Nepal Disaster Risk Case Study

KAILALI DISASTER RISK REDUCTION INITIATIVES

Contribution To Hyogo Framework Of Action

Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction

Nepal Red Cross SocietyKailali

CASE STUDY

February 2009

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Authors:Authors:Authors:Authors:Authors:Dhruba Raj GautamIndependent Researcher and ConsultantPhone: 98510-95808E-mail: [email protected]

Sudarshan KhanalStudent at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies,Yale University, USAEmail: [email protected]

Special contributors:Special contributors:Special contributors:Special contributors:Special contributors: Ulla Dons, Chet Bahadur Tamang ,Sagar Pokhrel, Himal Ojha

Photo contributors:Photo contributors:Photo contributors:Photo contributors:Photo contributors: Sagar Pokharel, Chet Bahadur Tamang, Himal Ojha, Dhruba Raj Gautam and Ulla Dons

Editor:Editor:Editor:Editor:Editor: Perry Thapa

Cover photoCover photoCover photoCover photoCover photo

Front: Front: Front: Front: Front: Community Level Consultation,

Front Inside:Front Inside:Front Inside:Front Inside:Front Inside: Community work for riverBack Inside:Back Inside:Back Inside:Back Inside:Back Inside: Observation of IEC posters

Back: Clock-wise ;Back: Clock-wise ;Back: Clock-wise ;Back: Clock-wise ;Back: Clock-wise ; Skill Training, Use Of EWS Siren, Rescue using life Jacket, Boat Constructed fromfunds, Interaction with DHM Technician, River bank protection

Design and Printed by:Design and Printed by:Design and Printed by:Design and Printed by:Design and Printed by: Mind Share Communications Pvt.Ltd.

Published by:Published by:Published by:Published by:Published by: Mercy Corps Nepal, Lalitpur, Nepal

The views expressed in this document should not be taken in a way to reflect the European Commission;and it is not liable for any use that be made of the information contained herein.

Foreword IAcknowledgements IIAcronyms IIIExecutive Summary IV

1. The Context 1

2. Methodology 2

3. The Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015) 2

4. Project contributions in achieving the priority actions of HFA 34.1 Priority action 1 34.2 Priority action 2 54.3 Priority action 3 84.4 Priority action 4 134.5. Priority action 5 15

5. Project contribution in achieving the strategic goals of HFA 175.1 Strategic goal 1 175.2 Strategic goal 2 175.3 Strategic goal 3 17

List of tablesTable 1: Number of households and ethnic composition by community and VDC 1Table 2: Gender and ethnic composition of DPC 3Table 3: Lead-time of flooding for different locations 6Table 4: Warnings based on water levels 6Table 5: Number of participants in various trainings 10Table 6: Status of mitigation work, community nurseries and plantation 13

Table of Content

Mercy Corps Nepal is pleased to release the enclosed case study: Community Based DisasterRisk Reduction - Contribution to Hyogo Framework for Action. This case study is the result ofan evaluation of a DG ECHO-supported project implemented by Mercy Corps and the NepalRed Cross Society, Kailali District Chapter under the DIPECHO Fourth Action Plan for South Asia,Kailali Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives. The case study was conducted by an independentresearcher and consultant, Dhruba Raj Gautam, with contributions from a graduate student atYale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Sudarshan Khanal. Supportfor the case study was provided by Mercy Corps’ disaster risk reduction team, while fundingfor the case study was provided by DG ECHO.

As opposed to evaluating the contributions of the project against its own stated objectives,this case study was designed to evaluate the contribution of the project’s community-baseddisaster risk reduction activities to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), a 10-year planadopted by 168 governments to make the world safer from natural disaster by substantiallyreducing disaster-related human, social, economic and environmental losses by 2015. TheHFA emerged from the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Hyogo, Japan, and isa global blueprint for disaster risk reduction efforts. In evaluating the effects of our disasterrisk reduction work against the HFA, Mercy Corps is aiming to ensure that its actions arecommensurate with, and contribute to, a coordinated, multi-stakeholder framework to re-duce the loss of lives and livelihoods as a result of natural disasters. As one of many local,national, and international relief and development actors, we believe that our efforts aremuch more relevant when adding value to this type of coherent, international action plan.

The case study highlights that community-based disaster risk reduction activities in the Kailalidistrict have contributed to the HFA’s strategic priorities and objectives by: a) ensuring thatdisaster risk reduction is a priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation (HFAPriority Action 1); b) identifying, assessing, and monitoring risks, and carrying out early warn-ing systems (HFA Priority Action 2); c) supporting knowledge, education and innovation tobuild a culture of safety and resilience (HFA Priority Action 3); reducing underlying risk factors(HFA Priority Action 4); and, increasing preparedness for effective response and recovery(HFA Priority Action 5). On behalf of Mercy Corps, I would like to thank all of those who madethese achievements possible: DG ECHO under its DIPECHO Fourth Action Plan for South Asia;Nepal Red Cross Society; local, district and national level Government of Nepal stakeholders;our DIPECHO Nepal colleague agencies; our own disaster risk reduction team; and, of coursemost importantly, the partner communities themselves.

Josh DeWaldCountry Director

Mercy Corps Nepal

Foreword

ICommunity Based Disaster Risk Reduction

Contribution To Hyogo FrameworkKailali Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives Of Action

We would like to acknowledge the support of the European Commission's Hu-manitarian Aid department, both in the production of this publication and for itsfunding of the Kailali Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives Project under the 4thDIPECHO Action Plan for South Asia.

This case study report has been possible because of the support of project com-munities of Bisanpur, Jokaiyapur, Mankapur, Lalitpur, Mohanpur and Shivaratanpurof Kailali district for their patience and cooperation during this study. Members ofDisaster Preparedness Committees, community members and stakeholders, teach-ers and students, Village Development Committee and district level stakehold-ers enthusiastically shared their experience shared their experiences so manypeople personally and professionally. We would like to extend our sincere grati-tude to all persons who contributed to this study in many different ways: bysharing their experience, during the study, helping the study team to under-stand the contribution of the project towards the Hyogo Framework of Action bycontributing time, advice and hospitality.

We would also like to acknowledge the Kailali District Chapter of the Nepal RedCross Society, Mercy Coprs partner for activities under the Kailali Disaster RiskReduction Initiatives Project. The importance of their role both in terms of thisstudy and in terms of overall project implementation cannot be overstated.

We are grateful to Ulla Dons and Project Team for their feedback and suggestionin the methodology as well as coordination of the whole study. The painstakingefforts made by project team during the study were highly appreciable. Wewould like to appreciate Josh DeWald, Country Director and other senior man-agement of Mercy Corps Nepal for their valuable comments in the draft report.Last but not least, our thanks go to Mercy Corps Nepal who entrusted us with thetask of conducting this case study.

Thanks,Dhruba Raj Gautam and Sudarshan Khanal

Acknowledgements

II Case StudyFebruary 2009

BASE Backward Society Education

CSSD Conscious Society for Social Development

DDC District Development Committee

DoHM Department of Hydrology and Metrology

DP Disaster Preparedness

DPC Disaster Preparedness Committee

DRM Disaster Risk Management

DRR Disaster Risk reduction

DSCO District Soil Conservation Office

DTO District Technical Office

DWIDP District Water Induced Disaster Prevention

EWS Early Warning System

FGD Focus Group Discussion

HFA Hyogo Framework of Action

JRC Junior Red Cross Circles

KII Key Informant Interview

S&R Search and Rescue

SHP Sub-health Post

VCA Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment

VDC Village Development Committee

VDMC Village Disaster Management Committee

Acronyms and Abbreviation

IIICommunity Based Disaster Risk Reduction


Executive summary

The context: In cooperation with the Nepal Red CrossSociety (NRCS) in Kailali, Mercy Corps is currentlyimplementing the Kailali Disaster Risk Reduction Ini-tiatives project in six communities. The European Com-mission supports this project through its Humanitar-ian Aid Department (under the DIPECHO 4th ActionPlan for South Asia). This case study was conductedto demonstrate whether and how and to what ex-tent the project contributes toward achieving the goalstowards the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA). Con-sultations with NRCS and Mercy Corps staff, key in-formant interviews, focus group discussions, exitmeeting with project staff and analysis and report-ing were some of the main approaches used in car-rying out the study.

