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

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of training. The benefits of increased information and knowledge of the intrinsicworth of earthquake-safe features is thereby two-fold in that it promptshomeowners to be more selective in who is building their homes and to morecarefully consider safer building techniques.3.1.2d Additional observationsThe greatest problem with respect to disaster response in the mountain regionstems from a lack of communication mediums. Fifty-seven percent of respondentsin Study Area A indicate that there are no emergency communication plans inplace within their village, seventy-five percent in Study Area B. Mobile telephoneand landlines are the main communication channels for these areas; these figuresare higher for the Almora region, which is slightly more developed (telephone:Study Area A – 56%, Study Area B – 62%; mobile: Study Area A – 48%, StudyArea B – 74%).In addition to communication issues, these regions are particularly vulnerable todisasters in that there is no “safety net” for communities to fall back on if their cropsare destroyed or homes irreparably damaged.3.1.2e RecommendationsAlmora is a prime example of a region that is prone to disasters and yet communitymembers are largely ignorant to the risks and hazards faced in their environment.Preparedness and awareness campaigns should not simply be directed at regionswhere recent events prompt a greater sense of urgency but should also be initiatedequally in all areas of high risk; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.Disaster preparedness task forces should be developed in the Almora region;despite community perceptions that Almora is unaffected by natural disasters, thestate-wide disaster data presented in the recent edition of Suchetna newsletterhave illustrated that Almora is in fact one of the most affected regions in the statewith respect to loss of land, livestock damage to buildings, etc. Simply waiting foran event to occur before taking action is a step backward and needs to be averted.The Role of NGOs in Disaster Mitigation and Response – A Case Study in Uttarakhand, Northern India 55
Community based disaster preparedness plays an important role in reducingvulnerability to natural hazards. The work done by PSI and CDI in the Rudraprayagregion has illustrated that mobilizing communities for preparedness and mitigationstrategies has a positive impact on raising levels of awareness and have integratedpreparedness strategies and concepts into the daily agenda of communitymembers.Although information on earthquake-safe housing and preparedness has beendisseminated to the communities with success it is recommended that it beprovided with greater frequency and consistency (ex. every 6 months). As thesurvey indicates, a large percentage of people may not recall where they heard themessage but the important point is that the message is there. This is evident in theRudraprayag region as disasters are part of the local vocabulary; disasters are atthe forefront of people’s minds as opposed to Almora. Of course, having beenrecently affected by a disaster certainly plays a role in what is retained in thememory, however, the fact that community members are able to correctly listearthquake-safe features illustrates that awareness programmes play a large, andsuccessful, role in heightening awareness levels. The development of task forcesin the region was done in an effort to sustain this information flow throughout theyear and needs to be followed up as well.As results from the mason interviews have emphasized, it is of paramountimportance to provide detailed information on the costs of such precautionaryfeatures and activities in order to convince homeowners to use earthquake-safefeatures.A further recommendation is to increase the number of programmes directed at theschool curriculum. It may be difficult to spark behavior change in the adultpopulation without incentives or tax benefits. However, integrating disasterawareness information into school curriculum can effectively change the mindsetfor the next generation of homeowners. The results from the questionnaire indicateThe Role of NGOs in Disaster Mitigation and Response – A Case Study in Uttarakhand, Northern India 56
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 and 38: As suggested previously, there is a
Page 39 and 40: on the main agenda (Benson et al, 2
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: It is interesting to note that when
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 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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