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CAPACITY BUILDING
5th Edition March 2010 Inside this issue:
Action Aid: Enhancing Knowledge, Skills, Systems & Institution through Capacity Building
CARE: Capacity Building of communities for Risk Reduction
Danish Red Cross: SAFE through Capacity Building
Handicap International: Building Capacities of DRR stakeholders for increased inclusion of people with disabilities
Mercy Corps: Building Individual & Institutional Capacity
Mission East: Capacity Building for Isolated Communities
Oxfam: Capacity Building in DIPECHO
Practical Action: Communities building capacity through scaling up EWS in Nepal
Nepal, like many of the Asia and Pacific developing countries is situated in the world’s
hazard belt and is subject to multiple hazards such as floods, earthquakes, land‐ slides, and drought etc. The major natural disasters that occur periodically in this country are largely due to climatic and seismic factors. The frequency of the onset of disasters is increasing alarmingly. Since the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction began in 1990, the number of deaths and loss of properties has drastically increased due to natural disasters. Vulnerability to disasters has further increased due to inadequate capacities and resources as well as the increased aggregation of people in urban center, environmental degradation, and a lack of planning and preparedness. Floods are the most common disaster in the country and include seasonal floods as well as flash floods. In addition to the influence of topography, landslides are aggravated by human activities, such as deforestation, cultivation and construction, which destabilize the already fragile slopes. As a result of the combined actions of natural (mostly heavy rainfall) and human‐induced factors, as many as 12,000 landslides occur in Nepal each year (ESCAP, 1995a). Additionally, Nepal is one of the countries vulnerable to seismic activities of varying intensity (ESCAP, 1995a), particularly the areas in the Himalayan region.
The humanitarian organizations are responding to the humanitarian crisis time and again. Day by day the changing disaster scenario, the inflow and out flow of international aids, the global standard, the humanitarian imperatives and felt needs of the communities have started influencing the response pattern and the modalities.
Given the cyclical nature of disasters, there is an evident need of Community Based Disaster Preparedness and Risk Reduction approach and link our humanitarian responses to these disasters with a broader approach that addresses underlying causes and vulnerabilities. Generally speaking, the poor are most at risk from these hazards as they tend to be economically, socially and physically marginalized. They have fewer resources to draw upon, have less influence over decisions affecting their lives, and may be forced to live and make their living from areas that have a high degree of exposure to multiple hazards.
DIPECHO under the fifth Action Plan for South Asia emphasizes on the community based disaster preparedness and risk reduction through capacity development initiatives. This fifth edition of the DIPECHO News Letter in Nepal abstracts how the eight partners Action Aid, CARE, Danish Red Cross, Handicap International, Mercy Corps, Mission East, Oxfam and Practical Action contributing towards way to resiliency though Capacity Building of vulnerable Nepali populations………..
Action Aid: Enhancing Knowledge, Skills, Systems and Institutions through Capacity Building….
The process began with assessing communities’ knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction through a baseline study. Hazard and vulnerability mapping and capacity assessment were done through Participatory vulnerability analysis in 17 clusters/wards of the project area. 17 disaster management committees are being supported to lead local DRR initiatives, ingrained with more than 50 task forces and 32 REFLECT Circles at the community level. Up to now, all the 137 DMC members and volunteers have been provided with orientation in CBDRR through a rights‐based approach. Informed community members are thus taking grassroots leadership on DRR to a higher level, working towards sustaining local actions to cope with uncertainties of future.
During the project, school students will be trained on DRR, volunteers will be trained on Light Search and Rescue and people at large will be sensitized towards bringing about an attitudinal change towards risks. Action Aid DIPECHO project is also working with the concerned ministers and constituent assembly members, advocating stronger DRR policy framework in the country. The proposed DRR Tool Kit and sensitization workshop for CA members is our attempt to build capacity of policy makers to undertake informed policy debates and decisions.
Strengthening community cohesion and social bondage, their increased capacity to make informed choices on their own well‐being, their enhanced self‐confidence through involvement in decisions making processes and linkages with various stakeholders are some of the attributes of the capacity building initiatives.
