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From Poverty to Power Green, Oxfam 2008 - weman

From Poverty to Power Green, Oxfam 2008 - weman

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FROM POVERTY TO POWERcommunity and so were less able <strong>to</strong> take the collective action needed<strong>to</strong> build resilience. 108ADAPTATION REQUIRES CITIZENS AND STATESGlacial melt in the Himalayas is causing more frequent and moresevere flooding in the plains below, where millions of people live.The scale of flooding in 2000 certainly came as a shock <strong>to</strong> riversidecommunities in India’s West Bengal. ‘There was an announcemen<strong>to</strong>ver a loudspeaker, warning us that there would be a severe flood,’recalls Dipali Biswas, a resident of Nadia district.‘But we were still notaware just how severe it would be. When I saw the water rise above theroof of my house, I was stunned.’Since then, the local NGO Sreema Mahila Samity (SMS) hasinitiated community-based disaster planning, supporting women asleaders in their communities <strong>to</strong> set up village task forces, plan andpractise disaster response, learn <strong>to</strong> build quick-assembly boats andflood shelters, raise the foundations of their houses, and establishflood-proof communal grain banks. Dipali is a member of her village’sEarly Warning Task Force. ‘These days, we can hear about floods inmany ways,’ she explains,‘from the village committee, from a telephonenumber that we can call <strong>to</strong> get the latest information, from the TV andradio, and of course from observing the river ourselves. During theflood season, we never miss a radio or TV weather report.’ 109Dipali’s village is as ready as it can be for the floods that climatechange will undoubtedly make worse, and the active citizenship of hercommunity has been essential for that preparedness. But all theirpreparation will succeed only if the local government provides accurateand timely flood warnings, and that in turn depends on the nationalgovernment investing in India’s meteorological infrastructure. Inshort, active citizens can only succeed in adapting <strong>to</strong> climate change ifthey have the support of effective states.All countries need <strong>to</strong> assess their vulnerability <strong>to</strong> climate change,identify adaptation options and plan responses <strong>to</strong> protect theirpopulations from impacts. Poor countries, especially, need <strong>to</strong> makethis a priority as part of their development strategies. In addition <strong>to</strong>promoting community risk reduction initiatives and integrating264

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