Project contributions toward achieving the priority ac-tions of HFA: The project has made several efforts toensure that DRR is a national and local priority withstrong institutional basis for implementation (priorityaction 1). In each community, it established disasterpreparedness committees (DPCs) and sub-commit-tees with clearly defined roles and responsibilitiesfor reducing flood risks and people’s vulnerability.Financial transparency is maintained through well-established social auditing. Emergency funds, a com-munity-managed initiative, have been instrumentalin initiating the disaster preparedness, response andmaintenance activities. So far, the six communitieshave saved a total of Rs. 74,300 (EUR 728). Bylinking community-level disaster preparedness (DP)plans to village development committee (VDC)-levelDP plans, the villagers have secured the resourcesthey need to execute their plans.

The project has helped project communities to iden-tify risks, assess, monitor and carry out early warn-ing initiatives (priority action 2). Physical, attitudi-nal, and social risks and vulnerability were identifiedthrough vulnerability and capacity assessment ex-ercises in each community. In coordination with theDepartment of Hydrology and Meteorology (DoHM)

field office, early warning information was madeavailable to communities and community-based earlywarning systems were established. At the commu-nity level, either agharia (a local messenger whocirculates messages to local people) or other personsassigned by the DPC monitor flood levels. Emergencyand first aid kits were provided to each community.CDMA phones and hand-operated sirens helped alertpeople to and save them from flood risks. The dis-semination of emergency news and weather-relatedbulletins by local FM stations was also very effectivein providing advance preparation.

For the proper use of knowledge, innovation, andeducation to build a culture of safety and resilienceat all levels (priority action 3), the project publishedIEC materials for widespread dissemination, showedDRR video documentary, organised cross visits andperformed street dramas. Early warning system andevacuation simulations are beneficial for knowledgemanagement. So far, more than 1,000 local people,schoolteachers and students have attended variouscapacity-building trainings. Viewing students andteachers as the key agents for change, the project’sschool-level programme focuses on DP and DRR aswell as conservation education.

The project has contributed to reducing the underly-ing risk factors (priority action 4) through introducinglow-cost, replicable and easily maintained bioengi-neering mitigation techniques including bamboo workand sand-filled cement sacks. To reinforce bioengi-neering efforts and save productive land alongriverbanks, 43,000 plants have been planted overan area of 27,300 m2. These initiatives have signifi-cantly reduced riverbank erosion and increased thelocal communities’ confidence in the possibility thatagriculture land and communities can be saved. Com-munity boats have become a means for safe evacu-ation during flood, and provisions for community shel-ters have effectively saved lives during periods ofinundation. The construction of evacuation routes (so

IV Case StudyFebruary 2009

far 4.2 km have been completed) has helped peoplereach these shelters or other safe places. Raising handpumps has ensured a source of safe water and re-duced the risk of epidemics and the spread of water-borne diseases during the monsoon season.

The project has positively contributed to increasingpreparedness for effective response and recovery(priority action 5). By participating in national anddistrict-level trainings and workshops for sharing andexchanging information and by sharing resources theproject has helped strengthen policy, technical andinstitutional capacities. Inspired by the communities’bioengineering initiatives, the District Water InducedDisaster Preparedness Office has allocated Rs. 50,000(EUR 490) to build spurs. The District Soil Conserva-tion Office allocated another Rs.70,000 (EUR 686) tofive communities so they could replicate bioengineer-ing techniques.

Project contribution in achieving the strategic goalsof HFA: Increasing the ability of community-basedinstitutions to carry out DP and DRR activities, devel-oping knowledge-sharing mechanisms and commu-nity DP plans promotes the integration of DRR intosustainable development policies and planning (stra-tegic goal 1). Capacity-building initiatives have filled

and continue to fill the knowledge gaps of the com-munities in terms of DP and DRR, thereby contribut-ing to the development of the knowledge and skillsneeded to identify and assess risk and hazards, tobuild capacities and to disseminate early warning in-formation. Interventions such as small-scale mitiga-tion measures and nursery management have di-rectly contributed to environmental and natural re-source management and land-use planning. Theseefforts contribute to developing and strengtheningthe institutions, mechanisms and capacities to buildresilience to hazards (strategic goal 2). The projecthas held several dialogues and consultations to fos-ter information sharing, technical backstopping, re-source and idea and experience sharing and to takeimmediate action in improving project initiatives. Withthe project’s provisions for disaster-preparedness ex-ercises, including evacuation drills and simulations, itwas easy to enhance the capacities of local people.Mercy Corps’ contribution of food and non-food itemsto flood-affected communities from alternative fund-ing sources has boosted immediate relief and re-sponse, thereby incorporating risk reduction ap-proaches into the implementation of emergency pre-paredness, response and recovery programmes (stra-tegic goal 3).

VCommunity Based Disaster Risk Reduction


3 20 katha=1 bigha = 0.67ha, and 1 katha = 0.0335 ha

1. The ContextIn cooperation with the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS)in Kailali District, Mercy Corps has been implement-ing the Kailali Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives insix communities of four village development com-mittees (VDCs) since November 2007. The EuropeanCommission supports this project through its Humani-tarian Aid department under the DIPECHO 4th ActionPlan for South Asia.

The project aims to build safer communities throughdisaster risk reduction (DRR) initiatives in collabora-tion with communities, local governments and otherkey stakeholders. Local capacity building and train-ing, early warning systems, small-scale mitigation,education, and facilitation of coordination are the keyareas of project interventions

The project VDCs are located in Kailali District in theFar- Western Development Region of Nepal at lati-tudes from 28°34’46.31"N to 28°30’39.79"N andlongitudes from 80°44’59.21"E to 80°50’52.63"E).Their average altitude is 60 masl. Project commu-nities were selected based on the extent of haz-ards, the vulnerability of and risk to settlements,and the damage to houses and cropland attribut-able to river erosion. The history, location, andsocio-economic status of communities, as well astheir access to services and institutions and the op-portunities for replicating good DRR practices inneighbouring communities were also taken into con-sideration.

The majority of the population of project communi-ties (91.8%) is Tharu, the indigenous group of thewestern Terai. Brahmin-Chhetri and Dalit hill migrantsare minority populations (see Table 1). The majorityof these people own only aailani, or unregistered,land. Landholdings range in area from two katha3 tothree bigha. Most are subsistence farmers who reartraditional livestock though sharecropping is also acommon practice. Many youths migrate seasonallyto India for the jobs, as labourers they need to meetfamily needs for food and other household require-ments as well as to cover the expenses of variousfestivals.

Floods are a major hazard in the project communi-ties. The Mohana River and its tributaries, the Kataini,Guraha and Khutiya, regularly inundate the adjacentareas and erode riverbanks and productive land. Theycause the loss of life and important belongings, in-cluding livestock and houses. Flooding damages in-frastructure, including roads, irrigation canals, schoolsand health posts, and makes accessing clean drink-ing water sources and sanitation services difficult. Italso disrupts people’s livelihoods and makes themincreasingly vulnerable. Because floods are so dev-astating, people live in constant fear. Mercy Corpshas documented this case study-based research inorder to share its key achievements and lessons witha national and global audience. This report also triesto demonstrate whether or not and how and to whatextent the project contributes towards the HyogoFramework for Action (HFA).

Mercy Corps has documented this case study-basedresearch in order to share its key achievements andlessons with a national and global audience. Thisreport also tries to demonstrate whether or not andhow and to what extent the project contributes to-wards the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA).

VDC Community No. Ethnicityof HHs

Source: Project record, 2007-08

Tharu Brahmin Dalits/Chhetri

Pabera Mankapur 73 72 0 1

Bisanpur 33 33 0 0

Phulbari Lalitpur 78 50 4 24

Hasuliya Shivratnapur 64 62 1 1

Mohanpur 78 78 0 0

Ratanpur Jokhayapur 52 52 0 0

Total 378 347 5 26

Table 1 Number of households and ethnic composition by community and VDC

Community Based Disaster Risk ReductionContribution to Hyogo Framework of Action

Figure 1 Kailali district with project area

1 Case StudyFebruary 2009

4 A bhalmansha is a traditional Tharu leader or village guardian selected or elected every year during the Maghi festival (15 to run the village systems. It is a

highly respected position found only in Tharu-dominated villages.5 An agharia is an assistant to a bhalmasha who circulates messages to local people as instructed by a bhalmash6 The five sub-committees are 1) nursery management, 2) early warning and rescue, 3) procurement and accounting, 4) construction and 5) community

mobilisation.

This report is based on field research conducted in sixproject communities. Before checklists and guide-lines for questions to ask in the field were prepared,project documents and relevant literature were re-viewed.