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“Risk Reduction is not the responsibility of DDRC alone, but should be the business of all. I am sure this orientation program will help us to integrate disaster management not only in theoretical aspects but in practicality. I request all of the participants to study HFA book provided; and do accordingly in days to come” ‐Mr. Ram Prasad Thapaliya, Chief District Officer, Sunsari
Surakshit Samudaya II is the DIPECHO V project implemented by Action Aid in
Nepal, aims to build resilient of communities to disasters. Capacity Building is one of the key components of the project and is treated as the process of combining all the strengths, attributes and resources available within the community, and institutions that can be used to achieve project objectives and goal. Under capacity building component, Action Aid Nepal has been facilitating a range of trainings at different levels, developing and strengthening system and institutions, creating resources and support in creating an enabling policy environment for DRR in Nepal.
Forty‐eight young volunteers were trained on Basic First Aid and are equipped with the first‐aid materials. They are available in the community to assist distressed people. 171 district level government authorities including other stakeholders, NGOs and political parties' representatives are oriented on the DRR and HFA, thereby helping to realize national strategies and policies on disaster risk management.
"We have been facing inundation problems of Dondra River since a long. We were almost
uninformed about the rights of disaster affected people. Now we are informed, and capacitated to know the rights of the disaster affected people through Surakshit Samudaya II project. We are happy, excited and benefitted from the project. This time we demanded money in VDC council for disaster management and they are positive in the regard”
‐Ms. Mayabati Morya, Gangapur, Banke
CARE: Capacity Building of Communities for Risk Reduction…..
Membership in the task force group was based on willingness and ability to be in task force group, and attempted to link people with existing skills like a health worker assigned to first aid task force and knowledge with swimming was added advantage to be member of search and rescue task force. The task force members were taken through a process of knowledge training and skill enhancement, depending on their area of focus knowledge based training was organized by CARE’s implementing partners CSSD and EDC with the support from CARE‐Nepal and specialized resource person. It began with an orientation to disaster risk reduction and response and then branches out into specific subject area.
Recently the first aid training for community task force member and NGO staff was organized in several locations of the project districts. The training was built around the use of locally available resources and the material supplied by CARE. The primary objective of the training was to prepare the trainees to be able to help the communities evacuate the site of disaster, rescue as many people as possible and to provide first level medical help until professional support arrived.
Around 120 task force members are trained in 20 project communities in the two project districts Doti and Kailali.
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SAMADHAN, the disaster preparedness
programme of CARE Nepal has dual task on hand – to equip vulnerable communities with requisite knowledge and skills, and to design a system whereby disaster response could be well managed and effective. On this account, each community has three task force groups comprising of 6 members approximately. The groups are envisaged to help anchor the responsibility for the following areas on the event of disaster.
• Search and rescue • Early warning and communication • First aid
Task force group at First aid training
Danish Red Cross: SAFE through Capacity Building ……
SAFE, the very word brings positive energy, tremendous will power and enormous mental strength to navigate though the hazards of life…….
With the same perspective and to live a full life with limited risks and capacity to withstand disasters the SAFE ‐ Safer Communities through Multi‐Hazard Risk Reduction programme is being implemented by Danish Red Cross and Nepal Red Cross Society with support from the European Commission through its Humanitarian Aid Department.
SAFE focuses on the Capacity Building of communities extremely vulnerable to multiple natural hazards. While “Capacity Building” covers a wide range of activities, SAFE dwells on the aspects of human resource and institutional development, the process of equipping individuals with the understanding, skills and access to information, knowledge and training that enables them to perform effectively. Okhaldunga and Myagdi, two of the most hazard prone districts in Nepal are covered under SAFE programme, where detail Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis (VCA) were carried out using various participatory tools. The findings and recommendations is the base of rest other risk reduction initiatives in the programme. Disaster Preparedness (DP) units have been established in 12 targeted vulnerable communities sphere headed by the communities themselves. The establishment process encouraged communities to incorporate representatives from all groups specifically minority and vulnerable groups (religious, ethnic, socially disadvantaged and disabled), which has been very helpful in ensuring greater involvement ownership. Each DP unit with 11 members are trained and oriented to function as the primary body for implementing community level disaster management and risk reduction initiatives.
Trainings & Simulation Exercises on Light Search and Rescue, Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR), Basic First Aid, Basic Health & Hygiene were conducted in order to develop human resources to be armed with skills and knowledge on their way to resiliency. So far, 234 male and 133 female volunteers, total 367 are trained with Light Search and Rescue skill & techniques that will be most useful for the search and rescue action on the face of disaster. Similarly, 187 male and 206 female volunteers are trained to provide First Aid service to the needy during post disaster or normal situation as and when required. Preparedness and Response equipments are provided to the communities to equip them to be better prepared for the events hazards. CBDRR training has been imparted to 226 male and 143 female volunteers from the project communities who are playing pragmatic role in the risk reduction initiative with ensured community involvement at the ground.
