Dipecho nepal contribution2 hfa final report nov 30 _2_

Final Draft

The contribution of the DIPECHO Project to
the Hyogo Framework for Action

November 25, 2010
Kathmandu

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Author
Dhruba Gautam, PhD
National Disaster Risk Reduction Centre Nepal
NDRC Nepal
Ekantakuna, Jawalakhel
Phone: +0977-1-5000214, 5000219, 98510-95808
Email: drgautam@wlink.com.np, ncdrnepal@yahoo.com

Special contributors
P.V. Krishnan, Shyam Jnavaly and Ashok Pokharel

Study organised by
ActionAid Nepal/DIPECHO
P O Box 6257, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 977 1 4436477
Fax: 977 1 4419718
Website: www.actionaid.org

The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views
of ActionAid Nepal (AAN), other DIPECHO partners, or DG ECHO. AAN does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included
in this work. For more information, please contact the author in one of the above addresses.

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List of abbreviations and acronyms
CA Constituent Assembly
CFUG Community forest user group
CCA Climate change adaptation
DRR Disaster risk reduction
DM Disaster management
DP Disaster preparedness
DDRC District disaster relief committee
DMC Disaster management committee
DRM Disaster risk management
DN-CDMC District network of community DMCs
DDRT District disaster response team
DoHM Department of Hydrology and Meteorology
DDC District development committee
EWS Early warning system
HFA Hyogo Framework of Action
HVCA Hazard, vulnerability and capacity assessment
ISDR International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
INGO International non-governmental organisation
MoHA Ministry of Home Affairs
MoLD Ministry of Local Development
NSDRM National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management
NRCS Nepal Red Cross Society
NN-CDMC National network of community DMCs
NCRA Natural Calamity Relief Act
NEOC National Emergency Operation Centre
NAPA Nepal’s National Adaptation Plan for Action
PVA Participatory Vulnerability Analysis
REFLECT Regenerated Freirean Literacy through Empowering Community Techniques
RSLU Risk-sensitive land-use Planning
SMC School management committee
SOP Standard operating procedures
SWOLID Strengthening Women to Develop Leadership in Development
TGDM Task group for disaster management
VDC Village development committee
VCA Vulnerability and capacity assessment

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Acknowledgement

We would like to acknowledge the support of the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid
department, which helped to carry out this study.

We would also like to acknowledge ActionAid Nepal’s DIPECHO team Mr. P.V. Krishnan, Mr. Shyam
Sundar Jnavaly, and Mr. Ashok Pokharel for providing us with useful comments and feedback on the
conceptual framework of this research and on our draft report. The teams of other DIPECHO partners-
-Care Nepal, Danish Red Cross, Handicap International, Mercy Corps, Mission East, Oxfam GB and
Practical Action--provided us with a wealth of information while producing this report. We are
particularly grateful to AAN’s district-level NGO partners namely UPCA (Sunsari), KVS (Saptari), Nava
Prabhat (Udaypur), CDM (Nawalparasi), FSC (Rupandehi), BEE Group (Banke), RKJS (Bardiya) and
NRCS and CSSD (Kailali).

To collect primary information in the field, we interacted with local-, district- and national-level
stakeholders, including the members of district disaster risk coordination teams regarding various issues
laid out in the terms of reference. We are thankful to them for providing us with information and data.
The members of various task forces, disaster management committees and networks served as valuable
resource persons and fine company during our fieldwork.

We are grateful to the communities of the DIPECHO projects for their patience in providing us with a
wealth of information and for being so cooperative during the study. We would further like to extend
our sincere gratitude to all who helped make this study a success by contributing their time, feedback
and suggestions.

Mr. Guna Raj Shrestha and Ms. Neeta Thapa, members of the DIPECHO Evaluation Team also deserve
special thanks for the field notes they developed. These notes were very useful to us. We are grateful
to ActionAid Nepal and to the project management team of DIPECHO for entrusting us to conduct this
interesting and challenging study.

Dhruba Gautam and Pravin Rokaya
National Disaster Risk Reduction Centre Nepal
NDRC Nepal
Ekantakuna, Lalitpur
November 2010

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Executive Summary

Background: The problem and the study
The increase in the frequency and magnitude of disasters in Nepal has made it very difficult for the
government to address the impacts of disasters adequately. It has now recognised that providing relief alone
is also insufficient. And that it is disaster risk reduction (DRR), a holistic, comprehensive, and strategic
approach to disasters, which is the need of the day to reduce the devastating impacts of disaster and to cope
with increasing vulnerability. In recognition of Nepal’s need to tackle the problem of disaster risks and
mitigate their impacts on people's lives and livelihoods, the European Commission (DG ECHO) began to
provide financial assistance to Nepal when it released its First DRR Action Plan in 2003. On 15 June 2009
DIPECHO launched its Fifth Action Plan, which emphasises the need for initiating a wide array of
community-based disaster preparedness (DP) and DRR interventions, including developing a disaster
management and risk reduction legal framework, implementing disaster education, constructing small-scale
mitigative infrastructures, coordinating among agencies, conducting research, developing early warning
systems, and building capacity. The projects under DIPECHO’s Fifth Action Plan involve eight partners,
cover 18 districts, and will run to 15 December 2010.

