southasiadisasters.net July 20142

INTRODUCTION

The Challenge of DRR in Sikkim and other HillyStates of IndiaIn the aftermath of repeated

disasters like the KashmirEarthquake (2005), the annual floodsin Assam, the devastating cloudburstand flash floods in Uttarakhand(2013) or the Sikkim earthquake of2011, the hilly states of India haveemerged as the most disaster pronestates in the country. A harsh climate,an unforgiving terrain and remotelocation coupled with make suchstates and their citizens highlyvulnerable to multiple hazards.

Of these hilly states, Sikkim holds aspecial strategic significance for India.Bounded by Nepal, Tibet and Bhutanfrom three sides, the only entry intothe state from the Indian mainlandis through the south. The problem ofaccessibility is further compoundedby the geo-physical profile of thestate which makes it susceptible toearthquakes (Sikkim is in zone IV ofSeismic activity), floods andlandslides. All these factors combineto make the state of Sikkim extremelyvulnerable to the adverse impacts ofdisasters. Furthermore, globalwarming also threatens theecologically sensitive state byadding the imminent risk of floodsdue to the melting of glacial lakes.

The 2011 earthquake along theSikkim-Nepal border exposedcertain faultlines in the disasterresponse capacities of the state. Butthe state disaster managementauthority has taken proactive stepsin the form of a robust state disastermanagement plan. Apart from adetailed and exhaustive hazard andvulnerability profile of the state, thisplan also included endangeredspecies of flora and fauna in the state.

Being ecologically fragile, the stateof Sikkim also has a State Action Plan

ABOUT THIS ISSUEon Climate Change (SAPCC). Thisplan gives impetus to the NationalAction Plan on Climate Change(NAPCC) by focusing on thenecessary interventions needed inthe state of Sikkim. Thus, it isobserved that there are a lot ofchallenges for effective disaster riskreduction in the hilly states of India,particularly in Sikkim. The abovemap gives an overview of the geo-physical features of Sikkim.

– Kshitij Gupta

This issue of Southasiadisasters.netaims to highlight the challenges toeffective DRR in Sikkim and otherhilly states of India. The articles inthis issue are based on varioustopics subsumed under this vasttheme and range from the risk ofclimate change in DRR to theexigencies of DRR sensitiveheritage conservation in such hillystates.

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DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

The Rationale of the Disaster Risk Reductionand Climate Change Adaptation ConvergenceSynergies for financing disaster

risk reduction (DRR) and climatechange adaptation (CCA) was one ofthe topics that was discussed at theEight International Conference onCommunity–based Adaptation inKathmandu, Nepal. Participantshowever, were also inquiring moreevidences approving the linkagebetween DRR and CCA activities.Hence, this short note, argues theimportance and necessity of theintegration of DRR with CCA.

Achieving effective DRR activitieswithout considering CCA is hard toaccomplish. Vulnerability to theincreased frequency and magnitudeof extreme climate variables(temperature and precipitation) isgreater for developing countries.Thus, adaptive capacity and disasterrisk reduction activities related to thechanging climate is dependent onthe development strategies that arebeing pursued by developingcountries1. Adapting to the changingclimate relies on the reduction andmanagement of climate-induceddisaster risks. Therefore, and as aresult of the overlapping definitionsand concepts, measures andobjectives of CCA and DRR, whichare reflected in their concepts andgoals, a number of national andinternational documents have beenfocused on CCA and DRR

simultaneously2 3 4 5 6. At theinternational level, the HyogoFramework for Action (HFA) of2005, which has been endorsed by theUnited Nations General Assembly,expects to promote the integrationof risk reduction and adaptation toclimate change strategies. The BaliAction Plan (2007) has also approvedthe linkages between DRR and CCAand called for enhanced actions onadaptation, including disasterreduction strategies, as well asidentifying the loss and damageassociated with climate changeimpacts in developing countries7.Development and humanitarianpractitioners are collectively tryingto empower those who arevulnerable and exposed to hazardsand climate change. This alsorequires an approach that integratesthe concepts and practices of DRRwith CCA. Similarities also exist inother area of activities in DRR andCCA such as knowledge andpractices, financial mechanism aswell as national institutions. In short,CCA and DRR are alreadyconverging in the following areas8:• International agreements• Financial mechanism• National institutions• Knowledge and practices• Humanitarians and civil society