Light Search and Rescue Training and Simulation in Okhaldunga district, Nepal
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District Disaster Response Team (DDRT) is established in each district where the key local government agencies such as Police, Army, District Administration and Heath Department including Red Cross District Chapter are members. The DDRT connects to the global response tools of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and functions as the first line of response in Red Cross and Red Crescent system as this is based at District Chapter level. This was envisaged as both the districts are isolated and difficult to access on the face of disasters. Danish Red Cross and Nepal Red Cross Society together through the SAFE venture effort to bring positive change in community perspective, ensuring poorest, most vulnerable and marginalized understand the simple and practical actions to protect lives and assets making their communities SAFER………
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Health and Hygiene remains the basic need of any population in normal as well as post disaster situation, hence team of volunteers are trained on the same. Till date a total of 89 male and 82 female volunteers are provided with the Health and Hygiene training to provide service to their respective communities so that the vulnerable populations are not at the pray of external support time and again.
SAFE has motivated and in fact facilitated pragmatically in establishing community level revolving fund for emergencies. In all the 12 communities now there is a revolving fund contributing 10 to 20 rupees (i.e. € 0.10 to € 0.20) a month from each household. This has laid a foundation to the process of community savings to address the unmet needs at the onset of any disaster.
First Aid training & simulation in Myagdi district
Handicap International: Building Capacities of DRR stakeholders for increased inclusion of people with disabilities & the most vulnerable groups into DRR activities…..
How we build capacity by training
The Fifth DIPECHO Action Plan promotes the specific targeting of potential groups having a multiplier effect such as trainers (i), teachers, and representatives of media and institutional members of the society such as the (ii) local disaster management committees, (iii) volunteers, (iv) local NGOs, private sector and (v) officials.
In this line, HI has developed a (i) Training of Trainers where 6 DIPECHO partners, 9 partners working in disability and 2 Nepali DRR partners were trained as trainers on mainstreaming disability into disaster risk reduction.
(iv) Upon an invitation by Action Aid of joining their orientation sessions on the Hyogo Framework for Action with more than 70 government officials, HI facilitated a session on inclusive DRR and HFA related provisions.
2 examples of building capacity working jointly: Together with Danish Red Cross and on request of the Nepal Red Cross Society, a workshop took place to identify how to reach more inclusiveness in one of the Red Cross areas of expertise: First Aid and Light Search & Rescue. A working group will follow and will include field‐based joint activities to identify together more entry points for disability‐ inclusiveness.
A Refresher ToT was also organized for the 11 disability‐oriented organizations trained during DIPECHO IV on inclusive DRR, to update on recent innovations in DRR, disability legislative framework in Nepal and facilitation techniques. A total of 60 Nepali trainers are now available on disability‐inclusive DRR and will be part of a Trainers’ Pool, available at the National and District level Resource Centers on Disability and DRR.
Other targets have been (ii) the local DMCs and (iii) community mobilizers and volunteers on disaster preparedness. More than 250 members of DMCs and Disaster Relief Committees and 250 community workers and volunteers have acquired basic tips and tools to address disability issues and to promote the participation of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in DRR activities.
Team work with partners on a screening camp, Kailali, January 2010
On initiative of Mercy Corps, a screening camp of people with disability took place in Kailali in January 2010.The screening camp was organized for assessment of people with disability in the project area to identify their needs for assistive devices and also to record their wishes on participation in DRR activities. Methodology of work aimed at ensuring mutual capacity building and to ensure future and sustainable networking between Mercy Corps staff, their local partner the Nepal Red Cross Society and HI’s partner NNSWA (Nepal National Social Welfare Association). The objective was to ensure sustainability of a disability‐inclusive capacity building. As a result of the camp, all staff involved understands and can autonomously use the screening form for persons with disabilities; a local link between the disability partner and the DIPECHO partner has been established and the communities are sensitized on issues related to disability and inclusive DRR activities.
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Mercy Corps: Building Individual and Institutional Capacity…….