The purpose of this study was to take stock of the progress that these eight partners have made towards
achieving the five priorities of the HFA in Nepal and to contribute to the global report on the achievement
of the HFA. All the secondary information made available by the DIPECHO partners was thoroughly
reviewed. Then multiple instruments, including a range of participatory tools and techniques, were used to
collect and collate reliable primary information from DIPECHO project communities and districts. Holding
interaction meetings and mini-workshops with local-level stakeholders helped deepen the team’s
understandings of projects achievements. Also at the field level, separate interaction meetings were held
with each implementing NGO partner in order to listen to its concerns and issues and to crosscheck the
reliability of information collected. The key findings of this report were drawn from all these sets of
information. Many are illustrated with short case studies and direct quotations.

Project achievements
The fact that the project period for all DIPECHO projects was fixed at 15 months irrespective of the level
of activity, the capacity of the implementing partners (partner NGOs) and communities, the geographic
location and remoteness of the communities, and the types of hazards to address put tremendous pressure
on most of the communities and partner NGOs to complete the prescribed project activities within the set
timeframe. Despite the pressure, however, the quality of work of each partner was good. In addition, they
were very much appreciated by the project communities and by DRR stakeholders at the local, district and
national levels.

Despite the challenges they faced, DIPECHO projects helped to achieve the five priority actions and the
three strategic goals of the HFA. They facilitated the formation and strengthening of community-based
disaster institutions, particularly DMCs, and of DM networks extending from the cluster to the national
level. All the institutions established worked to provide disaster-affected people with support and to
advocate and campaign to see them able to claim their rights. The project empowered people, making them
aware of their rights and of the legal obligation of the government to protect them from disaster risks. It
also developed mechanisms that enable people to secure human and financial resources to deal with disaster
and to increase their resiliency. Capacity-building initiatives filled and continue to fill knowledge gaps in DP
and DRR; as a result, communities are gradually developing the knowledge and skills they need to reduce
their vulnerability. Schools and health facilities have planned and carried out disaster prevention and
response measures, too.

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Community-based early warning systems (EWS) have been modified in order to capitalise on people's
indigenous knowledge; these EWS have helped identify, assess and monitor existing and potential disaster
risks. DIPECHO projects held dialogues and consultations to foster information sharing; technical
backstopping; and resource, idea and experience sharing in order to encourage people to improve project
initiatives. The DIPECHO projects successfully used knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture
of safety and resilience at all levels by managing information and exchange, imparting formal and informal
education, raising public awareness, and making sure that safer schools play a greater role in DRR.

Underlying risk factors have been identified so that their adverse impacts can be reduced. People are now
more aware of what adaptation to a changing climate entails. They have undertaken initiatives that enhance
food security, provide socio-economic protection nets, and reduce poverty. Land-use planning efforts have
put degraded land to better use and building awareness about building codes has seen the construction of
safer infrastructures. In order to reduce underlying risk factors, public facilities have been protected at the
local level.

DP has been strengthened and the response skills of communities have been enhanced and made more
effective. The development of emergency response plans has made it easier to evacuate needy people to
shelters (or to schools serving as shelters) along clearly marked and accessible evacuation routes. Refresher
trainings, drills and simulations have made sure that people retain the skills and knowledge they acquire, and
good coordination has enable communities to get support from duty bearers and civil society. The various
stakeholders concerned demonstrate a good understanding of DP and response.

All the initiatives discussed above have made a significant contribution to the effective integration of disaster
risk considerations into sustainable development policies and planning and programming at all levels. They
have put special emphasis on disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness and vulnerability reduction.
Moreover, DIPECHO projects helped develop and strengthen those institutions, mechanisms and capacities
of all levels, in particular those at the community level, which can systematically contribute to building
resilience to hazards. Continuous advocacy and campaigning resulted in the systematic incorporation of risk
reduction approaches into the design and implementation of emergency preparedness, response and
recovery programmes during the reconstruction of disaster-affected communities.

The way forward
Gaps and areas for improvement
While the efforts made by all DIPECHO partners to support the HFA are commendable and much has been
achieved, DIPECHO, their coverage, in terms of both area and people, is limited and the gaps, huge. If the
current levels of prioritisation of and funding for DRR are not increased, Nepal will not achieve the HFA
goals by 2015.

In addition to DIPECHO partners, other stakeholders, including the government, are carrying out DRR
initiatives that directly or indirectly contribute to the HFA. Unfortunately, the scale of action is simply too
limited. So far, 67 districts have DP plans and district disaster relief committee (DDRCs) have been
empowered to carry them out. The remaining eight districts also need to be mobilised. The extent of
action at the village level is much less promotion. Only 66 VDCs in Banke, Bardia, Chitwan and Nawalparasi
districts of over 3000 in the country have prepared DM plans, and only four of 58 municipalities have started
implementing safe building construction practices. There is more need for the government and non-
government organisations to enforce the national seismic safety standards effectively across the country.