efforts

In Nepal, since integration of CCAand DRR activities have yet to beinstitutionalized within varioussectors, it is essential that an adequateimplementation mechanism with aninter-sectoral approach buttressedwith timely information andexperience sharing discussions andmore importantly, institutionalcommitment/support be developed.Nepal however, has developed a localadaptation plan of action9 (LAPA)manual to address the climatechange adaption as well as well asthe local disaster risk managementplanning10 (LDRMP) guideline toadapt an effective and practical actionplan to reduce disaster risks at theorganizational level. Reviewingboth documents shows that whileboth documents are sharing a greatdeal of common activities, the LAPAmanual is more detail oriented andthe LDRMP guidelines however,provide a better direction to identifyand connect to the related institutionsat all levels. Therefore, a combinationof the both these documents is mostlikely to develop an adequateimplementation mechanism thatworks toward adapting to thechanging climate as well as reducingdisasters risks, including climate-induced disasters in Nepal.

– Sima Mostofi Javid (Ph.D.),Consultant, Disaster Risk Reduction

and Climate Change Adaptation, Nepal

1 Mirza, M. M. Q. 2003. Climate change and extremeweather events: can developing countries adapt?Climate Policy, Vol. 3, Issue 3, p. 233-248

2 Hay, J. E. 2012. Disaster risk reduction and climatechange adaptation in the Pacific: an institutional andpolicy analysis, UNDP and UNISDR, http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/publications/26725

3 Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Governmentof Nepal, 2011. Priority Framework for Action ClimateChange Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management inAgriculture

4 UNICEF/HQ, 2012. Climate change adaptation anddisaster risk reduction in the education sector:Resource Manual

5 UNICEF/HQ, 2013. Programming for climate change:A reader

6 Turnbull, M., Sterrett, L. Ch. And Hilleboe, A. 2013. TowardResilience: A Guide to Disaster Risk Reduction and ClimateChange Adaptation, Practical Action Publishing Ltd

7 Accelerating the Implementation of the Hyogo Frameworkfor Action (HFA) in Asia and the Pacific, Asian DisasterManagement News, 2010, Vol.15, No. 2

8 Mitchell, T. Aalst , M. V. and Villanueva, P. S. 2010.Assessing Progress on Integrating Disaster Risk Reductionand Climate Change Adaptation in Development Processes,Institute of Development Studies

9 Government of Nepal, 2011. National Framework on LocalAdaptation Plans for Action, Ministry of Science Technologyand Environment, Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal

10 Government of Nepal, 2011. Local Disaster RiskManagement Planning guideline. Ministry of LocalDevelopment , Sirmahal, Lalitpur, Nepal

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RISK REDUCTION

Disaster Risks in High MountainRegionsMountains occupy

approximately one-fifth of theearth's land surface and cover 54% ofAsia's land mass. They are home todiverse ecosystems and providesanctuaries for plant and animalspecies as well as shelter for 10% ofthe world's population. Eightypercent of the Earth's surface wateroriginates in the mountains. Thiswater is essential not only formountain communities but also forbillions of people living in the plains.

However, mountains are verysensitive to environmental change.Rise in temperature can disrupt amountain system and lead to themelting of glaciers, soil erosion,landslides, rock fall, floods, and

avalanches. These disasters can notonly cause massive loss of life andproperty, but also leave mountaincommunities cut off from the rest ofthe world for days, weeks, and evenmonths on end.

The mountain areas of the HinduKush Himalayan region havesuffered a series of disasters in recentyears. In 2010, the flooding of theIndus River basin in Pakistan killedthousands and displaced millions.Those floods are seen as a result ofclimate change combined withwanton destruction of forests in theHindu Kush mountains. Similarly,Ladakh, which is in the Himalayanregion of India, sufferedunprecedented rainfall (14 inches in

two hours) and consequent floods thatleft hundreds dead. In 2013, flashfloods triggered by very heavyrainfall and a cloudburst inUttarakhand affected 12 out of the 13districts in the state, killingthousands and displacing hundredsof thousands of pilgrims and localpeople. The deluge washed awayroads, bridges and other infrastructure.