A consultation between Mercy Corps and the KailaliChapter of NRCS was held before the fieldwork be-gan in order to identify the key areas of interven-tions, the emerging issues and the concerns of lo-cal people with respect to DRR and DP. A briefmeeting with project field staff in Hasuliya revealedsome key outputs as well as good practices andsuccess stories. A sharing meeting with district-levelstakeholders helped to identify the level of coordi-nation and networking which exists for providingtechnical backstopping and synergetic impacts

through resource sharing. Primary data was collectedusing participatory tools and techniques such as fo-cus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant in-terviews (KIIs). FGDs were carried out with disasterpreparedness committees (DPCs) and Junior Red CrossCircles (JRCs) to provide insight into the project’s keyaccomplishments. KIIs with bhalmansha4, agharia5,coordinators of sub-committees6, early warning sys-tem (EWS) volunteers, schoolteachers and studentswere conducted to explore their perceptions of theproject’s contributions toward reducing disaster risks.Transects walks with DPC members and nursery man-agement committees helped reveal the extent of miti-gation work carried out by the communities, the pro-cesses and procedures they followed during that workand the benefits in DRR they acquired from it.

Methodology

The HFA provides a strong basis for priority actionsby governments and governmental organisationsas well as by local, regional and international non-governmental organisations. It is designed to buildthe resilience of nations and communities to disas-ters. The HFA has five priorities for action and threestrategic goals. The five priorities for action are (i)ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national andlocal priority with strong institutional basis forimplementation, (ii) identify, assess and monitordisaster risks and enhance early warning, (iii) useknowledge, innovation and education to build aculture of safety and resilience at all levels, (iv)reducing the underlying risk factors, and (v) and

strengthen disaster preparedness for effective re-sponse. The three strategic goals are (i) integra-tion of disaster risk reduction into sustainable de-velopment policies and planning, (ii) developmentand strengthening of institutions, mechanisms andcapacities to build resilience to hazards, and (iii)incorporation of risk reduction approaches into theimplementation of emergency preparedness, re-sponse and recovery programmes.

This report is organised according to the broad cat-egories set out in the HFA’s priorities for action (sec-tion 4 of this case study) and its strategic goals (sec-tion 5 of this case study).

The Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015)

2.

3.

2Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction


The project’s achievements demonstrate that theproject has indeed contributed to bringing aboutthe priority actions of HFA. These achievements arediscussed briefly in the following sections.

4.1 Priority action 1: Ensure that disaster riskreduction is a national and local priority withstrong institutional basis for implementation

a. Strengthened community-based institutionsto carry out DP and DRR activitiesSix gender- and socially-inclusive disaster prepared-ness committees (DPCs), one in each project com-munity, were formed to promote DP-related activi-ties and to mobilise local people to reduce floodrisks (see Table 2). Shivaratanpur community evenincluded a differently- abled person and a widowamong its DPC members and has elected a womanbhalmansa. DPCs network, coordinate and buildrapport with village-level stakeholders. These net-works, in turn, promote resource sharing. For in-stance, the coordination between the Lalitpur DPCand Phulbari VDC made it possible for the formerto secure life jackets for two boat operators whoservice the community and for local police for useduring emergencies. Five sub-committees undereach DPC were formed in order to clearly allocateroles and responsibilities and to increase account-ability in initiating DRR activities. The provision thatone DPC member be an ex-officio member of eachsub-committee has established a culture of shar-ing and understanding between DPCs and their sub-committees. These committees have grown in

strength through capacity-building trainings and cross-learning visits. Now that they are equipped with suf-ficient knowledge and skills, these committees inde-pendently carry out local-level initiatives to reduceflood risks and various types of vulnerabilities.

b. Developed knowledge-sharing mechanismsThe project has developed a powerful mechanismfor building and sharing knowledge. The practiceof selecting participants for trainings and orienta-tions through DPC meetings boosts social solidarityand prevents bias. Because it is mandatory for train-ees to disseminate the new information, knowl-edge and skills they acquire to other DPC mem-bers, knowledge sharing is also strong.

c. Maintained financial transparency in eachproject activityEach DPC has simple but effective measures tomaintain financial transparency. Each has its ownbank account through which it accesses whateverresources the project and district agencies provide.The procurement and accounting sub-committee as-sists in maintaining all financial transactions in anorderly manner. Social auditing is fully established at

Project contributions in achievingthe priority actions of HFA

In the beginning, we were quite unhappy withproject authorities. They kept inviting us totrainings and orientations, but our interest lay ingetting project resources to build gabion spursto protect the riverbank from floods. However,with the project’s persistence in building ourknowledge through trainings and exposure, welearned a lot about actions we can take locally toreduce the disaster risks. Because of the project’scontinuous facilitation, very good practices likesharing knowledge after attending a training,maintaining financial transparency, ensuringequity in resource sharing, and translatingcommunity-agreed rules and regulations intoaction have been ingrained in us. In the long runin, information, knowledge and skills are moreimportant than material support.

-Mr. Khoj Ram Chaudhari, Mankapur(District Vice-Chairperson, Freed Kamaiya Society, Kailali)

Box 1 Information, knowledge and skills are moreimportant than material support

4.


VDC Communties Members Ethnicity

M F T Tharu B-C Dalits Total

Phulbari Lalitpur 8 5 13 8 2 3 13

Hasuliya Mohanpur 8 5 13 13 0 0 13

Shivaratanpur 6 7 13 12 1 0 13

Pabera Bisanpur 9 4 13 13 0 0 13

Mankapur 7 6 13 12 0 1 13

Ratanpur Jokahiyapur 8 5 13 13 0 0 13

Total 46 32 78 71 3 4 78

Source: Project record 2007-08 /Note: B-C=Brahmin-Chhetri

Table 2 Gender and ethnic composition of DPC

the community level: all expenditures are discussedat community gatherings both at the initial and finalstages of project activities. All key decisions and trans-actions are displayed on community notice boards aswell as on the walls of DPC offices. Both the DPC andprocurement sub-committee members are involvedin procuring materials from outside, so financial trans-parency and risk-sharing is high.

d. Translated community-agreed rules andregulations into actionThe DPCs have formulated and enforced rules andregulations governing DP and DRR activities. Rulesinclude restrictions on grazing near protectedriverbanks, safeguarding newly planted areas, andallocating roles and responsibilities among the DPCand sub-committee members. Shivaratanpur com-munity, for example, has agreed to fine memberswho are habitually late to meetings and who refuseto get involved in weekly sanitation campaigns.Search and rescue sub-committee members areresponsible for monitoring flood and blow sirensas needed, while the procurement and accountingcommittee members are accountable for social au-diting. The translation of community-agreed rules,norms and values into action has helped commu-nities adopt a consolidated approach to DRR.

e. Maintained equity in resource sharing to es-tablish emergency fundsEquitable resource mechanisms are enforced to col-lect cash and grain for emergencies. Each DPC hasestablished an emergency fund to initiate, operateand maintain disaster preparedness and responseactivities. This fund serves as a local resource forimmediate relief and response during emergenciesas well as for mitigation initiatives. Locals see theemergency fund as a ray of hope in reducing disas-ter risks. Different DPCs have agreed that each fam-ily will contribute between five and one hundredrupees each month and contribute one kilogrammeof wheat per katha of land held. The fact that thecontribution in grain is based on landholding is anindication that resource mobilisation is equitable.So far, a total of Rs. 74,300 (EUR 728) has beensaved by all six project communities. Bisanpur hassaved the most, Rs 25,708 (EUR 252), andJokahiyapur the least, Rs 5919 (EUR 58).

DPCs have adopted a pro-active approach to increas-ing their emergency funds. Mohanpur, for instance,collected funds by operating a boat service duringthe monsoon. For its part, Shivaratanpur collectedRs. 564 (EUR 5.5) by conducting Fagui7 and Deusoand Bailo8 programmes. Though these programmesare traditional, using them to raise funds is aproject-inspired initiative. Shivaratanpur also plansto sell seedlings from its nursery.

The six project communities have started to advo-cate providing support to neighbouring vulnerablecommunities during emergencies. Shivaratanpur andMankapur communities, for example, gave 72 and75 kilogrammes of rice respectively from their emer-gency funds to Basanta when a wild elephant to-tally destroyed its stored grain and damaged houses.These communities were able to respond immedi-ately because they had an emergency fund. TheBisanpur DPC had agreed to contribute two quintalsof wheat to Koshi flood victims, but they were forcedto drop this idea after they became flood victimsthemselves in September. Their efforts show thatcollaborative efforts are beginning to reduce disas-ter risks. These initiatives have helped build a senseof social solidarity among villagers and should fos-ter still more collaboration in DRR initiatives.

f. Prepared community- and VDC-level DP plansEach DPC has prepared a community-level DP planwhich incorporates a variety of activities like orienta-tions, evacuation, rescue and relief work, communitynursery management, riverbank protection, construc-tion of evacuation routes, allocation of roles and re-sponsibilities for river monitoring, and operation andmaintenance of early warning equipment. This wasthe first time such plans had been prepared and lo-cals are very enthusiastic about implementing themby mobilising local resources. They also hope to getadditional support from the VDC and district levels.