While it is encouraging that disaster risk management (DRM) and climate change adaption (CCA) are being
institutionalised in planning, the level of funding needed to carry out these plans has not been forthcoming.
The current interim three-year plan (2010-2013) focuses on climate change and disaster resilient planning

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and each sectoral strategy integrates comprehensive DRR and emergency response preparedness. Other
positive planning efforts include the development of risk-sensitive land-use planning for Kathmandu
Metropolitan City and plan to extend it elsewhere Also promising is that the Ministry of Home Affairs
(MoHA) has set up an emergency operation centre at the national level and intends to set up regional
centres too. In addition, standard operating procedures for hospitals, security forces and local communities
are being developed and there are national programmes and policies to make schools and health facilities
safe in emergencies. Contingency plans, procedures and resources and financial arrangements are in place
to deal with major disasters, and methods and procedures to assess damage, loss and needs have been
adopted.

Money to fund these initiatives is inadequate. Neither the national budget nor district budget have specific
allocations for DRR and although some VDCs have started allocating separate funds for DRR, guidelines are
inadequate and the process has not yet been institutionalised. In addition, no initiatives have been
undertaken to incorporate the costs and benefits of DRR into the planning of public investment or to invest
in reducing the risks vulnerable urban settlements face.

The sharing of information is also problematic. The national forum, with representatives from civil society
organisations, national planning institutions, and key economic and development sector organisations use a
national multi-hazard risk assessment to inform planning and development decisions, but since disaster
losses are not systematically reported, monitored or analysed, it is not as effective as it could be. Nepal
participates in regional and sub-regional DRR programmes to share its experiences, but ironically has no
national disaster information system publicly available. DRR is included in the national educational curriculum
and is a public education campaign issue but is not included in the national scientific applied-research agenda
or budget.

Environments and societies do not yet receive sufficient protection either. There is no mechanism in place
to protect and restore regulatory ecosystem services and the social safety nets which do exist are
inadequate to the challenge of increasing the resilience of risk-prone households and communities.

Many initiatives have been taken up jointly by DRR stakeholders in Nepal, but most are not mature and
some are still in their nascent stages. In particular, a multi-hazard, integrated approach to DRR and
development which considers gender perspectives, human security and social equity has been adopted and
institutionalised; capacities for DRR and recovery have been identified and strengthened; and the
engagement of and partnerships with non-governmental actors, civil society, and the private sector have
been fostered at all levels. Now Nepal must build on these initiatives.

Recommendations
Several key initiatives are needed in order to promote the HFA and to build the resilience of the Nepali
people in the face of natural disaster:
• Whenever possible, large-scale, nationwide, long-term multi-sector initiatives involving a wide array
of actors, including the DRR Consortium and Five Flagships, and reflecting the national strategy
should be carried out whenever the specific mandates and timeframes of DRR stakeholders allow
for it. Such linkages have to be considered carefully so that they will have a demonstrated impact
within the project lifespan.
• Advocacy for gender inclusiveness and end to gender-based violence is urgent.
• Global DRR global campaigns, particularly school and hospital safety, and safer cities, should be
promoted.
• The impacts of CCA should be clearly demonstrated and quantified and steps to address them taken
up in improved DP and DRR strategies in a carefully considered fashion.

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• Disaster risk consideration, including relief and rehabilitation should to be effectively integrated in
policies, planning and programming for sustainable development at all levels, right from the proposal
stage when their expected multiplier and long-term effects are considered.
• An exit strategy should be prepared and capacity-building support provided for its execution so that
good initiatives are sustained.
• A DRR consortium which includes DIPECHO partners should be established in order to carry out
policy advocacy at both the regional and national levels.
• Institutions, mechanisms and capacities that can build resilience to hazard should be developed and
strengthened at all levels, in particular at the community level.
• Risk reduction approaches, including emergency preparedness, response and recovery, should be
systematically incorporated into the design and implementation of reconstruction programmes for
affected communities in order to increase their resilience and reduce their vulnerability.

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Table of Contents
List of abbreviation and acronyms 3
Acknowledgements 4
Executive summary 5

1. Introduction 11
1.1 Background 11
1.2 The context 13
1.3 The Hyogo Framework of Action 13
1.4 Study objectives 14
1.5 Study methods 14

2. Major findings 15
2.1 Priority action 1: Governance 15
2.1.1 Frameworks and structures 15
2.1.2 Right to participation 19
2.1.3 Financial resources 20
2.1.4 Human resources 21
2.1.5 Schools and health facilities 23

2.2 Priority action 2: Risk assessment 23
2.2.1 Disaster risk assessments 23
2.2.2 Early warning systems 25

2.3 Priority action 3: Knowledge and education 28
2.3.1 Information management and exchange 28
2.3.2 Formal education 30
2.3.3 Public awareness and understanding 31
2.3.4 Informal education 31
2.3.5 School safety 32