In addition, the tragic avalanche of2012 that buried hundreds ofPakistani soldiers on the SiachenGlacier, located in the Karakoramrange in Pakistan, and the recentavalanche that killed 16 NepaleseSherpas on Mount Everest in 2014have drawn the world's attention tohigh-altitude disasters.

ICIMOD team establishing a Glacial Monitoring system at Yala Glacier, Nepal. Photo credit: Udayan Mishra

To monitor hazard risk and assess changes in the high mountains, ICIMOD has developed the Cryosphere Initiativeunder the Regional Programme on Cryosphere and Atmosphere. The Cryosphere Initiative focuses on the monitoringof glaciers, snow, and glacial lakes and glacio-hydrology with an emphasis on in-situ measurements, remotesensing, and modelling. Snow cover in the HKH is also being monitored by ICIMOD's new MODIS satellite datareceiving and processing facility.

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Among the most worrying hazardsin high-mountain areas are glaciallake outburst floods. Recent studiesby the International Centre forIntegrated Mountain Development(ICIMOD) and other institutions haveidentified over 200 glacial lakes in theHindu Kush Himalayan region at riskof causing a glacial lake outburstflood. ICIMOD, in collaboration withrespective national governmentagencies, has been establishingglacial lake monitoring systems atselected glacial lakes in theHimalayas and in the landscapesurrounding Mount Kailash insouthwestern Tibet to facilitate datacollection and analysis to assess thepotential risk of glacial lake outburstfloods.

High altitude mountain ecosystemsare under immense stress due to thedemands of the growing worldeconomy and impacts of climatechange, while mountaincommunities are deprived of thedevelopment gains made at theirexpense. Communities living in highaltitudes are also at constant risk of

landslides, flash floods, and otherdisasters. The critical questions weneed to ask are: How can wesustainably harness the potential ofmountains, without creating disasterrisks for mountain communities?How can mountain people becompensated for the services theyprovide to downstream users?

There are no easy answers to thesequestions. Urgent integrated effortsare required to protect fragilemountains from the impacts ofclimate change and to reduce disasterrisks in mountain regions. Theseefforts may include proper drainagemanagement to control shallowdebris and bioengineering usingappropriate forms of vegetation tostabilize vulnerable surface areas;ensuring disaster preparednessamong mountain communities;setting up GLOF, flood and landslideearly warning systems andimproving information flow; andproviding access to mitigation andrelief measures. Further, there is anurgent need for transboundary andregional cooperation among

mountain countries in the areas ofdata sharing, flood and seismiccatastrophe management, periodicdigital hazard mapping, monitoringand modeling for accurateunderstanding and forecasting ofdisasters to save thousands of lives.

To that end ICIMOD has long beenexploring ways to reduce the risk ofdisasters resulting from naturalhazards in the mountains. It hasfocused its efforts on assessing thedifferential vulnerabilities andcoping capacities of women and men.ICIMOD has also fostered regionaland transboundary cooperation indisaster risk reduction, and remainscommitted to strengthening gender-sensitive policies and practices indisaster early warning, community-based disaster risk reduction, anddisaster response in the highmountain region.

– Hari Krishna Nibanupudi,Senior Disaster Risk Reduction

Specialist, International Centre forIntegrated Mountain Development

(ICIMOD), Nepal

PREPAREDNESS

Planning Disaster Preparedness in India:Key ThoughtsIndia has woken up very late in

terms of policy-making forpreparing and mitigating disasters.It was as late as the year 2005 that wehad a disaster management policy.Even after putting the policy in placewe have had major disasters that wehave been ineffective in respondingto. The most horrendous in the seriesbeing the Uttarakhand floods in June2013 in which thousands of peoplelost their lives. The hills camecrumbling down and yet we put theblame on the fury of the "nature". Itis quite a well-known fact that it wasillegal mining and dams that led tothe hollowing of the hills and they

came down when the flash floodsoccurred. Uttarakhand was a"human-made" disaster. The LiveMint magazine1 dated 29th April 2014reports that the "Government panelblames hydel-power projects for thedeadly Uttarakhand floods". This isso typical of India where we love toplay the blame game after thetragedy has occurred instead ofaddressing the root cause of disastersand distress. In this write-up I am notpresenting solutions but posing a fewquestions to the readers as to howwe can talk about disaster-preparedness in a country like Indiawith its current social, political and

economic situation where inequalityis at an all-time high and the statehas been focusing too much oneconomic growth at the cost of theenvironment and cultural concerns.