The project has facilitated the formation of villagedisaster management committees (VDMCs) in eachVDC whose role is to link community-level DP planswith VDC plans. VDC stakeholders were inspired toencourage such linkages after visiting the six projectcommunities. Community-level DP plans will even-tually be incorporated into VDC development plans.



VDCs secretaries serve as VDCM coordinators and arecurrently overseeing the formulation of VDC-level DPplans which will consolidate community- level plansand consider common issues pertinent to DRR. Thisstep has opened the way to mobilising VDC-level re-sources in the execution of community-level DP plans.For instance, Hasuliya VDC provided Rs 5,000 toShivaratanpur DPC to construct a boat. Inspired byShivaratanpur, other DPCs also plan to solicit fundsfrom their VDCs. Once community-level DP plans arelinked with VDC plans, they will automatically belinked to the plans of Kailali District and DRR will bemainstreamed in district policies, planning and imple-mentation.

In short, the establishment of strengthened commu-nity-based institutions to carry out DP and DRR activi-ties, the development of knowledge-sharing mecha-nisms, the maintenance of financial transparency ineach project activities, and the drafting of commu-nity- as well as VDC-level DP plans have ensured thatdisaster risk reduction is a local priority with stronginstitutional basis for implementation.

4.2 Priority action 2: Identify, assess andmonitor disaster risks and enhance earlywarning

a. Developed knowledge and skills to identifyand assess riskThe project introduced vulnerability and capacity as-sessment (VCA) exercises in each community to iden-tify physical, attitudinal, and social risks and vulner-abilities. It also facilitated the assessment of naturaland man-made hazards in line with communities’perceptions of the associated risks. Local people haveidentified and ranked flooding as the main hazard intheir area. The factors that increase their vulnerabil-ity include ignorance, social disunity, the location ofsettlements on low land near riverbanks and the lackof preparedness. These VCA exercises are beneficialin that they increase awareness and preparednessand change the attitudes and behaviours of localswith respect to risks and how they cope with them.

Project communities are well aware of which areasare vulnerable to flooding and inundation and were

7 A popular festival among Tharus in which people throw coloured powder and water balloons at each other. It usually falls in March.8 A song and dance programme practiced from house to house by hill migrants during Tihar, the Festival of Lights, which falls in October or November. 9 A department under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment

able to develop risk maps based on the level of riskidentified. The categorised areas as being at low,medium or high risk. They identified areas at lowrisk as those inundated during a general flood. Iffloodwaters enter areas at medium and high risk,preparations for evacuation to save lives and impor-tant belongings are required. During the flood of Sep-tember 2008, local communities used the skills andknowledge they had acquired with great success toreduce flood risks.

People are well informed about the time it takes aflood to reach their localities from different up-stream river gauge stations. Through coordinationwith the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology(DoHM9) field office, early warning information wasmade available to downstream communities. In or-der to reduce the possibility of errors being made,

Since learning that Shivratanpur got resourcesfrom Hasuliya VDC to construct a boat, we haveplanned to visit our VDC to request some resourcesto replicate bioengineering work. We now knowthat making such a request is our right. I am quitehopeful that once the VDC-level DP plan isfinalised, incorporating our community-level DPplan, it will be easier to secure resources fromthe VDC to execute the plan’s activities. I don’tthink we need to worry about funds for the VDCeither as its plan will automatically be linked withthe DDC plan.

-Mr Chheduram Chaudhari, DPC Coordinator, Jokaiyapur

Box 2 No need to worry about getting resources

VDC level stakeholders meeting


flood warning information was circulated to projectcommunities one to one-and-a-half hours earlier thanthe calculated lead time (see Table 3). The commu-nities thought that this information was very helpfulas it enable them to evacuate in time.

b. Hazard monitoringThe project has introduced both watershed and com-munity-level approaches to hazard monitoring. In col-laboration with five upstream rain gauge stations andsix upstream and three downstream water-levelgauging stations, project communities are able tomonitor the extent of flood risks in their localities.The project has helped train gauge recorders to moni-tor water levels hourly so that they can disseminatereal-time data to downstream communities. DPC andEWS coordinators are responsible for maintaining com-munications with upstream stations and for dissemi-nating information to communities. Cross-visits to fourrain gauge stations and four water-level gauging sta-tions clarified to DPC and EWS sub-committee mem-bers how rain and water levels are monitored andhow information is communicated. They learnedabout average and warning levels and how thisknowledge can be translated into preparedness intheir communities (see Table 4).

The mechanism for disseminating information aboutflood hazards is also well defined and functional. At

River Location Calculated Suggestedhours hour

Mohona Malakheti to Bisanpur 9 8Malakheti to Bhansar 3 2.5Bhansar to Bisanpur 6 5

Khutiya Khutiya Mudi Bhavar 10 9to Bisanpur

Gauri Ganga Highway to Lalitpur 3 2.5Kataini Highway to Manikapur 4.2 3.5

Source: Project record, 2008

Table 3 Lead time of flooding for different locations

the community level, either the agharia or a personassigned by the DPC monitors flood levels. This projectprovision built on rather than interfering with tradi-tional EWS-based practices. Hazard monitoring prac-tices vary across the communities. Shivaratanpur, forinstance, has allocated a team of people to monitorfloods twice a day, at 9 a.m. and 8 p.m., whereasBisanpur requires that the EWS coordinator monitorflood levels three times a day, at 5 a.m., 1 p.m. and9 p.m. Keeping safety and security in mind, eachmonitor has been provided with an umbrella, rubberboots, a torchlight and a raincoat.

Community-based local practices are designed to beaccessible to illiterate people. For instance, each com-munity has established a wooden post marked withyellow and red bands at riverbanks. Such a marker isa very simple method of DRR: water reaching the

yellow band is a sign to get prepared; reaching thered, a warning to evacuate immediately. In terms ofrainfall-based warnings, an intensity of 110-150 mmper hour is considered the first warning; 151-200 mm,the second; and above 200 mm, the third. Warningsare issued through FM radio stations.

c. Early warning disseminationThe project has coordinated with district-level stake-holders, and enhanced the capacity of communitiesthrough training and equipment and simulation ex-

Table 4 Warnings based on water levels

River Location Average flood level Warning flood level (1st stage) Warning flood level (2nd stage)Ready Get set Go

Mohona Malakheti 2.0 m 2.5 m 3.4 mKhutiya Mudi Bhavar 2.1m 3.6 m 4.8 mShiva Ganaga Highway Bridge 1.5 m 1.8 m 2.5 mGuruha Highway Bridge 1.2 m 1.5 m 2 mKataini Highway Bridge 1.8 m 2.2 m 2.8 m

With the careful use of EWS devices andapplication of the skills and knowledge wegained through various trainings and exposures,we made sure that no human casualties werereported in our project communities although24 people died in adjoining communities. Thesefigures show that if locals are preparedsufficiently in advance, the extent of flood riskscan be reduced dramatically.

-Mr Chhallu Ram Chaudhari, Teacher, Hasulia

Box 3 We are proud that no one has died in our communities.

Source: Project record, 2008



ercises to develop local knowledge-based early warn-ing systems.

To facilitate the dissemination of early warning mes-sages, the project provided nine CDMA phones at thefour downstream and five upstream rainfall andwater-level gauges and a hand-operated siren toeach community. Both were found to be very effec-tive EWS tools during the September 2008 flood. Com-munication channels and contact telephone numberswere disseminated to communities through fliers.Because of these simple mechanisms, locals wereable to evacuate the elderly, pregnant and lactatingmothers, children and livestock before flood levelsapproached the level of risk. Although their responseand evacuation times differed according to the dis-tance to safe shelter and community size, all six com-munities were able to evacuate all their memberssafely.

FM radios have been very effective in disseminatinginformation. The project mobilised local FM stationsto disseminate emergency news and weather-related

bulletins, both of which effectively enabled locals toprepare in advance. During the September 2008flood, project communities informed FM stations abouttheir situation in order to pressure relevant authori-ties into acting immediately to provide support. Work-ing with local media is an effective way of fosteringEWS.

The joint efforts of district-level agencies have helpedestablish watershed-level EWS. The Mohana Water-shed EWS was designed by a committee under thechairmanship of the district techncial office (DTO) withrepresentation from relevant district stakeholders.This committee has given time, energy and otherresources to strengthen watershed-level EWS and tolink it with downstream communities.