2.4 Priority action 4: Risk management and vulnerability reduction 32
2.4.1 Environment and natural resource management 32
2.4.2 Adaptation to climate change 32
2.4.3 Food security 33
2.4.4 Social protection 33
2.4.5 Economic protection 34
2.4.6 Poverty reduction 34
2.4.7 Land-use planning 35
2.4.8 Building codes and standards 35
2.4.9 Protection of public facilities 36

2.5 Priority action 5: Disaster preparedness and response 37
2.5.1 Disaster preparedness and response 37
2.5.2 Response skills 39
2.5.3 Evacuation 40
2.5.4 Training drills and simulations 40
2.5.5 Emergency resources 41

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2.5.6 Coordination and information exchange 41

Chapter 3: Conclusion 42
3.1 The context: 42
3.2 The way forward 44

References 45

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The contribution of the DIPECHO Project to the
Hyogo Framework for Action
"More effective prevention strategies would save not only tens of billions of dollars, but save tens of thousands of
lives. Funds currently spent on intervention and relief could be devoted to enhancing equitable and sustainable
development instead, which would further reduce the risk for war and disaster. Building a culture of prevention is
not easy. While the costs of prevention have to be paid in the present, its benefits lie in a distant future.
Moreover, the benefits are not tangible; they are the disasters that did NOT happen. "
Kofi Annan, “Facing the Humanitarian Challenge: Towards a Culture of Prevention”, UN
General Assembly, A/54/1

1. Introduction

1.3 Background
Disaster is not a new phenomenon but it is one that increasing in intensity and frequency. Every year, more
than 200 million people in the world are affected by different natural hazards, including droughts, floods,
cyclones, earthquakes, wildfires, epidemics, avalanches, rock fall, landslides, mud and debris flows, and glacier
lake outburst floods. A flash appeal launched by the UN in 2007 revealed that since the 1970s the annual
number of natural disasters attributable to both climatic and non-climatic hazards has quadrupled and that
the average number of people affected each year had increased from an average of 100 million to an average
of more than 250 million. While the reasons for the increase in disaster risks are many, the primary one is
the increasing exposure and vulnerability to weather and climate hazards and to environmental degradation.
The rise in population density, global warming, and poverty all exacerbate the impacts of natural hazards.
Climate change has impacted lives and livelihoods and has prevented millions of people from exercising their
fundamental rights.

Disaster affects the entire globe without discrimination. From Indian Ocean tsunamis to South Asian
earthquakes, from the devastation caused by hurricanes and cyclones in the United States, the Caribbean
and the Pacific to heavy flooding across Europe and Asia, hundreds of thousands of people have lost their
lives and millions have seen their livelihoods eroded by natural hazards. While natural hazards can affect
anyone anywhere at any time, it is the poor; women, particularly those who are lactating or pregnant;
children; the elderly; and persons with disabilities who suffer most from disaster as they lack the
information, resources, capacities and social safety nets that could protect them. While many are well aware
of the human misery and crippling economic losses resulting from disasters, few realise that the extent of
devastation can be prevented or at least mitigated through people-led disaster risk reduction (DRR)
initiatives.

Nepal, like many developing countries in Asia and the Pacific, is situated in the world’s hazard belt and is
subject to multiple hazards. It is periodically struck by major natural disasters due to climatic and seismic
factors. Though the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, which began in 1990, raised
awareness in Nepal, the number of deaths and the extent of property loss have increased drastically since
then. Vulnerability to disasters has increased due to the lack of capacities and resources as well as the
increased aggregation of people in urban centres and insufficient planning and preparedness.

Nepal's Tarai, flat, low-lying land is the south, experiences annual flooding as rivers originating in the hills
overflow their banks during the monsoon months of June to September. Both seasonal as well as flash floods
have devastated people's lives and livelihoods. The hills, in contrast, because of the influence of topography,
are more likely to be hit by landslides than floods. Human activities like deforestation, cultivation, and
haphazard construction destabilise the constitutionally fragile slopes. As a result of the combined actions of

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natural factors, mostly heavy rainfall, and human-induced factors, as many as 12,000 landslides occur in
Nepal each year (ESCAP, 1995a). In addition, Nepal, particularly the areas in the Himalayan region, is
vulnerable to seismic activities of varying intensity (ibid.).

The increase in the frequency and magnitude of disasters in Nepal has made it impossible for the
government of any one to address the impacts of disaster adequately. Providing relief alone is also
insufficient. It is DRR, a holistic, comprehensive, and strategic approach, which is the need of the day to
reduce the devastating impacts of disaster and to cope with increasing vulnerability. In recognition of Nepal’s
need to tackle the problem of disaster risks and mitigate their impacts on people's lives and livelihood, the
European Commission (DG ECHO1) began to provide financial assistance to Nepal to implement DRR-
focused interventions with the implementation of DIPECHO’s First Action Plan for South Asia in 2003.