The voices of concern of grassrootssocial and environmental activistsare subdued as they caution us aboutthe impending disasters. How easyit is for the Indian government andcitizens to forget the sacrifice ofSwami Nigamananda who diedtrying to protect the fragilemountain-ecology of Uttarakhandand preventing mining in its riverbeds particularly that of River Ganga.

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The dirty nexus between the stateand the mining industries wassuccessful in eradicating the voicethat opposed them. How can wediscuss disaster-preparedness in acountry where civil society is crushedby such unfair means? India claimsitself to be a democracy and yet thestate oppresses the people who aretrying to protect the environmentand culture of their land. For anykind of disaster-preparedness wehave to be inclusive in our decision-making processes. How was miningand haphazard construction activityever approved in the fragile eco-systems is the critical questioneverybody needs to ask not just inthe aftermath of the disaster butbefore it occurs just like SwamiNigamananda did. How can weachieve any kind of environmentaland social justice when the voices ofour crusaders are silenced by thosewho are out to destroy theenvironment for selfish gains? Howdoes the state allow these whistleblowers to be attacked and die whenabroad these people are beingworshipped like Gods?

Yet another example of animpending disaster would be theindiscriminate mining and industrialactivities in Chattisgarh that hasalready alienated thousands ofindigenous people from their landand is causing massive landdegradation and pollution in thatregion. Prosperous tribalcommunities who did not knowwhat disease and sickness was nowface the challenges of multiple healthproblems ranging from respiratorydiseases to skin problems. Theprivate mining companies havesucked every drop of their blood byacquiring their lands through unfairpractices and not even giving themadequate compensation for it. Thestate has been complicit in theseacquisitions and has favoured thepowerful in their transactions.

Further, the voices of RtI activistssuch as Ramesh Agrawal, a residentof Raigarh who has been activelychallenging the private miningcompanies are dimmed by usingviolence against them. Mr Agrawalhad been active in opposing privatemining companies in and aroundRaigarh in jan sunvais (publichearings) and also faced arrest for thesame. In the year 2011 he spent overtwo months in the jail on charges bya private company of using abusivelanguage and instigating peopleagainst them at a public hearing. InApril 2012 due to his activepursuance, the National GreenTribunal cancelled the miningpermit for a private company inTamnar block of Raigarh district andordered that a fresh public hearingbe conducted since the previous oneappeared fake. Within three monthsof this people's victory Mr RameshAgrawal was shot in his shop by 2unidentified assailants and sufferedmajor leg injuries for which heunderwent several surgeries. Hecontinues to limp but the attack hasnot marred his spirit to fight againstselfish capitalists who are destroyingthe physical and social environmentof Raigarh.

The reason for discussing activistslike Swami Nigamanand and RameshAgrawal in the context of disaster-preparedness in India is to highlightthe faulty priorities of the state andits failure to incorporate citizens'voices in its blind quest for economicgrowth. The neo-liberal turn inIndia's economic policy is thebiggest threat for disaster-preparedness in the country. So longas the Indian state keeps turning adeaf ear to the voices of people likethe late Swami Nigamananda and MrRamesh Agrawal, there is little hopefor this country to be prepared forhandling its disasters and emerge asa resilient democracy where people'svoices of concern are heard. Climatechange is already showing itsimpacts in India and it is predictedthat disasters particularly floods anddroughts will be on the rise in thecoming years. In such a scenario, thefood and livelihood security ofmillions in India are at risk. Thesegrassroots voices need to be heardand incorporated into the fold ofenvironmental planning in India orelse their exclusion will be a biggerdisaster than the "natural disaster"itself.