The project provided emergency and first aid kits toall six communities so they could carry out EWS andsearch and rescue work. The emergency supplies in-clude life jackets, safety vests, throw bags,carabineers, inner tubes, rope, helmets, hand-oper-ated sirens, and stretchers. These materials wereput to good use during the last monsoon. The peopleof Mohanpur saved lives using their emergency ma-terials during the flood of September 2008. InShivaratnapur, a drowning person was rescued withthe help of a life jacket. The first aid kits were widelyused during flooding. First aid kits are kept in thehouses of sudeni10) so that services can be instantlyprovided to locals.

Before we took exposure visits to upstream rainguage and flood monitoring stations andinteracted with technicians at the DoHM fieldoffice, we never understood the weather reportsbroadcast on radio and TV. Those reports werenot useful for us because we did not know thetechical terms. We are surprised that with amechanism as simple as installing a red-and-yellow banded wooden post, so much informationcan be collected and used for EWS. The exposurevisit helped us understand the meanings of floodlevels and estimated time for water to reach ourcommunities. This information is very useful forEWS. I think small initiatives are very important inmaking local communities aware.

-Ms. Gandhabi Devi Chaudhari, EWS Sub-committeeCoordinator, Manikapur

Box 4 Small initiatives promote knowledge about EWS

We appreciated the project’s support in providingemergency kits. Life jackets felt like friends in hardtimes. During the last monsoon, Aitabari Chaudhari,who lives on the other side of the Mohana, had toreturn home immediately because his wife Draupadihad died unexpectedly. It was night and there was ahigh flood in Ghuraha River. He couldn’t find theboat but insisted that he had to get home. Weprovided him with a life jacket to cross the river. Hereached home in time to attend his wife’s funeral.Even now, whenever he meets us, he speaks of thesupport the life jacket gave him in crossing the river.Life jackets have saved the lives of many other localpeople, including police officials who perform rescueoperations.

-Ms. Raj Kumari Chaudhari, Lalitpur, Phulbari

Box 5 Life jackets became friends during hard timesactivity showing wooden post

10 Traditional birth attendant


In short, endeavours in risk identification and assess-ment were made by increasing knowledge about risksand about suitable strategies for coping with and mea-sures for reducing those risks. EWSs were establishedby drawing upon the existing knowledge of localsabout specific hazards and risks. Information wasdisseminated by those systems in a timely fashionusing simple and understandable language.

4.3 Priority action 3: Use knowledge,innovation, and education to build a cultureof safety and resilience at all levels

Information management and exchange: The projecthas disseminated information about floods and theirrisks as well as about various protection mechanismsand coping strategies both to locals within the projectarea as well as to those in neighbouring communi-ties. It has also published information, education andcommunication (IEC) materials, shown video docu-mentaries, organised cross visits, performed streetdramas, and facilitated EWS evacuation simulationsin order to share information and build knowledge.

a. IEC materials are the key to raising awarenessIEC materials are essential for imparting knowledgeand information. The project published and distributedfour posters, two fliers, flip charts, and games. Beforedesigning the IEC material, the project held an IEC ori-entation training for community leaders, project staff,

and district stakeholders, including CARE Nepal and theirlocal partner NGOs. In agreeing upon the themes andthe art for each item, the design team kept in mindthe Tharu’s social setup and culture. A local artist wasemployed to refine the sketches drawn up by the team.Each item was field-tested and the feedback of thecommunity incorporated before it was finalised. De-sign sensitivity and testing have ensured that infor-mation abut disaster risk, reduction and prevention isreadily understandable and that it encourages andenables people to take action to reduce risks and buildresilience.

The project’s approach to information dissemination isinnovative and interesting. Community facilitators dis-seminated the message of each IEC item using door-to-door campaigns based on the adult learning approach.The facilitators provided enough room for locals to ex-press their understanding of and feelings about keythemes and messages and to fill in any gaps if neces-sary. This flexible, interactive approach increasedpeople’s understanding of the main message of eachIEC item..

b. Cross visits: learning laboratories for localsTo promote learning from others’ experiences andreplication of good practices, cross visits are very ef-fective tools. Each project community visited twoother project communities to observe and learn fromtheir efforts in DRR and to replicate good practices.Locals perceived these visits as learning laboratoriesbecause “believing by seeing” is very convincing.After their cross visits to Shivaratanpur, the Mohanpurcommunities of Ratanpur VDC started to make bam-

use of life jacket during S&R

IEC for flood preparedness



boo protection work with assistance from WFP/Back-ward Society Education (BASE). Emulating Bisanpur,the Lalitpur community plans to make wooden spursto protect their bio-engineering work. This same bio-engineering work inspired Phulbari-7, Shivtal, whichlies outside the project area, to establish 100 metresof bio-engineering. Similarly, Krishnanagar andBhiteria communities have requested funds from theDistrict Soil Conservation Office (DSCO) to implementbio-engineering in their communities. Inspired byShivaratanpur’s example, other communities havestarted to raise grains for their emergency funds onthe basis of landholding (one kilogramme per kattha).There is a growing tendency to collect cash and grainsfrom cultural and religious events like Fagui in Marchand Deusi and Bailo in October.

c. Street drama: an effective tool for increasingawarenessStreet drama is an important way of communicatingkey messages to illiterate communities. Locals saidthey found street drama effective in communicatinguseful information about DP and DRR initiatives. Sincedramas were presented in the local language bytrained local people, they were lively and their mes-sages accessible. The street drama team also dis-seminated its messages through the radio stationDinesh FM. That street dramas are effective in aware-ness raising can be seen through the example ofJokahiyapur: according to the DPC Coordinator, thecommunity were prepared for the September 2008flood and were able to evacuate and rescue com-munity members because of what they had learnedfrom street drama events. So far, 24 young peoplehave been trained to conceive and perform street

drama, thus creating local capacity for this importantservice. Altogether, more than 16,000 people haveobserved street dramas staged in schools and in com-munities.

d. Video documentaries: learning from others’experiencesVideo documentaries can sometimes galvanise view-ers into reducing disaster risks. Using their emergencyfunds, each DPC organized to show documentary filmsabout the various coping mechanisms people in high-risk situations adopt. Like street drama, videos suc-cessfully generated awareness among illiteratepeople. Some of the particular risk reduction activi-ties the videos communicated well and that havebeen emulated on the ground include the enforce-ment of rules like zero grazing and the practice ofagro forestry-based income-generating activities.

e. EWS simulations: increasing confidenceThe EWS and evacuation simulation exercises sharp-ened people’s knowledge about and skills in EWSand evacuation but also helped spawn necessaryamendments to local plans and practices. Each com-munity conducted these exercises in order to dem-onstrate the steps of the community evacuation andemergency plan as well as the use of project-pro-vided equipment and material. The steps demon-strated included the communication of a flood warn-ing message by upstream monitoring stations, basicpreparation for evacuation, the operation of EWS,evacuation, search and rescue, shelter management,first aid, and distribution of relief materials for recov-ery and rehabilitation. After the simulation, Mankapur

I was impressed by the street drama. Its subjecttouched my heart. My eyes were filled with tearswhen I saw how the irresponsibility of one characterincreased his own vulnerability and that of hisfamily. Most of the audience was sombre, and manywere teary-eyed. We were inspired to use localresources rather than waiting for externalresources, and now plan to assess local resourcesand start risks reduction initiatives. We have heardthat the project will not stay with us for muchlonger.

-Ms. Binita Chaudhary, Treasurer/DPC, Mohanpur,Hasulia -4

Box 6 Street dramas were helpful to explore local resources

mass observing street drama


and Bisanpur DPCs revised their evacuation plans tomake them more realistic. The locals of the Lalitpurand Mohanpur communities said that the EWS simu-lation exercises came in handy during rescue opera-tions in September 2008 and increased everybody’sconfidence.

Increased skills and knowledge through educationand training: The project has targeted communitymembers, particularly schoolteachers and students,to be disseminators of knowledge about DP and DRR.It has also promoted community-based training ini-tiatives to enhance local capacities to cope with di-sasters risks (see Table 5). Some of the outcomes ofproject trainings are described below.

a. Community mobilisation training: This type oftraining demonstrates that social unity and solidarityis needed if flood risks are to be reduced. It resultedin the formation of DPCs and their sub-committees.All trainees conducted a similar training in their owncommunities to pass on the knowledge and skills theyhad gained. As participants realised “unity is power,”they began to promote social solidarity and harmony.