Over the last several years, there have been important changes in the legal framework for DP and DRR in
Nepal. Some were influenced by DIPECHO partners while others were the result of the international
trends. These changes have implications for all levels of interaction but what they are is currently unknown
and the changes themselves are probably changing. The legal framework needs to be assessed in order to i)
measure progress, ii) identify gaps, iii) adapt to the new rules and constraints, iv) focus on the remaining
gaps.

DIPECHO had a clear mandate: it focused on natural disasters, the implementation of pilot projects for
demonstrative purposes and with clear exit strategies, the replication and scaling up of projects,
participation in larger DRR initiatives, and building local response capacities. It objectives in short are to
reinforce the resilience and response capacity of communities and disaster management (DM) authorities,
integrate DDR in humanitarian
response, and intensify capacity
building, advocacy and coordination.
DIPECHO was created in 1996 and
since 1998 has channelled more than
EUR 186 million to DRR projects
worldwide. DIPECHO covers nine
regions at present. In South Asia,
DIPECHO is working with 27
partners in five countries, 38
districts, and 730,000 direct
beneficiaries. Since the First Action
Plan for South Asia was developed,
both its budget and number of
partners have increased significantly.

DIPECHO’s Fifth Action Plan was
initiated in Nepal in June 2009. This
plan emphasises the need for initiating a wide array of community-based disaster preparedness (DP) and risk
reduction interventions, including the development of a disaster management and risk reduction legal
framework, the implementation of disaster education, small-scale mitigative infrastructures, coordination
among agencies, research, development of early warning systems, and capacity building.

1
The activities of DG ECHO in the field of disaster preparedness are “to ensure preparedness for risks of natural disasters or comparable
circumstances and use a suitable rapid early-warning and intervention system”. The DIPECHO programme was set up in this context to improve the
capacities of communities at risk to better prepare and protect themselves against natural hazards. Until two or three years ago DG ECHO’s DRR
activities were more or less synonymous with those of DIPECHO, but now the focus of DG ECHO's DRR support include disaster preparedness
(DIPECHO and DRR-targeted projects); mainstreaming DP and DRR in all of ECHO’s interventions; advocacy with regard to the other services
provided by commissions, donors, and stakeholders (LRRD); and developing additional funding lines (thematic funding and ad hoc decisions).

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1.2 The context
In Nepal, DIPECHO’s Fifth Action Plan has a budget of 31,40,397 Euro from eight international non-
governmental organisations2 (INGOs): ActionAid Nepal, Care Nepal, Danish Red Cross, Handicap
International, Mercy Corps, Mission East, Oxfam GB and Practical Action3. The main mandate of DIPECHO
is to improve DRR initiatives in Nepal by supporting five areas: (i) local disaster management; (ii) institutional
linkages and advocacy; (iii) information, education, and communication; (iv) small-scale infrastructure and
services, and (v) the stockpiling of emergency and relief items. DIPECHO’s overall objective is to ‘reduce the
vulnerability of Nepali populations living in areas most affected by natural disasters' and its specific objective
are to ‘support strategies that enable local communities and institutions to better prepare for, mitigate and
respond adequately to natural disasters by enhancing their capacities to cope and respond, thereby
increasing resilience and reducing vulnerability.' The projects under DIPECHO’s Fifth Action Plan cover 18
districts of Nepal. The programme is to run from 15 June 2009 to 15 December 20104.

1.3 Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA)
One of DIPECHO’s key roles is to assist Nepal in putting into action its commitment to the three strategic
goals and five priority actions of the
Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) Box 1: The three strategic goals of HFA
(see Box 1 and 2). Released by the • To more effectively integrate disaster risk considerations into
World Conference5 on Disaster sustainable development policies, planning and programming at all
Reduction, the HFA is a global levels, with a special emphasis on disaster prevention, mitigation,
blueprint for DRR. It aims to preparedness, and vulnerability reduction;
substantially reduce disaster losses, • To develop and strengthen at all levels, in particular the community
measured in terms of lives as well as level, those institutions, mechanisms and capacities that
the social, economic, and systematically contribute to building resilience to hazards;
environmental assets of communities • To systematically incorporate risk reduction approaches into the
and countries, by 2015. The HFA design and implementation of emergency preparedness, response
supports the efforts of nations and and recovery programs in the reconstruction of affected
communities to become more communities
resilient to and cope better with the
hazards that threaten their development gains.

As part of its HFA commitment,
Box 2: HFA's key priorities for action
Nepal is in the final stages of
• Governance: Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national
approving the Disaster Management
priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation
Bill of 2007, which will replace the
Natural Calamity Relief Act of 1982. • Risk assessment: Identify, assess and monitor disaster risks and
It also adopted the National Strategy enhance early warning
for Disaster Risk Management • Knowledge and education: Use knowledge, innovation and
(NSDRM) in October 2009 and has education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels
carried out various projects and • Risk management and vulnerability reduction: Reduce
programmes to achieve the priority underlying risk factors
actions of HFA. These include those • Disaster preparedness and response: Strengthen disaster
projects which were designed by preparedness for effective response
DIPECHO. All these initiatives are

2
They are known as DIPECHO partners in Nepal.
3
In addition to Nepal, DIPECHO’s Fifth Action Plan applies to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
4
Though the starting and ending dates of some of the DIPECHO partner vary, the duration was originally fixed at 15 months.
5
This conference was held January 18-22, 2005, in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. The 168 governments in attendance adopted a 10-year plan (2005-
2015) to make the world safer from natural hazards by building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters.