– Kanchan Gandhi,Associate Professor, School of Planning

and Architecture, Vijayawada, India1 http://www.livemint.com/Politics/jI2NRcscwg8AcEDpUasCEN/Govt-panel-blames-hydropower-plants-for-deadly-floods.html

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CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

Overview of the State Action Plan on ClimateChange (SAPCC) for SikkimIntroduction

The Indian state of Sikkim islocated in the north-eastern part ofthe country. Bounded by Tibet,Nepal and Bhutan on three sides, thestate of Sikkim is of special strategicimportance for India. Apart from itsstrategic significance, this state isalso a biodiversity hotspot.However, anthropogenic activityinduced climate change threatens thisecologically gifted albeit fragilestate. The government of India haswoken up to the urgency ofintroducing concerted plans at thepolicy level that can facilitateadaptation to climate change inSikkim and similar ecologicallyfragile states. The result was theNational Action Plan on ClimateChange (NAPCC) which wasformulated and launched in June2008. The onus of this plan was tofacilitate adaptation to climatechange based on efficient technologysolutions that engender ecologicalsustainability. To translate this planinto action, local level state actionplans for climate change were

formulated to address the exigenciesof climate change adaptation atindividual state level. The naturalculmination of this strategy was theSikkim State Action Plan on ClimateChange (SAPCC).

The Need for State Action Plan forClimate Change (SAPCC) in SikkimThe state of Sikkim encompasses theLesser Himalaya, Central Himalaya,and the Tethys Himalaya. Due itstemperate climate conditions, thestate is rich in biodiversity with avariety of flora and fauna. The statehas a large number of glaciers (84)and glacial lakes (315). According tothe 2011 census, the population of thestate is 0.61 million of which almost75% is rural.

However, the state is ecologicallysensitive and is constantly under thethreat of climate change. Long termmeteorological data points to therising of average temperatures at therate of 0.2-0.3oC per decade and tothe fluctuation in the pattern ofmonsoons. Moreover, between 1957

and 2009, the minimumtemperatures have increased by2.5oC. The graphs show the averagemaximum and minimumtemperature along with annualrainfall trends in Sikkim1:

Furthermore, the erratic rainfall isnow received in short and intensebursts which escalates the risk oflandslides and flashfoolds and thepossibility of a long and dry winter.All these factors pose a grave climaticthreat to Sikkim and vindicate theneed for a state level plan on climatechange adaptation.

Main Features of the Sikkim SAPCCA plan is an instrument to transformintent into action. To betterunderstand the rationale behinddevising this plan, it is necessary toexamine the areas of concern for thestate in a changing climate scenario.These areas of concern are asfollows2:• Ensuring sustainability of water

resources and meeting risingwater demand in the future as

1 Sikkim Action Plan on Climate Change (2012-2030), http://envfor.nic.in/downloads/publicinformation/Sikkim-SAPCC.pdf2 The Sikkim State Action Plan on Climate Change, http://cca.ner-india.org/sites/default/files/pictures/

2_sikkim_sapcc_abstract.pdf

Graphs show the average maximum and minimum temperature along with annual rainfall trends in Sikkim.

southasiadisasters.net July 20148

the climate becomes warmer.• Ensuring food security and thus

devising strategies foragriculture, horticulture andlivestock.

• Ensuring livelihoods formajority of its populationdependent on agriculture,agriculture allied services, forestproduce, and ecotourism.

• Protecting and conservingforests and biodiversity.

• Sustaining the habitats andhuman health security in achanging climate scenario.

• Introducing energy efficiencyand renewable energytechnologies

After highlighting the areas ofconcern for the state of Sikkim in achanging climate scenario, this plandelineates the sectors for whichstrategies for adaptation to climatechange have been included. Thesesectors include the following:a. Waterb. Agriculture, Horticulture and

Livestockc. Biodiversity, forests, wildlife

and ecotourismd. Promotion of energy efficiencye. Urban and rural habitats and

communities

After the identification of the areasof concern in a changing climate

scenario and of the relevant sectorsfor which mitigation and adaptationstrategies need to devised, theSAPCC progresses to a sector wisedescription of these strategies.Furthermore, the challenges to eachof these sectors have also beenhighlighted. All in all, the SAPCCfor Sikkim is a seminal documentthat lists out a comprehensive list ofclimate related threats to differentsectors of the state and suggestsstrategies to counteract on thesethreats. Most importantly, this planhas paved the way for a concertedclimate change adaptation effort tostart in this beautiful state.

