Risk Returns

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level (primarily local government) is a major barrier to developing

resilient communities.

DN has long advocated integrating DRR in local and regional

development planning. The Adaptive Livelihoods Framework devel-

oped through the experience of our member organizations places

risk governance at the core of building adaptive, resilient livelihood

assets for communities.

A decentralized disaster risk management (DDRM) approach

brings together community leadership and local authorities (both

devolved governance and decentralized government mechanisms).

Local government bodies may recognize the value of securing the

participation of local people, but often lack the political will and

the know-how to do so. Strengthening local level planning and

implementing processes allows for more practical consideration

of local priorities.

In an ideal scenario, local governments would play a key role in

gathering and analysing local data for effective planning, natural

resources management, development prioritizing through consulta-

tion, risk screening and risk reduction by encouraging proper land

use and livelihood choices, and mobilizing resources for sustainable

development. Local government could become the key repository

and disseminator of risk-related information generated by technical

agencies to the wider public.

Decentralization in South Asia started in the 1940s in India,

with other nations following suit, but there has been a lack of

political will for genuine decentralization, with resources avail-

able at the local level often ignored in favour of dependence

on central funds and resources. It is important to take stock

of resources within local government structures and other

stakeholders, through the use of DDRM as a planning and imple-

menting approach.

The inclusion of disaster risk and climate change in develop-

ment plans will make local development more effective in the

long run. The need for such integration has been clearly demon-

strated in grassroots-level risk reduction projects that have

achieved moderate success when implemented through civil

society partners, but tremendous impact when replicated through

local government channels.

Strong community institutions have an essential role in getting

local level vulnerabilities recognized within local and national

development. Such organizations represent diversity within

communities, ensuring marginalized and highly vulnerable

groups are represented.

There is also evidence from India that local community-

managed DRR initiatives work best where the local level

(village council) and district authorities are well governed in

terms of four criteria: accountability, participation, learning and

performance.

These examples show the benefits to South Asian countries

of moving towards overall risk reduction plans. Response

governance and road maps for DRR should be complemented

by risk governance, which involves macro- and micro-level

planning and active risk reduction measures and monitoring.

It is crucial that the macro planning processes, the projec-

tions of increasing disasters with the changing climate, is

enriched with communities’ coping strategies and knowledge

of their environments, thus helping to build adaptive capaci-

ties in macro-planning processes for climate-related disaster

management.

Community action to address risk

and protect livelihoods

Recurrent flooding (12-20 times a year) occurs in and around

the coastal areas of Wanduruppa and Ambalantota in south Sri

Lanka due to a natural sand barrier across the river mouth. With

facilitation from a non-governmental organization

and the local

authority, the community devised and implemented a flood risk

management plan. Risk was assessed through both participatory

and scientific means. The community institution formed in the

process represented the community of ten villages affected by

the flooding. The flood mitigation mechanism agreed built on

traditional community practices of managing floods. A fund to

support this system was made available, operating under the

supervision of the local authority. In 2008, the community had to

clear the sand barrier 15 times to avoid floods and they drew on

the fund only twice. The Urban Development Authority continues

to work with the communities to develop disaster risk sensitive

land use plans.

On June 5, 2010, Cyclone Phet hit the coastal zone of

Sindh and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan. The District

Coordination Officer (DCO) set up a committee comprising

core members of the District Disaster Management

Authority. Early warnings of the cyclone were confirmed by

Pakistan Met Department and support was requested from

Indus Consortium (IC) for evacuation and establishment

of emergency camps. The DCO visited all areas at risk and

personally supervised the evacuation of the local population

from these areas. IC, in collaboration with the Thatta district

administration, established and managed ten emergency

camps for evacuees, involving staff, volunteers and children

and youth groups formed earlier under IC’s Child Centered

Disaster Risk Management Program. The Pakistan National

Volunteer Movement team also provided relief supplies.

Thanks to these measures, timely actions were taken

to safeguard the community prior to the cyclone making

a landfall in the district and no deaths resulted from the

disaster. The episode established a good example of

CSO-Government (at different tiers) close working and

coordination for reducing the disaster risk and response.

Reviving traditional risk management practices

In Kathirively in the eastern part of Sri Lanka, the

Thamaravillu tank (an artificially created lake) receives

water from Verugal Aru Main River via a canal. During the

rainy season, the water level of the river rises around six to

seven feet. The irrigation scheme was designed to handle

normal monsoon rains, severe floods and droughts. Decades

of neglect due to conflict had inflicted damage on this

sophisticated water management system. Prior to the recent

floods, villagers had begun participating in a project to

renovate the system. Although work was not completed, the

community of Kathirively withstood the flooding for a whole

week before being inundated. This allowed them to evacuate

the area with less damage than neighbouring villages.

Community clearing the sand barrier based on agreed timing

by farmers, fishermen, and the local authorities

Image: Practical Action