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set within an enabling national policy context which emphasises the role of people and their participation in
community preparedness. The government’s Tenth Five-Year Plan6 (1996-2006) and Three-Year Interim
Plan7 (2007-2010) both stress the active role of community people in disaster management. The objectives
of the government’s long-term plans are consistent with DIPECHO’s overall objectives, mission and vision.

Though this study was commissioned by ActionAid Nepal, the contributions of all eight DIPECHO partners
are duly reflected as they have worked cooperatively to achieve the key mandates of HFA.

1.4 Study objectives
The purpose of this study is to take stock of the progress the eight DIPECHO partners in Nepal have made
towards achieving the five priorities of the HFA in Nepal and to contribute to the global report on the
achievement of the HFA. Specifically, the objectives of the study are to:
• Identify the progress made in the implementation of the HFA at the local level,
• Collect evidence of the progress made in achieving Nepal’s NSDRM and the priority actions of the
HFA, and
• Document that progress so that it can be feed into the national-level review of HFA achievements.

1.5 Study methods
Multiple instruments were used to collate primary information from DIPECHO project communities and
districts. Before setting foot in the field, however, the study team first identified the scope of the study and
the keys areas. In order to develop a comprehensive checklist, all the secondary information made available
by all DIPECHO partners was thoroughly reviewed. Then, using the checklist, the team held consultation
meetings with projects stakeholders at the central, district and community levels. At the central level, the
team met with the DIPECHO project team, government officials and key networks members while at the
district level, it met the members of district disaster relief committees (DDRC) and other DRR players. In
all interactions, the goal was to ascertain their overall impression about the key achievements made by
DIPECHO partners in Nepal at the national, district and community levels.

During its field investigation in DIPECHO project areas, the team used participatory tools and techniques to
collect reliable information. To familiarise itself with the key visible achievements which helped reduce
disaster risks, the team conducted transect walks with key knowledgeable people. In addition, it conducted
in-depth informant interviews and focus group discussions to validate the information gathered from various
sources. Holding interaction meetings and mini workshops with local level stakeholders also helped deepen
the team’s understandings of projects achievements. At the field level, separation interaction meetings were
held with each implementing NGO partner in order to listen to their concerns and issues and to cross-
check the reliability of other information collected. The key findings of this report were drawn from all the
sets of information. Many of the key findings are illustrated in the report with small case studies and direct
quotations.

Because there was so little time (just two weeks for field work and more two weeks for writing) to conduct
the study, it was not possible for the study team to visit the project areas of Mission East and the Danish
Red Cross. To compensate for this gap, the secondary information of both organisations was extra
thoroughly analysed and the key evaluation findings they contained have been duly incorporated.

6
Disaster risk reduction (DRR) has become a national priority for sustainable development. The 10th five year plan (2002-2007) underscored
that the main objective of DRR as to contribute substantially to make the public life secure by managing the natural and man-made disaster
systematically and effectively.
7
The 3-year interim plan (2008-2010) also emphasized that DRR is an integral component of sustainable development and accorded priority to
pre-disaster preparedness.

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2. Major findings
In keeping with the international framework for DRR and the HFA, the DIPECHO partners in Nepal
formulated ideas and resources designed to contribute towards the achievement of the five priority actions
and three strategic goals of the HFA. The key findings in terms of the achievements made under each
priority action are discussed below.

2.1 Priority action 1, Governance: Ensure that DRR is a national priority with a strong
institutional basis for implementation

The achievements in governance are discussed in terms of five areas: frameworks and structures, the right
to participation, financial resources, human resources, and schools and health facilities.

2.1.1 Frameworks and structures
Well-organised institutions, groups and committees capable of deciding what to do in the case of a disaster
and how to overcome associated disaster risks exist and are functional in DIPECHO projects area. In fact,
four tiers of institutions have been formed to respond the disaster: (i) a task force at the thematic level; (ii)
disaster management committees8 (DMCs) at the community/VDC level9; (iii) district networks of DMC
(DN-CDMC10) at the district level; and, (iv) a national network of DMC (NN-CDMC11) at the central level.
The former two are engaged mostly at the project implementation level whereas the latter two contribute
mostly to policy advocacy and campaigning.