One particularly good example of progress was seenin Lalitpur, where a decade-long conflict betweenTharus and Dalits over public land was resolved. In-spired by this training, project communities have in-cluded neighbouring communities in trainings, orien-tations, street dramas and IEC material distributionthrough door-to-door campaigns. For instance,Khonpur and Bhitariya communities were invited byShivaratanpur and Jokaiyapur DPCs respectively tocollaborate in their plans to fight against flood risks.The idea of emergency funds also emerged from com-munity mobilisation training.

b. Search and rescue training: These trainings werevery tough but also beneficial to locals for use duringfloods. Trainees in Lalitpur learned to rescue a per-son by using a throw bag as well as to use life jack-ets to pull a boat against current. Shivaratanpur andJokahiyapur communities used inner tubes andwooden planks to make temporary boats to carrygrains and rescued children, pregnant and lactatingmothers, and elderly. Communities felt that this train-ing helps save the lives and important belongingsduring a flood.

c. First aid trainings: With skills gained from thesetrainings, locals were able to handle minor cases ofinjury. Trainees in Lalitpur said that they treated about40-50 injured cases locally and referred other cases tothe district hospital for further treatment. The peopleof Shivaratanpur, Bisanpur and Mankapur were ableto convince sub-health post official to procure somemedicines for them to keep in their first aid kits.

VDC Community TrainingFA DRM S&R NM GW CM AK

M F M F M F M F M F M F M F

Phulbari Lalitpur 18 14 17 19 4 0 1 1 1 0 12 23 9 7Hasuliya Mohanpur 14 15 15 16 4 0 1 1 1 0 19 10 10 8

Shivaratanpur 22 14 19 16 4 0 1 1 1 0 24 13 9 8Pabera Bisanpur 19 13 17 15 4 0 1 1 1 0 21 8 8 7

Mankapur 15 18 11 21 4 0 1 1 1 0 18 14 9 6Ratanpur Jokahiyapur 22 12 16 17 4 0 1 1 1 0 15 23 8 8Total 110 86 95 104 24 0 6 6 5 0 109 91 53 44

Table 5 Number of participants in various trainings

VDC Community TrainingFA DRM S&R NM GW CM AK

M F M F M F M F M F M F M F

Phulbari Lalitpur 18 14 17 19 4 0 1 1 1 0 12 23 9 7Hasuliya Mohanpur 14 15 15 16 4 0 1 1 1 0 19 10 10 8

Shivaratanpur 22 14 19 16 4 0 1 1 1 0 24 13 9 8Pabera Bisanpur 19 13 17 15 4 0 1 1 1 0 21 8 8 7

Mankapur 15 18 11 21 4 0 1 1 1 0 18 14 9 6Ratanpur Jokahiyapur 22 12 16 17 4 0 1 1 1 0 15 23 8 8Total 110 86 95 104 24 0 6 6 5 0 109 91 53 44

Source: Project records, 2007-08Note: FA=First Aid; DRM=Disaster Risk Management; S&R=Search and Rescue; NM=Nursery Management; GW=Gabion Weaving;

CM=Community Mobilisation; AK=Account Keeping

Table 5 Number of participants in various trainings

simulation exercise on EWS



d. Disaster risk management training: Project fieldstaff organised local-level disaster risk management(DRM) trainings after themselves participating in com-munity-based DRM trainings. These trainings were seenas instrumental in changing beliefs about internal re-source mobilisation. Locals are now less likely to waitfor external assistance to reduce disaster risk; their knowl-edge, attitudes and practices have changed. For instance,those who believed that God was responsible for floodsnow understand that floods are the outcome of naturaland man-made phenomenon. People still celebrateDorbandi, Hereri and Lawangi11 worships to please vil-lage and river gods, but they also understand that floodrisks can be reduced using local resources and commu-nity knowledge-based preventive activities.

e. Nursery management training: The projects hasprovided basic nursery management skills and tech-niques to each community and helped it to establish anursery. Fast-growing, deep-rooted species are beingpromoted to control soil erosion in bio-engineering sites.Gulmohar, khair, bains, amlisho, bamboo, bakaino,sisoo, napier, moos, narkat, badahar, and Epil epilare some of the species grown in nurseries and plantedalong riverbanks. The communities of Lalitpur,Mohanpur and Bisanpur produced enough seedlingsto meet their needs, but the other three communitieshave had to get additional seedlings from outside. InManikapur, people have also planted different spe-cies of trees along their evacuation route.

In addition to the trainings described above, trainingsin account keeping and gabion weaving were alsoorganised to make sure financial transactions are ap-propriately recorded and to teach locals to producegabion boxes. Trainings in skills like nursery trainingand gabion weaving have increased job opportuni-ties in an area without many such opportunities.

The project has prioritised equal access to trainingsand educational opportunities for women (seeTable 5) and vulnerable communities. It has focusedon recruiting female participants for each training andorientation (except in the search and rescue training

for trainers12) and on facilitating trainings so that theyreach a large audience. It has also made the partici-pation of at least one DPC or sub-committees mem-ber in each training mandatory. The IEC material itdevelops also exhibits gender and cultural sensitiv-ity. Local traditions and culture are addressed in streetdrama and radio programmes are broadcast in thelocal language. By respecting local ideas and indig-enous knowledge in each project endeavour, theproject has ensured that the locals’ sense of owner-ship, participation and spirit of voluntarism is high.

Changing practices through school-based activities: Theproject has selected eight schools to carry out DP andDRM activities because it sees students and teachersas key agents for change. The school-levelprogramme focuses on developing teachers andstudents into local resource persons who can dis-seminate key messages about DP and DRR at awider context than just within schools.

a. Formation of Junior Red Cross CirclesJunior Red Cross Circles (JRCs) s are crucial for impart-ing knowledge and information as well as for mak-ing school-level DP plans to reduce risks through peereducation. A JRC was formed in each school so thatstudents could provide other students with knowl-edge about the causes and effects of disasters andways to minimise their risks. JRCs act under the guid-ance of sichhak nayak13 and saha-sichhak nayakteachers to bring about effective DRM. The membersof each JRC participated in trainings and orientationsfacilitated by teachers and project staff to transmitDP-, DRM- and DRR-related knowledge and skills.After it had acquired DRM knowledge, the JRC of

people's participation in polybag filling

11 These are traditional ceremonies held to protect villagers from natural calamities, diseases and ghosts12 Though there were no women traninees, in community-level search and rescue exercises themselves, female were included13 Sichhak nayaks (teacher sponsors) and saha-sichhak nayaks (co-teacher sponsors) provide good advice and moral support for the initiatives undertaken

by JRCs. They assist JRCs in taking their issues, concerns and plans to their headmasters (sanrakshaks) for the proper implementation of their plans.


Dipendra Higher Secondary School, Hasulia, startedconducting sanitation campaigns around the schoolin order to reduce the risk of snake bites. The trainingsare instrumental in establishing a student-guardianlink to DRR and in enabling students to fill in theknowledge and skills gaps among their fellow stu-dents and family members, particularly their moth-ers.

b. DP and DRM trainings for schoolteachersThe project provided DP and DRM trainings to school-teachers so that they can serve as local resource per-sons and impart new information and knowledge tostudents and, through students, to the community,and fill in gaps. In this way, schoolteachers serve aslocal resource persons in disseminating DRR-relatedknowledge and information. Developing and en-forcing school-level DP plans has been one immedi-ate outcome of these trainings. These plans will be

linked with VDC plans. Communities recall the activeroles played by trained teachers during the searchand rescue efforts in the flood last September. Theyhelped mobilise locals to reduce possible threats andrisks.

The project has helped develop a simple curriculumfor a three-days training in DRR. The curriculum wasrevised and its methodology amended to suit thelocal people’s understanding of DP and DRR. Moredemonstrations, exercises, and interactions wereadded to make the training action-oriented, and tech-nical jargon was removed.

c. Conservation education knowledge for schoolstudentsKnowledge about conservation education helps stu-dents initiate and get involved in community-basedenvironmental management. Conservation educationtraining focussed on natural resource management,the benefits of nursery management, and the ratio-nale for community plantation as it relates to presentand future DRR. An immediate outcome of the train-ing was that students realised the role nurseries playduring nursery management and plantationprogrammes conducted along riverbanks to promoteflood control. In Lalitpur, schoolchildren planted seed-lings, while in Bisanpur students’ help speeded upthe process of filling polythene bags. Their keen par-ticipation in these activities suggests children are com-mitted to risk reduction initiatives.

d. DP awareness orientations andcampaigns in schoolsDP awareness campaigns help fill gaps in knowl-edge about DP and DRR. A two-hour session ondisasters and their types, causes (primary and sec-ondary) and effects, and possible ways of manag-ing them at the local level was organised in eightschools. The session was designed after evaluat-ing the existing curriculum on disaster with school-teachers and identifying the gaps. The focus agreedupon was the disaster management cycle. Sincethe sessions used techniques such as art, essays,speeches, games, charts, and pictures, children en-joyed themselves and learned a lot.

