communities by providing them Centre (DMRC): DMRC are been usually observed that there training on basic life-saving skills, being setup at school and is prolonged outage of mobile the project addressed the Panchayat levels for effective connectivity which significantly vulnerabilities by strengthening the coordination and response in hampers the response actions. In social protection net using times of disasters. Each of these order to address this key technology. Information and DMRCs are equipped with a information void, NIB will be communication technology linked to CPU, LED television, solar panel installed in six location. NIB can mapping and network solutions will and inverter. It is envisioned be easily established and play an extremely important role in that these DMRC would act at operationalized. Though NIB, laying the framework for targeting, emergency operations centres the task force members will be tracking, linking and disbursement that would coordinate with the able to connect with each other of Social Protection entitlements. At relevant district administration through a ruggedized device the same time, this will also enable for effective response. The and coordinate their response the community and government to DMRCs are also equipped with efforts. respond to a disaster rapidly (First task force kits for early warning, 3. 3D Flood Forecasting: 3D flood Responders) and at scale. The project search and rescue, relief forecasting is being piloted in focuses on leveraging the management, camp flood prone areas of Bihar. This technological advancement for management and psycho-social tool will sound the vulnerable improved delivery of basic services support. Task force members communities based on the and enhanced capacity for action have been formed and trained existing precipitation level and with village institutions. at school and village level to anticipated rainfall in the next September 2016 southasiadisasters.net 11 72 hrs. This intervention is in case of an accident. R designed to dovetail with the The project directly EWS application creating a involves community comprehensive system of early members, children from warning based on real time school and government information. authorities. Disaster 4. FARM Schools: Forecast management plans are Application for Risk developed at school Management is an intervention level and village level which will build the capacity of through direct local farmers to understand and participation of the interpret climatic information school and village provided by Indian disaster management Meteorological Department and committees, children's inform their farming decisions. group and community This will help them save money members. The findings that they would have otherwise from participatory lost if they were not aware of vulnerability and the weather pattern. This also capacity assessment and has a component of training other critical farmers on methods to adapt information is mapped their cultivation to changing on Google earth for easy climate patterns. access and monitoring purpose. Urban community, Majnu Ka Tila, North Delhi. Besides the above there are few more technological interventions Models on innovative community developed and implemented, which being tested for disseminating early resilience augmentation based on Save the Children will strive to warnings and mobile application for processes integrated with replicate/scale up in India and across road safety ensure prompt response technological solutions are being the world. – Vinay Iyer, Project Director, Save The Children, India

Editorial Advisors: Denis Nkala Madhavi Malalgoda Ariyabandu Regional Coordinator, South-South Cooperation and Sub-Regional Coordinator, Central Asia & South Country Support (Asia-Pacific), United Nations Caucasus, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Development Programme, New York Reduction (UNISDR), Kazakhstan

Ian Davis Mihir R. Bhatt Visiting Professor in Disaster Risk Management in All India Disaster Mitigation Institute, India Copenhagen, Lund, Kyoto and Oxford Brookes Dr. Satchit Balsari, MD, MPH Universities The University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, New York, USA Dr. John Twigg Senior Research Associate, Department of Civil, T. Nanda Kumar Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University Chairman, Institute of Rural Management Anand College London, London (IRMA), Anand, Gujarat, India

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

ALL INDIA DISASTER MITIGATION INSTITUTE 411 Sakar Five, Behind Old Natraj Cinema, Near Mithakhali Railway Crossing, , 12 –380 009 India. Tele/Fax:southasiadisasters.net +91-79-2658 2962 September 2016 E-mail: [email protected], Website: http://www.aidmi.org, www.southasiadisasters.net