– Kshitij Gupta

CASE STUDY

Living with Floods in AssamI am 42 year old and Naruathan is my birthplace.When I was a child I had seen the river MAGUMAARI(a stream of JIYADHAL River) flowing with cleanand nutritious water through village. We hadsufficient rainy water for irrigation and very fertileland. But the heavy floods of 1979, 1983, 1988 and1996 have completely changed the picture of our

village. No we are staying inundated for six months as the river depth hasdecreased due to sedimentation. Water directly enters the villages anddestroys everything (including agriculture, livestock and houses). Theproductivity of land has also decreased. We don't have a place to stay safeduring the monsoons. We rush to high raised place like on roads, wedrink flood water and if we get relief we have food to eat but if we didn'tget relief our children and family members face starvation.

'We don't have money to migrate to a safer place; we don't have land forearning. Is there any way of getting our old days back'.

– Gobind Chattri, Naruathan Village, Assam

In floodplain areas around theworld, farmers use the silt deposits

that floods bring as a traditional wayto upgrade soil quality. However,floods can also cause a sandy layerto be deposited, which can have long-term impacts on soil fertility. Thisproblem is particularly significant inDhemaji District in north-easternAssam where sand deposition ismaking it difficult for many farmersto make a living. The average riceyield in the state of Assam between1990-91 and 2009-10 was 1,433 kg perhectare. But, in the sand-depositedvillages of Dhemaji District, theaverage yield is 315 kg of rice perhectare. Why is this the case and whatare the costs borne by poor farmersas a result of sand deposits?

Sand Deposition in the Dhemaji ValleyDhemaji is a narrow valley districtsurrounded by the steep slopes of theArunachal Himalaya to the northand the east, and by the BrahmaputraRiver to the south. The district, onceconsidered the rice bowl of Assam,has been transformed into a virtualdesert due to sand deposition causedby flooding from the Himalayan

tributaries of the Brahmaputra River.Floods in the year 2000 affectedabout 330,000 people in 810 villages,damaging 11,331 hectares of standingcrop. The floods of 2011 affected apopulation of 154,000 and an area of28,300 hectares in 261 villages in thedistrict.

The floods have clearly ravagedagriculture production. Between1992 and 2004-05, net sown area in

the district decreased by about 11%.Furthermore, fallow anduncultivated land increased by 35%.Average paddy productivity inDhemaji District is now much lowerthan the state average.

– Brij ChauhanReference: Sand Deposition and Poverty

Among Farm Households in North-eastern Assam, Policy Brief, Number 65-

12, November 2012

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REDUCING VULNERABILITY

The Vulnerability of Sikkim to MultipleHazardsImportance of Hazard, Vulnerability

and Capacity AssessmentsDisasters disrupt development. It isnow a universally acknowledged factthat disasters can offset the progresson developmental outcomes in theareas they strike, pushing theircitizens into a state of poverty andprivation. Furthermore, the areasaffected by disasters are also leftexposed to newer risks. In thiscontext, it becomes imperative tomitigate the adverse impacts ofdisasters for making thedevelopment outcomes of an arearesilient. One of the most potentmethods to achieve this aforesaidresilience is a Hazard, Vulnerabilityand Capacity Assessment (HVCA)exercise.

Founded on the principle thateffective mitigation necessitates theidentification of all the possiblehazards to which an area might besusceptible to, an HVCA exercise isoften referred to as the backbone ofany disaster mitigation andmanagement effort. Since disasterrisk is a function of hazard,vulnerability and the coping capacityof a system/s, an HVCA exercise canbe viewed as a scientific instrumentin reducing vulnerability. Thefollowing equation explains this:

Natural Hazard ×Vulnerability

Capacity of Societal System

The Multi Hazard Risk and VulnerabilityAssessment (MRHVA) in SikkimThe state of Sikkim, situated on thenorth-eastern part of India isextremely vulnerable to multiplehazards. According to the census of2011, almost 75% of the state is ruralwhich leaves a lot of scope fordevelopment initiatives to take

DisasterRisk =

place. However, the state isecologically fragile and prone to avariety of hazards. A Multi HazardRisk Vulnerability Assessment(MHRVA) was conducted for thestate of Sikkim to help thestakeholders at various levels tomake informed decisions forreducing the vulnerability of Sikkimto various hazards. This MHRVA isa seminal document that is aimed atenhancing community preparedness.

