A Case Study in Uttarakhand, Northern India - Geological & Mining ...

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In practical terms NGOs can be considered as the middle-man between thegrassroots communities and the top-down power structures that are oft timesfacilitating funding and making key decisions on policy and the like. NGOs are oneof the “most effective alternative means of achieving an efficient communicationlink between the disaster management agencies and the affected community”.While some NGOs are also working at the advocacy level, they typically operateand participate in the relief and response and subsequent development to adisaster. NGOs are perhaps best suited to community based DMP as they: a) offerinexpensive and practical techniques, b) have a higher level of acceptance theyare able to stimulate public awareness, c) have a long term view and vision for thearea they are working in, d) work among the poorest communities thereforeenabling access to the those most vulnerable, e) are in a position to offer technicalsupport to local people who may already be active in disaster mitigation strategies,essentially consultants for the poor, f) have a more holistic approach, NGOsanalyze the socio-economic as well as the physical environment, g) have “greaterflexibility in procedural matters compared to the government” (Twigg et al, 2000,Sharma 2004, ODI, 2005, Benson et al, 2001; Chopra, 1987).NGOs can work toward reducing vulnerability through training, education andhelping to establish a clear coordination of disaster response responsibilities(UNISDR). The main focus of NGO involvement in the field of disasters is largelywith respect to relief and development. The literature reveals that NGOs do in factalready perform a large range of activities in the field of DMP, but that thedemonstrated benefits of NGO involvement in DMP is poor. This seemingly lowlevel of direct involvement can be attributed to the blurred roles NGOs play. It is fairto say that a great deal of invisibility of involvement in DMP makes it exceedinglydifficult to quantify or document progress in this respect. This makes it difficult togauge how many NGOs are working toward disaster preparedness and in whatcapacity (Benson et al, 2001; Alexander, 1997) much less to determine emergingtrends in DMP. It is also suggested that natural disasters often take a backseat tothe complex emergencies that inevitably steer donor funding and what is prioritizedThe Role of NGOs in Disaster Mitigation and Response – A Case Study in Uttarakhand, Northern India 31
on the main agenda (Benson et al, 2001). Importantly, the lack of literature on thesubject alone speaks volumes regarding just how arduous the task ofmainstreaming preventative culture is.Ultimately, NGO coordination with all stakeholders is necessary for DMP to besuccessfully managed. Outside of community level, coordination with governmentand the private sector are necessary. There has been an increase in the amountof coordination among NGOs in the past years as seen by the development oflarger umbrella organizations and the development of the SPHERE manual, RedCross Code of Conduct to name a few (HPG, 2003), by their very nature NGOshave to work with other agencies. Further to this, links with academia, in particularthe scientific community should be formed. Cronin et al (2004 a, b) highlight theutility of increased collaboration with the scientific community, (hazardmanagement facilitated in rural communities through a combination of traditionaland scientific knowledge) and the need for including scientific academics into theassembly of stakeholders.In summary, the commonalities among the literature on the DMP discoursesuggest that:1. DMP is on the international agenda but must be mainstreamed2. DMP is excluded from the disaster continuum as it falls between the gaps ofrelief and development3. there is a need for understanding context and improved coordination andtransfer of knowledge , all of which NGOs have a clear role in ,4. coordination among all stakeholders is necessary for success programmes5. that DMP should have an integral part in sustainable policy6. a top-down approach to DMP is not likely to succeed as it doesn’t have it’sthumb on the pulse of the interests and needs of the communities, acommunity based approach to DMP is recommendedThe Role of NGOs in Disaster Mitigation and Response – A Case Study in Uttarakhand, Northern India 32
Page 1 and 2: The Role of Non GovernmentalOrganis
Page 3 and 4: Table of contentsChapter 1 - Introd
Page 5 and 6: List of figuresFigure 1.1: Study re
Page 7 and 8: preparedness, and has potential to
Page 9 and 10: This case study investigates the im
Page 11 and 12: • What are homeowner perceptions
Page 13 and 14: Seismic activity in this area is du
Page 15 and 16: The study comprises two regions: St
Page 17 and 18: 1.4.1 - b Study Area B- Almora dist
Page 19 and 20: etc. operational). The study involv
Page 21 and 22: Chapter 2 - Theoretical Orientation
Page 23 and 24: 2.1.2 VulnerabilityVulnerability is
Page 25 and 26: of a disaster everyone knows how to
Page 27 and 28: disaster management in the country,
Page 29 and 30: Despite the apparent increased cons
Page 31 and 32: 2.3.1 Disaster Mitigation and Prepa
Page 33 and 34: save lives. This event marked a pri
Page 35 and 36: Systems technologies and education
Page 37: As suggested previously, there is a
Page 41 and 42: Frame structureFramed structures ha
Page 43 and 44: The curriculum of the PSI workshops
Page 45 and 46: Figure 2.2a: Community based disast
Page 47 and 48: district irrespective of the fact t
Page 49 and 50: etrofitting, monitoring and homeown
Page 51 and 52: structures as an alarming forty-fiv
Page 53 and 54: Reponses for what features masons t
Page 55 and 56: trained masons in the Study Area A
Page 57 and 58: ecommended that a similar study be
Page 59 and 60: 3.1.2b Awareness and Dissemination
Page 61 and 62: It is interesting to note that when
Page 63 and 64: Community based disaster preparedne
Page 65 and 66: 3.1.3 - Section 3 Housing Impact As
Page 67 and 68: Load-bearing1.single steel rod in e
Page 69 and 70: The overall proportion of newly bui
Page 71 and 72: etween stirrups of 6-12 inches. Alt
Page 73 and 74: Table 3.7: Percentage of safe house
Page 75 and 76: 3.2 DiscussionThe discussion segmen
Page 77 and 78: In Study Area A the number of earth
Page 79 and 80: 2) mitigation measures were taken i
Page 81 and 82: 3.3 ConclusionsIn conclusion, the s
Page 83 and 84: ReferencesAlexander, D., 1997. The
Page 85 and 86: Guptasarma, D. 1996. Is the Seismic
Page 87 and 88: Telford, J. and Cosgrave, J., 2007.
Page 89 and 90:
Annex I - Earthquake safe featuresT
Page 91 and 92:
The Role of NGOs in Disaster Mitiga
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Annex 2 - Mason Interview ResultsSt
Page 99 and 100:
11. How to make such a course more
Page 101 and 102:
sloped roof 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 1 2.78s
Page 103 and 104:
17. Do homeowners request earthquak
Page 105 and 106:
light roof 1 0 1 2.78 0 0.00RCC 1 3
Page 107 and 108:
6. How long have you lived in the v
Page 109 and 110:
16. Do you have an emergency commun
Page 111 and 112:
26. What activities related to the
Page 113 and 114:
36. Would you prefer traditional ma
Page 115 and 116:
Appendix IV - Breakdown of earthqua
Page 117:
Appendix IV - Breakdown of earthqua
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