At the community/hamlet level, disaster task forces12 (or thematic-level sub-committees in the nomenclature
of some DIPECHO partners) have been established to mobilise disaster-affected people based on their
interests and the special skills they can contribute. The goal of DIPECHO is to mobilise task force members
instantly without having them duplicate their roles. The early warning system (EWS) taskforces work
particularly well and trust among the members of communities is growing. Monthly meetings of task forces
provide a good platform to discuss disaster and other social issues collectively, to come up with ideas to
address them, and to review their plans of action as per evolving needs. In this regard, Mr Ramdev Yadav,
Secretary, DN-CDMC Saptari, had this to say:
Previously we all operated individually and did not engage in collective action and efforts. Though we did
have plenty of skills and knowledge to carry out DRR, we only realised recently that we, as a community,
are skilful in DRR because we were so dispersed before and because our actions were almost non-
existent. However, after working with the DIPECHO project, we were surprised to discover that local
actions are a fundamental part of successful DRR. Because we are involved in the various task forces,
our roles are defined; as a result, our actions are prompt. There is a kind of healthy competition among
task force members. I am confident that we will do even better in the future as we are committed to
improving.

Like Ramdev, many opined that DRR taskforces perform well as members are able to translate skills and
knowledge acquired from trainings, orientations, and interactions into practice. The majority of taskforce
members interviewed have a clear understanding of their jobs and duties. Even those who are not taskforce

8
The terminology used by the eight DIPECHO partners varies for disaster committee at community/VDC level: the Danish Red Cross uses ‘DP
Unit’; Mercy Corps, DPC; Oxfam, CDMC; ActionAid, DMC; Practical Action, DRRC; and Care Nepal, VDMC.
9
They are lowest administrative unit of the government of Nepal.
10
Though DN-CDMCs exist in 22 districts, they are still nascent and the processes they will adopt and the guidelines which will govern them have
not yet been finalized.
11
The NN-CDMC was formed in 2008. In order to serve as a multi-stakeholders platform to mainstream DRR in national-level development policy
and action.
12
Task forces include search and rescue, food and water, shelter and non-food items, communication and coordination, EWS, and health and
sanitation.

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members are familiar with the roles and functions of the task forces. However, in some cases, there are
institutional gaps as not all task force coordinators are members of the local DMC. As a result, it is difficult
for the DMC to its plans and programmes and to make sure that task force members carry out their
assigned roles and duties during emergencies. In the project areas of ActionAid and Oxfam, REFLECT13
circles and Strengthening Women To Develop Leadership in Development (SWOLID), which function at a
still more local level, have been formed at the community level. In Sunsari District, musibat bahas kendra
(REFLECT circle) are the major forums for discussion, assessment and action with respect to reducing
disaster risks.

DMCs have been formed at the community and VDC levels to look after disaster-related activities. The
architecture of the DMC is designed in such a way that each is linked with a VDC and with district-level
government structures. In particular, DMCs are involved in the periodic planning processes of both DDCs
and VDCs; as a result, their issues find a place in the resultant plans. DMCs are effective social platforms
which serve a dual function: to steer all taskforces and to coordinate DP and response work. However,
DMCs will not be registered and thus legally bound until the Disaster Management Act is fully enacted by
the Constitutional Assembly. There is a concern that the current level of interest and the quality of DMCs
may decline before then. As their role is seasonal (they are most active during the hazard-prone monsoon
season), it may be difficult to imbue them with the same spirit and institutional strength year-round. Not all
DMCs have fully internalised the idea that they should perform tasks from preparedness to mitigation and
relief to response throughout the year.

DMC members14 focus their discussions on disaster-related Box 3: Four fundamental questions to
issues and vulnerability reduction and hold regular meetings ask in order to ensure social inclusion
to plan, design, and implement action plans. The Danish Red • Which people in the community are most
Cross has provided DMCs with furniture, cupboards, and affected by disasters?
relief and rescue materials in order to promote the • Who will be the most vulnerable people in
establishment of offices, which are generally housed in local the community if a disaster occurs in the
public buildings, schools or local clubs. Because DMCs are near future?
well-informed and their actions well-coordinated their efforts • Who needs more skills, information and
are appreciated by local level stakeholders. DMCs are gender- knowledge related to disaster
and socially-inclusive though to varying degrees: not only do preparedness?
their members come from all ethnic, religious, linguistic, caste • Which people in the community are most
and political groups but they have inculcated the culture of marginalised and excluded from
listening to the voices of the previously voiceless. In the development endeavours?
establishment of a DMC, four fundamental questions (see Box
3) are kept in mind. People are aware that it is essential that women, the elderly, persons with disabilities
and other marginalised groups participate in DP efforts. In many project areas, women had assumed key
leadership positions; in Bhajani, Kailali, for example, there are women bhalmansha15. The role bhalmansha
play in Tharu communities has been strengthened because one key project strategy is to foster local culture
and practices. Mr Hiru Lal Chaudhary, bhalmansha of Thapapur-2, Kailali expressed this opinion about how
DMCs were able to capitalise on the local cultural context:
DMCs act as parental organizations. During the decade-long armed conflict, the socio-cultural values of
Tharu society largely collapsed. With the emergence of DMCs, however, our cultural values have been

13
REFLECT (Regenerated Freirean Literacy through Empowering Community Techniques) is an approach to literacy and social change which fuses
the political philosophy of Paolo Freire with the methodologies of participatory rural appraisal. Reflect centers are located in public places, shelters
or schools where the members of DMCs and task forces as well as other men and women can easily access them.
14
Each DMC is representative of the members of the community from which it is derived. Thus, it includes a variety of people, including teachers,
farmers, nurses, youth club members, women, PwDs, children, the elderly, water and forest user group member, the poor, and the marginalized.
15
The first level warning was to alert the villagers of the incoming flood. Second level warning was for the people to act on the first warning and to
collect important document and dry foods. Third level warning was to get people to safe places in the higher grounds with their family members,
livestock and important belongings.

