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| The main focus in the CBDRM project lies on rising awareness and increase the capacity of local communities in preparedness and response for natural disasters. This includes the motivation and training of villagers, civil society organization and local authority through various activities.
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 Awareness and assessment |
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| Sambhand has never worked in the project villagers prior to this project which makes it important to become known to the villagers and to get the project known to them. At the same time basic information about the socio demographic conditions and the kind, intensity and frequency of disasters is required. We have chosen Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) as a tool set for this. After sensitising the villagers in several hamlets (smallest administrative unit of a village) we did several PLA exercises which lead to the preparation of a plan of action on community level which has endorsed in the Palisabha and Gram Sabha (government institutions on village level). These programmes are followed up in monthly review meeting under participation of village leaders and leades of self help groups. To succeed in the implementation of the programme as well as for its sustainability it is important to create also awareness among politicians of different levels. This is address with regular meeting with officials from different government bodies up to district level. |
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Capacity building |
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| Once people are aware of what they can do to reduce their vulnerability in the disasters they are facing it is necessary to build up their capacity to put the required action in practice. We conduct programmes on different levels in the village (household, self help groups (SHG) and communities) in which we train the people to prepare survival kits, life jackets and swimming facilities (is this the correct word). The logistic framework for a respond prior, during and after a disaster is build with several task force groups which are trained in early warning, first aid, search and rescue and other tasks. To enable rescue activities during floods n Pathapur village is boat is under construction that allows to transport 40 people at a time. Further exposure visit of village leaders, Panchayati Raj Institutions ( PRI) members and SHG leaders have been organised to sites where CBDRM programmes have been successfully implemented. |
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Education |
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| We think it is important to start with awareness and training already at school level including children as well as teachers. To have a good base for this we develop educational material for children and teachers and conduct programmes like one day interactive training of school children with Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), Civil defence academy, Fire service and Traffic police. |
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Mitigation work |
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| The regular flooding and the stagnant water lead to crop failure and the efforts ot he local farmers where in vain. We try to mitigate these losses with paddy and jute varieties that can stand stagnant water for a longer time period. We arragend meeting of the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI, Cuttack ), Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) and local farmers in which the alternative patty and jute varies have been selected. On plots of 118 framers the new varieties are cultivated and had shortly after they have been planted to face there first flooding. We can not say at the moment to which extent the losses of farmers can be mitigated with the new varieties. We are waiting eagerly for the floods to go and the harvest to come to know about it. |
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Mapping of vulnerability |
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| A good planning for disasters management information about the water regime during a disaster (entry and exit point of flood water, extent of flooding) as well as the affected households and their vulnerability has to be assessed and displayed. We want to build up the capacity of local government bodies in mapping with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to have strong tools and capacity to handle them available at this level. As a first step we explore the possibilities of GIS through the mapping of the area of one Panchayat and sharing of our experience with local government bodies. |
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Sharing of experience and joint efforts are essential in the field of disaster management. We established links and cooperation on different levels. We implement components of our project together with organisations working under the 4 th action plan of DIPECHO Handicap International (HI), BBC World Service Trust and Catholic Relief Service (CRS) and Partner agency of the Alliance 2015 (www.alliance2015.org) like CONCERN. We also have good rapport with Orissa state Disaster Mitigation Authority(OSDMA) with UNDP, DFID,RED CROSS, Action aid India, Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), IGSSS. For a better coordination in disaster preparedness in our project areas of this and other projects we established close connection with different line department of the district government. To share or experience and to reflect on the way forward we will conduct a state level lessons learned workshop on the 7 th and 8 th of November in Bubaneshwar. |
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o fare are people with disabilities (PWD's) are rarely considered in programmes under CBDRM. Together with Handicap International (HI) we pay special attention to this people in our project and make sure that they are put in a position to cope with disasters in the project area like anybody else. We conducted in this regard assessment camps, sensitised the villagers and SHG member for this issue and trained task force members in the inclusion of PWD's in there field of action. |
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Research |
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| Mechanisms to respond to disasters are no new interventions. Communities in disaster prone areas have their traditional knowledge of detecting the appearance of disasters as well as how to cope with them To get this knowledge better involved in our work of this and future projects we carry out a small study on the traditional knowledge on disaster preparedness and the coping mechanism of the community in the disaster like situation. | |||