We never realized that the project would considerus as a potential beneficiary to contribute in therisks reduction work. However, it was otherwise.We are able to get skills, knowledge andinformation through trainings, orientations andshort sessions. The conservation education,nursery management and art, easy and speechcompetitions were particularly important for usfor knowledge building. We have started toprepare school level DP plans to make oursurrounding risks free. The sanitation has beenimproved through the active efforts of JRC.

-Mr Prashant Thakur, chairperson of JRC, Dipendra Higher Sec-ondary School, Hasuliya

Box 7 We realized that students also contribute inreducing disaster risks

DRR orientation to students



In sum, through its provisions for information man-agement and exchange as well as for increasing skillsand knowledge through education and training, itwas possible for the project to use knowledge, inno-vation, and education to build a culture of safetyand resilience at all levels.

4.4 Priority action 4: Reducing theunderlying risk factors

a. Small-scale mitigation throughbio-engineeringThe project promotes the adoption of local resourceand skill-based technologies and practices as partof DRR efforts. The priority of the project has been tointroduce low-cost, easily-maintained and replicablemitigation techniques which are accepted by the com-munities. The project has implemented mostly bio-engineering activities but also some structural engi-neering work like spur construction. The bio-engineer-ing work includes low-cost bamboo work, sand-filledcement sacks and community plantation alongriverbanks. So far, the project helped carry out 1398meters of bio-engineering work along crucial sectionsof riverbanks. To reinforce bio-engineering efforts andsave productive land along riverbanks, 43,000 plantshave been planted over an area of 27,300 m2 (seeTable 6).

The river mitigation work has prevented the loss ofcultivable lands, housing and local infrastructures.In Lalitpur, for instance, farmers estimated thatabout 15 bighas of the cultivable land of nine fami-lies was saved through 300 metres of bio-engineer-ing work. In Mohanpur, 300 metres of bio-engineer-ing work prevented about 20 bighas of cultivableland from being washed away.

Because of bio-engineering activities, local communi-ties are more confident about saving productive farm-land and ensuring their own safety. Initially, local peoplewere sceptical about the use of bamboo to protect riv-ersides until an exposure visit organised for some com-munity leaders to Srilanka village in the western part ofKailali District helped to convince them that bio-engi-neering work can effectively protect riverbanks and com-munities.

Bio-engineering is being replicated in surroundingcommunities. After having seen its effectiveness inpreventing riverside erosion, the project communi-ties of Lalitpur and Mohanpur have protected 150metres of riverbank with bio-engineering techniques.The Bisanpur and Mohana communities convince theyhave successfully diverted the river to the other sidethrough protection work. Local people of Kavre,Banke and Bardiya districts have visited Bisanpur tosee and learn about the outcome of DRR initiatives,the strengths of wooden spur work and how low-cost bioengineering work can be initiated bymobilising local resources.

Until last year, fearing flooding and riverbankerosion, we felt compelled to harvest our paddycrops prematurely. Those of us who harvested intime did have a crop but the harvest was less thanit could have been. Those who waited too latelost their entire crop because of the flooding inthe Mohana River. Now that we have carried outprotection work along the riverbanks, we do notneed to harvest prematurely. There is no fear ofrisks. We are also inspired to replicate thetechnology elsewhere through our own effortsand resources to protect crops along riverbanks.

-Mr. Prem Bahadur Chaudhary, Coordinator, DPC of Lalitpur

Box 8 We are happy with the river protection workcarried out to save our crops and productive land

Source: Project record 2007-08

Table 6 Status of mitigation work, community nurseries and plantation

VDC Community Bio-eng sites Nursery area Seedlings (No.) Plantation areaPhulbari Lalitpur 300 m 250 m2 10000 8000 m2

Hasuliya Shivaratanpur 100 m 100 m2 6000 2000 m2

Mohanpur 300 m 100 m2 6000 3000 m2

Pabera Bisanpur 280 m 100 m2 4000 2800 m2

Mankapur 150 m 150 m2 5000 1500 m2

Ratanpur Jokahiyapur 268 m 275 m2 12000 10,000 m2

Total 1398 m 975 m2 43000 27,300 m2


After reclaiming land along a riverbank through bio-engineering work, people often start to farm off-sea-sonal vegetables, watermelon and nuts, to diversifylocal sources of income.

b. Using community- managed boatsto reduce riskCommunity-managed boats can effectively savepeople’s lives and livelihoods during floods. Withproject resources and community contributions, all sixcommunities run community boat services. Besidestheir regular function of helping people cross rivers

safely, the boats facilitate safe evacuation duringfloods. With these boats, children, elderly people,pregnant and lactating mothers and important be-longings were saved. The locals of Shivaratnapur be-lieve that they would have lost 10-12 people of theKhalla community during the last flood if the projecthad not provided boats. The locals of Shivaratnapur

used to use doond (wooden troughs used to feed live-stock) as boats though the risk of their overturningwas great. The rescuers of Bisanpur rescued some mem-bers of Chotki Palia community after their boat wassubmerged. The community members of Lalitpur andBisanpur even managed to save some police officers.

c. Community shelters serve as a refugeduring floodingShelters play an important role in mitigating the fearof floods and inundation. Mohanpur andShivaratnapur communities are constructing safebuildings linked to safe evacuation routes in orderso serve as community shelters. In Bisanpur, peoplerealised the importance of such shelters after 15households were displaced for seven days last year.

d. Construction of evacuation routesEvacuation routes are needed so that people can reachsafe places before major risks arrive. The project hasfacilitated the effort to construct such routes. So far, atotal of 4.2 kilometeres (1.7 in Lalitpur and 1.5 inJokahiyapur) have been completed with additionalsupport from a “cash for work”14 scheme. The heightsof routes are determined by assessing the flood lev-els of the last 50 years. The evacuation route atShivratanpur is high enough to serve as a dike andprevent water from flowing in from the Indian side.

We were sceptical about the project’s proposalto use bamboo spurs for flood mitigation. Afterthe project suggested we make them in ourcommunity, I met project officials to request themto focus on gabion boxes instead of bamboo spurs.I remember our community saying, ‘Aandhikaagadi benako ke kam (What is the use of a fan infront of a hurricane)?’ to the officials. When wesaw what bamboo spurs can do, we were amazed.Now we are committed to making more bamboospurs upstream from the present bioengineeringsite with the support of the DSCO. We are thinkingabout requesting other agencies to support us inintroducing bio-engineering work because it hasalready demonstrated its strength and itsfunctionality during heavy flooding. Gabion workis no longer our main demand.

-Mr. Maya Ram Chaudhari, Coordinator, DPC, MohanpurHausulia-4

Box 9 We are now fully convinced that bamboo works

community management bio engineering workcommunity managed boat

14 This initiative was supported by World Food Programme



e. Raised hand pumpsRaised hand pumps can provide safe drinking waterand minimise the incidence and spread of water-borne diseases during floods. With project support,five communities have constructed hand pumps. Al-though Lalitpur and Mohanpur communities were com-pletely inundated during the flood last September,

people were still able to get safe and clean waterfrom their raised hand pumps. As all private handpumps were submerged, people have realized theimportance of having at least one raised communitypump. People are trying to get VDC authorities andlocal NGOs to support them in the constructing moresuch pumps.

In sum, with its initiatives in small-scale mitigation work,community-managed boats, raised hand pumps andsafe shelters with evacuation routes, the project haseffectively contributed in reducing the underlying riskfactors.

4.5. Priority action 5: Strengthen disasterpreparedness for effective response

a. Strengthen policy, technical and institu-tional capacities for local disaster manage-mentThe project has helped strengthen policy, technicaland institutional capacities by participating in national,regional and local trainings, workshops and confer-ences for sharing and exchanging experiences in lo-cal disaster management practices. At the local level,these workshops helped mobilise and manage ex-ternal resources for the sustainable continuation ofproject initiatives. Inspired by the communities’ ef-forts in bio-engineering work, the Department ofWater Induced Disaster Prevention (DWIDP) has al-located Rs. 50,000 (EUR 490) to Lalitpur and Mohanpurfor constructing bamboo spurs. Another Rs 70,000(EUR 686) was allocated by the DSCO. The DSCO alsoprovided some seedlings for plantation. In response

Because we face flood-related problems every year,we were planning to move our whole village to acommunity forest site to the west of Kamal Pokhariat Hasulia–3. Most of us had visited the site and wereready to migrate there. We had even asked someVDC executives to provide the site to us. After theproject came, though, we learned more aboutflooding and how to prevent flood risks. We alsolearned about safe evacuation methods and routesto safe shelters. We are confident that we can reducethe adverse effect of floods by applying preventivemeasures. Our desire to migrate has petered out,and we are positive that we want this area to be ourhome permanently.