The state is exposed to the followinghazards:a. Landslide hazardsb. Earthquake hazardsc. Fire hazardsd. Flood/ flash floods hazardse. Snow Avalanches hazardsf. Drought hazardsg. Hailstorm, Thundering and

lightening hazards.h. Riots and stampedes

The objectives of this MHVRA are asfollows:• Investigate prominent

natural and human-caused events.

• Identify the varioushazards affected by thatarea and hazards likely tooccur in Sikkim.

• Identify any threats thatmay require a timely andcoordinated response toprotect lives, property,and to reduce economiclosses.

• Evaluation of theeffectiveness of themitigation andemergency plans andimplementation oftraining activities such assimulation, seminars andworkshops.

The methodology followed by thisMHVRA to achieve theaforementioned objectives was thepreparation of composite risk mapsat the district, sub-district and grampanchayat level in Sikkim. Thesemaps identified hazard risks andlinked them to their geological andhydrological origin. This wasfollowed by the scaling up of thesemaps by using appropriate softwares.All this was used to evolve a riskrating system for this MHRVA exercise.

The MHRVA has a risk rating systemfor facilitating decision making onemergency response andmanagement. According to thisrating, risks can be categorised in thefollowing 5 categories:

• Low RiskIf a particular hazard has beenrated as low risk then it impliesthat it is highly unlikely for thathazard to occur in that area ascompared to other hazards.

southasiadisasters.net July 201410

• Medium Low RiskA hazard rated medium lowimplies that the likelihood ofthat hazard in that area isrelatively less but still higherthan a hazard rated 'low risk'.

• Medium RiskThese hazards are at theintermediary stage of severityand frequency. Given theirlikelihood they should becountered with an appropriatelevel of urgency inpreparedness.

• Medium High RiskThese hazards warrantimmediate attention to evolveappropriate mitigationstrategies for countering the riskemanating from them.

• High RiskThe risk from these hazards is themost. Therefore, such hazardsnecessitate the urgent attentionfor suitable action to be takenon mitigating such hazards.

An example of this risk ratingmechanism for the hazard of droughtis given in the above table.

It is on the basis of these risk ratingsthat this Multi Hazard Risk

Vulnerability exercise strives toenable decision makers at all levelsto make important choices regardingallocation of resources forpreparedness and emergencymanagement that can lead to a moreresilient Sikkim.

– Ennio V. Picucci

Reference: Multi-Hazard Risk andVulnerability Assessment in North, East,West & South Sikkim, http://www.ssdma.nic.in/resources/publications/Sikkim%20HRVA.pdf

Drought HazardsHazards Category % of Area % of Household Risk typeVery High Hazards 0.64 1.13 Very HighMedium High Hazards 19.60 19.28 HighMedium Hazards 56.35 45.12 MediumMedium Low Hazards 22.09 26.97 LowLow Hazards 1.32 7.50 Low

The World Humanitarian Summit’s regional consultation forwest and central Africa was held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on

19-20 June 2014. It was co-chaired by the Governments of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo and Côte d’Ivoire, representingthe Regional Steering Group. In the spirit of the summit process’multi-stakeholder approach, the consultation brought together over180 participants from 24 countries. This included representationfrom regional organisations, national and local governments, non-governmental organizations, affected communities, local andinternational civil society, the private sector, academia, the media,donor governments, and United Nations organizations.

This summary highlights some of the emerging recommendations.A full consultation report, which the Regional Steering Group willpublish in the coming weeks, will capture the complete array ofrecommendations and common observations. The co-chairsencourage regional actors to quickly turn a number of therecommendations into specific action and programmes.Theme 1: Humanitarian EffectivenessTheme 2: Managing Risk and Reducing VulnerabilityTheme 3: Transformation through InnovationTheme 4: Serving the Needs of People in Conflict

