A global review of disaster reduction initiatives - Welcome to the ...

3Living with Risk: A global review of disaster reduction initiativesPatanka is on its way to becoming an internationalexample of good practice in community-led rehabilitation. Two expert masons fromNepal’s National Society of Earthquake Technologycame to teach their Gujarati partnershow to build safe houses. They developed avery good rapport with all the villagers, andexpressed considerable respect for the abilitiesof the local masons. Language barriersnotwithstanding, they could all be seen working,guiding and advising at the constructionsites well into the evening.While there were many supporters, the decision-makingwas done by the community itself.Each family determined its own house design,the material to be used, and initiated the construction.Upon completion of construction inthe village, there was a pool of trained masonsable to continue playing an important role inthe rebuilding of the rest of Gujarat. Recognizingthe strength of this community-ledrehabilitation model, organizations includingthe UN Centre for Regional Development,Gap Inc., the Earthquake Disaster MitigationResearch Centre in Japan and a consortium ofNGOs from Japan, all pitched in to supportand promote it.A wider dissemination campaign is beingplanned to promote such work and create moreawareness about the success of do-it-yourself,low-cost earthquake-resistant construction. InPatanka, there was not only excitement aboutbuilding a new village, but a great sense ofownership and pride among the villagers onhaving done it themselves, paid for it themselves,and also having done it in a technicalway that will protect their homes in the future.Case: South Asian countries(Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan,Sri Lanka)Duryog Nivaran – the South Asian Network forDisaster Mitigation, sponsors a project calledLivelihood Options for Disaster Risk Reductionthat proceeds from the recognition that formany thousands of people in South Asia, if notmillions, living with disaster risk is a fact ofeveryday life. It is therefore only by strengtheninglivelihoods and by building more effec-tive coping capacities within individual communitiesthat a viable foundation for disasterrisk reduction can be created. The project isfundamentally community-based, with theintention of identifying crucial linkagesbetween livelihoods and the related optionswhich have the potential to reduce disasterrisks. Supported by the Conflict and HumanitarianAffairs Department of DFID, the projecthas the following components:• Research that can identify the implicationsof disaster risk on livelihoods.• Formulation of strategies that strengthenlivelihoods and can reduce disaster risks.• Developing the capacities of stakeholdersthrough community-based approaches todisaster management.• Undertaking pilot demonstrations of riskreduction strategies.• Advocating and promoting policies toinfluence a paradigm shift that recognizesthat disasters are part of the developmentprocess, and empowering people and theirlocal communities to take an active role inbuilding resilience to hazards and to minimizefuture exposure to disasters.The project has attracted cooperation fromgovernment institutions, NGOs, research anddevelopment planning organizations andmedia, in a process of localizing adaptations tosuit the specific nature of hazards, vulnerabilitiesand the needs of individual South Asiancommunities.Case: MaldivesIn the Maldives, community efforts to reducevulnerability is common, where the entire landmasscomprising low-lying coral atolls is particularlythreatened by rising sea levels. From1998-2000 there were five damaging stormsthat affected 43 islands and 5 atolls. In June2000, severe waves lashed the resort island ofBolifushi causing US$ 1.3 million in damage.To prevent these types of hazards from becomingfuture disasters, local communities andNGOs have worked together in planting treeson the beaches and in constructing sea walls toprevent beach erosion, thereby minimizing theimpact of tidal waves on the islands.148