The population in the areas supported under the Kailali Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives II (KDRRI) implemented jointly by
Mercy Corps and the Nepal Red Cross Kailali is almost entirely immigrants. Because its residents are relative newcomers, there is little indigenous knowledge or community memory of flooding and no repertoire of traditional coping mechanisms or history of adaption to fall back upon. Mercy Corps acknowledge that building their capacities and understanding of underlying factors are crucial in reducing vulnerabilities.
The school interventions aim at making students and teachers aware of the causes and effects of disasters on lives and property in general and helping them understand measures and methods to prevent and mitigate the impacts of disasters. By imparting such knowledge and skills, schools prepare children to cope with future disasters and to help the community plan and implement DRR activities. Schools also play a very important role in the dissemination of information in particular; children and youth lead awareness campaigns and perform street drama.
These analyses allow communities and schools to identify risks, root causes, capacity and short‐, medium‐, and long‐term interventions. Needs for capacity building initiatives in first aid, search and rescue, disaster risk reduction, leadership and community mobilization were identified along with more technical trainings as nursery management, bio‐engineering, early warning systems and financial management all with a view of improving ability to launch DRR initiatives. Most trainings are organized using a cascade model where master trainers train DPC members, teachers and students who eventually will share their knowledge with peers. Recognizing that schools are an accepted platform for development and reform initiatives and that children have the future shape of society in their hands, Mercy Corps have incorporate disaster risk resilient features in schools.
CBDRR Training in Ambari, Kailali
The institutional capacity building initiatives have so far resulted in establishment of links with local government and non‐governmental organizations. Through various cross visits and exposure visits the project facilitates interactions between communities and stakeholders. To date 1,000 DPC members, VDC stakeholders, students and teachers have participated in various trainings.
The capacity building initiatives are instrumental in preparing communities and schools for DRR and in increasing their ability to understand the problems they face and to recommend suitable actions as a step forwards in a continual empowerment process.
DP Planning in Kailad Gaon, Kailali 7
Mission East: Capacity building for isolated communities……..
Simikot, Humla District, only accessible by air In mountainous area, enhancing capacities of
the population to be more resilient to disasters starts within the households and the village. In remote area such as Humla, population will have to manage disasters usually with their own resources. Small scale but numerous disasters such as landslides and mudflow cannot be addressed even by district level. Epidemic diseases (one of the most common disaster together with landslide) take roots in extreme individual poverty and lack of hygiene practices.
Surveyed realized by Mission East showed that the population is well aware of surrounding hazards but have very little knowledge on how to address it. Their coping attitudes are embedded in ancient traditional believes; if not simply rely on “God’s fate”.
Well aware that population of Humla will have to rely on their own resources, Mission East engaged in a very cautious capacity building approach to avoid creating unsustainable mechanisms. Our approach is to engage dialogue with local communities, and involve them in every step of our CBDRM deployment. Thanks to their participation in our in‐depth risk assessment and KAP survey, discussion has been engaged on its findings using the structured frame of Village Disaster Preparedness and Response Planning. Behind the production of a plan of action, our aim is to change people’s passive and fatalistic attitude and show them that even with little resources, they are able to mitigate adverse impact of a disaster. Nevertheless, more dramatic scenario such as earthquake or GLOF cannot be addressed by the sole threatened communities and ME has established a Task Force at District Level to reactivate the District Natural Disaster Relief Committee. A series of workshops and discussion, in the frame of the guideline produced by MoHA, will be conducted to debate preparedness planning. But what can be the role of the district in a place where you need days of walk to reach the nearest communities, unless you have a fleet of helicopters at your disposal! And how to address needs of hundred of isolated villages facing more or less similar risks, with the little resources they possess in one of the poorest district of Nepal, even with donor support such as ECHO? By initiating the dialogue at village level on one side, and district level on the other side, people spontaneously realized the missing link: the VDC level.
The next step for our project, based on newly acquired DRR knowledge at community level and based on a mechanism discussed at District level, VDC groups will be empowered to consolidate human and material resources that can be mobilized for any communities within the concerned VDCs. Fully in line with the HFA and National Strategy on Disaster Management, based on dialogue and field‐based survey, ME aims, at the end of the 15 months DIPECHO project, to establish a network of DRR‐skilled stakeholders from villages to district level, from individual to local NGO and district government.
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Oxfam: Capacity Building in DIPECHO…..