Regional Consultation for West and CentralAfrica: Co-Chairs' Summary Report

World Humanitarian Summit

Please post your comments on this report to wcafrica@whsummit.org for more information: www.worldhumanitariansummit.org/node/447373

southasiadisasters.netJuly 2014 11

HERITAGE AND DRR

The Need for DRR Sensitive HeritageConservation in SikkimThe architecture of a region is a potent conveyor of its culture. This is also true of the state of Sikkim, where

centuries of history unfold as a rich tapestry in the form of imposing monasteries, temples and palaces. Theseedifices command the reverence of the local people while enthralling visitors. However, the high risk profile ofSikkim to various hazards is a grave threat to such monuments. There is an urgent need to evolve a systematicprocess of heritage conservation that addresses the exigencies of disaster risk reduction. The urgency of the problemis reflected in the fact that Sikkim has only 3 protected monuments and 305 unprotected monuments.1

The protected monuments of the state of Sikkim are as follows:

1 Sikkim has 305 unprotectedmonuments, http://isikkim.com/2011-05-sikkim-has-305-unprotected-monuments-041/

1. Rabdentse Site of Ancient Capital of SikkimThe ruins extended over a considerable area are ofsecond Capital of Sikkim. Tensung Namgyal the secondChogyal of Sikkim and son of Phuntsok Namgyal shiftedthe capital from Yuksom to Rabdentse in late 17thcentury AD. The exposed and restored remains containroyal houses, places of worship, votive stupas etc.

2. Dubdi MonasteryLocated on top of a hill on a picturesque surrounding itwas the first Monastery established by Gyalwa LhatsunChembo during the reign of the first king of Sikkim andwas built in the year 1701 AD. The entrance of thisMonastery is guarded by four divinities- the Lords ofNorth, South, East and west. It is a double storied stone-built Monastery.

3. Coronation Throne of NorbugangNear Yuksam

Located in a picturesque surroundingamidst sacred shrines the thronemade of stone commemorates thespot where the First ChogyalPhuntshog Namgyal of Sikkim wascoronated by the Lamas in the year1641 AD. It is now a sacred place.

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southasiadisasters.net July 201412

KNOWLEDGE SHARING

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Editorial Advisors:

Anshuman SaikiaRegional Programme Support CoordinatorARO, IUCN (International Union for Conservation ofNature), Thailand

Denis NkalaRegional Coordinator, South-South Cooperation andCountry Support (Asia-Pacific), United NationsDevelopment Programme, New York

Ian DavisVisiting Professor in Disaster Risk Management inCopenhagen, Lund, Kyoto and Oxford BrookesUniversities

Madhavi Malalgoda AriyabanduInternational Strategy for Risk Reduction (ISDR) –South Asia, Sri Lanka

Mihir R. BhattAll India Disaster Mitigation Institute, India

Dr. Satchit Balsari, MD, MPHThe University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell,New York, USA

T. Nanda KumarChairman, National Dairy Development Board(NDDB), Anand, Gujarat, India

ALL INDIA DISASTER MITIGATION INSTITUTE411 Sakar Five, Near Natraj Cinema, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad–380 009 India. Tele/Fax: +91-79-2658 2962E-mail: bestteam@aidmi.org, Website: http://www.aidmi.org, www.southasiadisasters.net

Disaster in Devbhoomi: A Year After the Floodsin Uttarakhand

It has been more than a year to the tragedy in the state of Uttarakhand. Popularly referred to as Devbhoomi (abode ofthe gods) on account of the large number of temples situatedthere, the state of Uttarakhand witnessed devastation on ahitherto unprecedented scale on June 16 & June 17, 2013 whenflash floods wreaked havoc in the state. In particular, the districtsof Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Gharwal were severelyaffected. The death toll was estimated to have crossed 5,000.Tens of thousands of people lost homes and livelihood while thefinancial losses were estimated to be above Rs. 3,000 crore.

The All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) has come outwith a report titled 'Disaster in Devbhoomi: A Year After the Floodsin Uttarakhand'. The purpose of this report is to understand theunderlying factors responsible for the unprecedented destructionbrought about by this disaster so as to preclude such an event infuture. This report is an attempt to review the several articles,journals and scholarly periodicals that appeared since thecatastrophe in mid June 2013 to the present date. The crux ofthese articles, journals and periodicals has been presented as a

narrative following a sequential and chronological series of events. The objective of doing so is to add perspectiveto these seemingly objective sources of information which would further the understanding of the interestedstakeholders and policymakers in India and beyond about the causes and consequences of this catastrophe.

– Kshitij Gupta