Community based Disaster Management

Introduction 

‘Where communities are equipped and prepared, disasters have a much lesser impact, especially in terms of the loss of lives’ – United Nations’ Office for Disaster Risk Reduction(UNISDR).Community-based disaster management has emerged as a primary priority area in disaster risk management. Communities are the first responders during the disaster, thus communities become significant in disaster response, mitigation, and management interventions.

Importance of Community Based Disaster Management (CBDM)

Disaster risk reduction measures are most successful when they directly involve the people most likely to be exposed to hazards. Community-based preparedness and early warning systems help in saving lives, protecting property, and reducing economic losses. Failure to understand the risk behaviour and culture of local communities can lead to badly designed preparedness measures including early warning systems.

Local people’s participation ensures self-reliance and ensures that emergency management plans meet local needs. Indigenous knowledge and innovation concerning hazards and mitigation also play an important role.Disaster relief and recovery responses do not directly involve the affected communities and frequently provide inappropriate and unsustainable forms of assistance.Organized communities are always in a better position to enforce downward accountability. 

A community-level focus helps in the identification of vulnerable sections.Community-Based Disaster Management (CBDM) promotes a bottom-up approach working in harmony with the top-down approach, to address the challenges and difficulties.

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Indian DM framework and Community-based Disaster Management

 Disaster Management Act, 2005- It facilitates community training and awareness programs for the prevention of disaster or mitigation with the support of local authorities, governmental and non-governmental organisations. It encourages the participation of NGOs and voluntary social-welfare organisations working at the grassroots level for disaster management.

 National Policy on Disaster Management 2009 (NPDM) – It lays special emphasis on community-based disaster preparedness. It recognizes the community as the bedrock of the process of disaster response. It also emphasises training, simulations, and mock drills of vulnerable sections.

The National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) 2016 (Updated in 2019) – The plan was first released in 2016 aimed at making India disaster resilient and reducing the damage due to any disaster, natural or man-made. It follows the guidelines of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. They are:

⮚ Understanding disaster risk

⮚ Improving disaster risk governance

⮚ Investing in disaster reduction (through structural and nonstructural measures)

⮚ Enhancing the preparedness for disasters to respond effectively and building back better in the aftermath of a disaster

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Key features of the plan:

•  It covers all the phases of disaster management i.e. prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery
•  It uses the four priorities enunciated in the Sendai framework for each Hazard
• The response scheme in the plan identifies 18 broad activities arranged in a Matrix format that can be used as a ready reckoner
•  It also focuses on strengthening disaster risk governance. There is a responsibility matrix that specifies the agency is at the union and state levels with specific roles. The matrix has six thematic areas where the Centre and the States have to act to strengthen disaster risk governance
•  It further focuses on horizontal and vertical integration among agencies and departments with specific roles up to the third tier (Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies)
• The design is such that it can be scaled in all phases of disaster management depending upon the status of preparedness. There is a greater focus on information, education, and communication to prepare communities to cope up with disasters
• It reinforces the need for enhancing the capacity of communities, as they are the first responders to disasters and this capacity building includes awareness, sensitization, orientation, and developing skills of communities and community leaders

Steps to be taken:

• Community Preparedness – Community preparedness can be thought of as the advanced capabilities of a community to respond to the consequences of an adverse event by having plans in place so that people know what to do and where to go if a warning is issued or a hazard is observed
• Major components of a community preparedness program are:
• Raising public awareness and effecting behavioural change regarding disaster management
• Deployment of stable, reliable, and effective early warning systems
• Development of effective messaging for inducing favourable community responses for mitigation, preparedness, and warning communications
• Community Empowerment – Being the first responders, communities should have the capacity to respond to disasters themselves. Because of this reason, communities should be involved in managing the risks which may threaten their well-being. Provide technical and legal advice to communities to help them implement their mitigation projects and programs, and to negotiate effectively with governments and agencies
• Time and Resource budgeting – We must follow a process and do it efficiently within a given time frame and resources (human, physical and financial)
• Convergence – Convergence of government schemes and programs implemented by the Centre and the States is extremely crucial for community-based disaster management. Programs for poverty alleviation, school education and nutrition, maternal and child health, drinking water, and sanitation programs, etc., if implemented properly, can go a long way in empowering communities
• Gender-sensitive CBDM – Working with existing women’s networks helps strengthen women’s participation in the community’s decision-making processes. Working with existing women’s organisations can help strengthen women’s participation in the community’s decision-making processes
• Inclusion of other disadvantaged groups – Most of the deaths and injuries in the aftermath of a disaster are generally of women, children, disadvantaged groups such as differently-abled, socio-economically disadvantaged groups such as SCs, STs, senior citizens, etc. Mandatory membership to women and other disadvantaged groups in various resource groups / working groups/standing committees gives an opportunity to adequately voice their concerns and plan inclusive DM interventions

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2nd ARC recommendations on building community resilience

● Panchayats should be roped in for location-specific training programs.

• Crisis management awareness should be included in school, college, university, professional, and vocational education curriculums
• Disaster awareness should be included in training programs for public representatives, civil servants, police personnel, and personnel in critical sectors such as agriculture, irrigation, health, and public works
• Orientation and sensitization programs should be introduced for legislators, policymakers, and elected leaders of urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions
• The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) would have to play a vital role in working out the details of these suggestions for implementation by different authorities
• Disaster management plans should try to integrate traditional knowledge of the communities

Conclusion

Disasters have been causing a loss of life and property and planning steps for disaster management is crucial for governments to preserve life. Local communities are important to be involved in disaster management plans in a particular region. Local government bodies form an excellent link to connect central government ideas with the local communities.