-Ms. Jumani Devi Chaudhari, Bhalmansa,Shivaratanpur, Hasulia-5

Box 10 The appeal of migrating has declined

In my opinion, the people of project communitiesare convinced that bio-engineering techniquesare effective in protecting riverbanks because bio-engineering is a low-cost local technology whichuses locally available resources. In response topeople’s enthusiam, we allocated Rs 70,000 sothat project communities could replicate bio-engineeering work in the project area. Thesuccesses of the project communities have alsoinspired us to replicate this technology in otherVDCs. It is essential to introduce new technologyin full recognistion of local knowledge andpractices.

-Mr. Nava Narayan Mishra, Head, DSCO

Box 11 We should honour local knowledge and practices

people's participation in evacuation routes

raised hand pump


to the project communities’ efforts, especially thosein bio-engineering, the DSCO has sent its training par-ticipants to visit the six project communities and tolearn from them. The DSCO’s interest suggests thatdistrict-level stakeholders view project communitiesas learning laboratories.

b. Promote and support dialogue, exchange ofinformation and coordinationThe project has made an effort to promote dialoguegeared toward exchanging information and increas-ing coordination. Project has facilitated the forma-tion of a joint steering committee with the CARENepal- supported DIPECHO project. The committee ischaired by the NRCS and includes representatives fromthe DDC, DWIDP, BASE, Conscious Society for SocialDevelopment (CSSD), the Nepalese Federation of Jour-nalists and other organisations as members. The com-mittee has made it easy to coordinate technicalbackstopping and resource and idea/experience shar-ing and to take immediate actions for the better-ment of the project’s initiatives. Mercy Corps and CARENepal, in cooperation with local partners, jointly cel-ebrated Earthquake Day in collaboration with theDepartment of Urban Development and Building Con-struction of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Con-struction of the Government of Nepal. While prepar-ing IEC materials, functional coordination with CARENepal and CCSD was ensured. The aid of army andpolice personnel was enlisted during the search andrescue training sessions because of their provenknowledge and skills in these sectors. Similarly, whileorganising masonry training, the project collaboratedwith DFID’s Community Support Programme.

As part of its EWS efforts and to the benefit of its ownas well as other communities, the project acquiredrain- and flood-related data for broadcasting on lo-cal FM stations in coordination with the DoHM. Dan-ish Red Cross, Practical Action and CARE Nepal haveorganised cross visits to project communities to learnfrom their initiatives. Locals were able to teach visi-tors how low-cost technologies can save productiveland and settlements and how the various trainingand preparedness activities, evacuation plans, andEWS simulations helped them to save their lives andtheir important belongings. The Office of Coordina-tion for Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) claims thatcommunity-based preparedness activities and EWSare very useful for widespread dissemination.

This sort of networking, coordination and collabora-tion has helped project communities to initiate effec-tive EWS, DRR and disaster response because theyfoster a holistic approach.

c. Promote regular disaster-preparedness exercisesThe project has assisted communities in promotingregular disaster-preparedness exercises, includingevacuation drills and simulations, in order to en-hance their capacities. By drawing upon alterna-tive funds,15 emergency and recovery support wasprovided to flood-affected communities. The idea ofproviding such support was spawned after the floodof last September destroyed all their grain storagecontainers and no seed was available for sowing inthe new season. This initiative helped compensate

We should make a genuine effort to take steps toreplicate local practice-based EWS in neighbouringcommunities and to ensure the sustainbility ofthe good practices of this project in the futurebefore the project phase is over. There is a needto discuss suitable institutional arrangements andto make provisions for a basket fund. Only efficientEWS can save the lives and properties of peopleliving along riverbanks as it is not possible tocarry out bio-engineering work along the entirelength of the Mohana and other rivers to savepeople’s lives and livelihoods.

-Mr. Loknath Regmi, DTO, Kailali

Box 12 Making institutional arrangements to ensure thecontinuity of EWS is important

consultative meeting with districtlevel stakeholders

15 Non-food relief items and seed with the support of OdysseyRe Foundation



low-income community members for their losses dueto floods.

With its provisions for strengthening policy, technicaland institutional capacities for local disaster manage-ment; promoting and supporting dialogue, the ex-change of information and coordination; and endors-ing regular disaster-preparedness exercises at the locallevel, the project has contributed to strengtheningdisaster preparedness for effective response.

Project contribution in achievingthe strategic goals of HFA

5.1 Strategic goal 1: Integration of DRR intosustainable development policies andplanning

The project’s provisions for strengthening the abilityof community-based institutions to carry out DP andDRR activities, developing knowledge-sharing mecha-nisms and maintaining financial transparency in eachproject activity have resulted in good organisationalgovernance. The mechanisms for linking community-level DP plans with VDC and DDC plans will help com-munities secure the resources they need to executetheir plans. Local-level DRR efforts are indeed inte-grated with sustainable development policies andplanning at the national level. Clearly, the projecthelps meet the first strategic goal of HFA.

5.2 Strategic goal 2: Development andstrengthening of institutions, mechanismsand capacities to build resilience to hazards

Through its careful analysis of the knowledge gapsof the project communities with respect to DP andDRR, the project has helped fill these gaps by imple-menting capacity-building initiatives. It has beenable to develop the knowledge and skills needed toidentify and assess risk, to monitor hazards and todisseminate early warnings. IEC materials, cross vis-its, street drama, video documentaries and simula-tion exercises have further increased the knowledge,skills and confidence of locals. The awareness built

through school-based interventions has played a re-markable role in sensitising locals to DP and DRR ef-forts. These efforts are fundamental to developing andstrengthening local institutions, including DPCs, VDMCs,sub-committees, and JRCs. The interventions of small-scale bio-engineering-based mitigation and nurserymanagement have contributed directly to environmen-tal and natural resource management and land-useplanning. The provisions for boats and safe shelterswith built-up evacuation routes have increased theresilience of locals. These initiatives collectively con-tributed to the achievement of the second strategicgoal of HFA.

5.3 Strategic goal 3: Incorporation of riskreduction approaches into theimplementation of emergency preparedness,response and recovery programmes

The project has helped strengthen policy, technicaland institutional capacities as well as local disastermanagement capacities by participating in nationaltrainings, workshops and conferences for sharingand exchanging experiences in local disaster man-agement. At the local level, these sharing workshopshelped mobilise and manage external resources forthe continuation of project initiatives. With supportfrom the project, activities to promote dialogue, in-formation exchange and coordination are regularlyorganised with the aims of providing technicalbackstopping; sharing resources, ideas, and experi-ences; and taking immediate actions for improvingthe project’s initiatives. The provisions for network-ing, coordination and collaboration have helped theproject communities initiate effective EWS, DRR anddisaster response by fostering a holistic approach. Theproject has assisted communities in conducting regu-lar disaster-preparedness exercises, including evacu-ation drills and simulations, in order to enhance theircapacities. In addition, the distribution of food andnon-food items to flood-affected communities hasprovided immediate relief and response. All theseinterventions have jointly contributed to achievingthe third HFA strategic goal.

5.


Observation of IEC posters


Mercy Corps NepalP.O.Box 24374

Sanepa Chowk, Lalitpur, NepalTelephone: +977 1 555 5532

Fax: +977 1 555 4370E-mail: [email protected]

Mercy Corps European Headquarters40 Sciennes, Edinburgh, EH9 1NJ, UK

Telephone: +44 (0)131 662 5160Fax: +44 (0)131 662 6648

DIPECHODIPECHODIPECHODIPECHODIPECHO is the Disaster Preparedness Programme ofthe European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid depart-ment, the largest single humanitarian donor in theworld. The DIPECHO programme funds pilot projectsintended to demonstrate that simple, inexpensive pre-paratory measures, particularly those implementedby communities themselves, can limit damage andincrease resilience and save lives.

Mercy CorpsMercy CorpsMercy CorpsMercy CorpsMercy Corps is an international non-governmentalhumanitarian relief and development organizationwith headquarters in the USA and UK that focuses onproviding support to countries in transition. MercyCorps exists to alleviate suffering; poverty and op-pression by helping people build secure, productiveand just communities. Mercy Corps is primarily focus-ing on emergency relief; economic development; and,initiatives that strengthen civil society. The goal ofMercy Corps Nepal is to alleviate poverty by increas-ing resilience to shocks, expanding economic oppor-tunity, and fostering social inclusion.

Nepal Disaster Risk Case Study

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