To build the capacities of the communities that Oxfam is working with under the 5th DIPECHO round, the programme engages
the communities in a process starting with a participatory risk, vulnerability and capacity assessment of the community. Community volunteers from the Disaster Management Committees (CDMCs), supported by Oxfam and its local partners, use the findings of this assessment to elaborate a Community Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan (CDPRP), outlining Risk Reducing and Preparedness activities that will strengthen the communities’ resilience. Consequently these activities are disseminated, elaborated and supported through the programme.
A district level contingency plan –prepared in local language
Although this approach commonly referred to as Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) has proven its life saving relevance, community resilience has its limits, depending on the intensity, duration, scope and area of the flood. The 2008 Koshi flood, clearly demonstrated these limits by affecting communities that hadn’t been flooded in 40 years and weren’t targeted by CBDRR. Furthermore the scale of the disaster superseded any CBDRR initiatives, underlining the importance of planning and coordination at the District level. For example, the contingency plan of the Koshi Victim’s Society, Oxfam’s local partner in Saptari district, proved invaluable immediately after the Koshi River breached its embankment, when trained volunteers equipped with life jackets and a rescue boat were able to rescue about 1,800 people. This district level preparedness allowed for a quick mobilization of resources which proved essential during the relief operation. The DIPECHO V project of Oxfam took this learning on board and has a strong focus of linking the community level preparedness, through the VDC with the district level.
In order to ensure this district level coordination and preparedness, Oxfam is supporting pre monsoon planning workshops both at national level and district level (Nawalparasi, Sarlahi and Saptari). All districts will develop a District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP), including implementation mechanism in Nawalparasi where such a DDMP was previously developed for under the DIPECHO III project.
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Chief District Officer addressing at the district level contingency planning workshop, Saptari, Nepal
Practical Action: Communities building capacity through scaling up EWS……
Several awareness raising activities such as door‐to‐door campaign, local song competition, street drama, school level competition on EWS, FM broadcasts in local language, jingles and distribution of IEC materials relating to early warning were conducted by the communities through the project. The communities as well as other stakeholders ‐ police, army, Red Cross personnel and district authorities visited the upstream river gauging and rainfall stations of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DH&M). The DH&M’s gauging stations helped all the stakeholders understand how warning and danger levels are measured, along with the importance of upstream linkage with the downstream for flood early warning. The communities held a meeting to determine their own priorities and sites for the construction of infrastructure for small scale‐mitigation such as culverts, dykes with bio‐engineering technology, machan, small culvert, and retro‐fitting of buildings and shelters. Moreover, to enhance the communities ability to gain ownership over the resources and institution, the project is focusing on institutional building by assisting the local District Management Committees (DMC) to legally institutionalize through registration of DMCs. Keeping in mind that capacity building should not create dependency, nor should it be a means of weakening the state or already existing institutions, Practical Action is trying to make the DMCs accountable to the government. Such DMCs will help the local people to become independent in the long run as it will be transparent and accountable to the local community.
Acknowledging the importance of Early Warning System (EWS) as a
major component of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Practical Action through Scaling up of Early Warning System in Nepal (SEWIN) project has actively motivated the communities at risk to respond to and prepare for the up‐coming flood in Banke, Bardia, Chitwan and Nawalparasi Districts of Nepal. Capacity building is vital for sustainable development and is the focal point of the project. To achieve this objective, SEWIN identified risks perceived by the community through 'risk mapping', 'hazard mapping', 'social mapping', 'problem tree analysis', and 'vulnerability mapping'. This process helped individuals, household and communities at large to recognize their weaknesses and capacities by understanding the impact of such hazards and preparing to reduce their vulnerabilities. Over all, it has helped strengthen people's existing capacities and their position in decision‐making.
Communities and district stakeholders visiting upstream in Bardiya district
Communities and district stakeholders visiting upstream in Bardiya district
“We had negotiated with Village Development Committee (VDC) of Kamdi to contribute NRs.350, 000.00 as emergency fund for the community from this year. Earlier there was no such provision in VDC budget but we realized this is very important for preparedness and mitigation for our communities “– Sakil Ahmad Khan, member of Local DMC in Kamdi VDC,
For Practical Action, the concept of capacity building is to increase voluntary participation, empowerment and institutional building through linkages between different stakeholders. Emphasizing on what the communities can do rather than on what they would like others to do for them is the core of capacity building and sustainable development.
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