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restored. The role of the bhalmansha is a much respected one in society. Assigning bhalmasha to serve
as DMC chairpersons maintained social harmony and the accepted protocols of the community. Pleased
by their new, expanded role, the bhalmanshas of 19 communities in Thapapur, Kailal District, federated
so that they can address large disaster events through a socially harmonious relationship. I think DRR
endeavours will never peter out and die as DMCs are connected with to local culture and no one can
break cultural ties.

DMC have full authority to plan, design and implement local-level preparedness and mitigation work, and
their authority extends to the procurement of materials. Through various trainings, they have been
strengthened so that they can act as local-level advocates, mobilise internal resources, and claim their rights
to external resources for DRR activities. Each DMC the study team consulted has a DP and a contingency
plan to respond to disasters. Since VDC secretaries have to approve community/VDC-level plans, there is a
strong link between DMCs and VDC. However, DMCs formed at the community level often find it difficult
to access resources from the VDC. As the majority of VDC secretaries are not locals, they may be tempted
to use VDC resources for purposes other than disaster works. In addition, while DDCs have, as per the
conditions of the NSDRM, circulated a directive to VDCs to from a VDC-level DMC, this directive will not
be legally binding document until a new act is formulated. The DMC of Prata-5, Udayapur District, is an
exception: it has prepared it a stature and is in the process of legally registering at the district administration
office.

The training and materials provided to each DMC helped them serve their intended functions. To illustrate,
they were trained in light search, rescue and evacuation operations and now have the knowledge and skills
they need to search for and rescue missing people after a disaster as well as to evacuate children, the
elderly, persons with disabilities and pregnant women first using rescue and relief materials appropriately.
Each DMC includes volunteers trained in first aid and an emergency kit at the ready. However, because the
seasonal migration of youths and men to India to earn their livelihood is very high in some communities,
targeting training at these groups may simply be a waste of resources. In Doti District, first aid training and
kits are especially beneficial because people have to walk at least three hours (in some instances) to reach
the nearest sub-health post. DMCs have also established local-level protocols. In Bhajani, Kailali District, for
example, children are prohibited from swimming when rivers are in full spate as there is too much risk of
snake bite and of being carried away by the current. DMCs have been instrumental in replacing people’s
previously passive and fatalistic attitude with a “we-can-do” outlook. Mr. Nabanandan Mourya, the DMC
chairperson of Nawajigaun of Banke, highlighted the role of training and life-saving equipment:
DMCs impart skills that we need. We can trust DMCs because their structure is based on the
principles of gender empowerment and social inclusion. DMCs have received various types of life-saving
equipment which helps members translated the knowledge they have acquired into action. Sometimes I
wonder why no agency was able to provide us with such materials in the past, especially as their cost is
very low compared to the benefits they provide. To achieve true empowerment, training alone does not
make an impact. Similarly, the distribution of materials without training is also ineffective. We are
grateful that DIPECHO managed to provide us with both materials and training. With a boat in the
community, a first aid box at the school, and rope and buckets in individual houses, we have been able
to reduce the risks of disasters considerably.

Each DMC sends two representatives, one male and one female, to the DN-CDMC. Each DN-CDMC in
turn is successful in coordinating with district-level stakeholders, sharing resources, and advocating for the
rights of disaster-affected families. The DP Units promoted by the Danish Red Cross have federated with
the existing network16 of the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) and district disaster response teams
(DDRTs) have been established to respond at the district level. These DDRTs are effective. For example,

16
NRCS has 75 district chapters, one in each district, and over 1000 sub-chapters.

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when there was a fire in a VDC in Sarlahi District, the DN-CDMC easily coordinated relief and response; in
the past, however, such an effort—even on a small scale--would have taken several days to months to
implement. Because of the DN-CDMCs, some mitigation measures have received government support.
District soil conservation offices, for instance, have provided gabion boxes and sacks to control erosion and
district forest offices have supplied seedlings and timber. These inputs are only a few of the many examples
of government action.

A 19-member NN-CDMC17 comprised of DN-CDMCs representatives from each development region—
one male, one female to achieve gender balance--has been formed at the central level. Its roles are also
similar to those of the DN-CDMCs but the activities it conducts are done at the central level. Both district
and the national network have prepared protocols18 for resource allocation. They are an effective means of
linking the people to the government structure so that their voices can be heard and also of making
government officials more responsive and accountable to the people. As DMCs themselves are not fully
institutionalised, however, it will be difficult to fully institutionalise the networks which they constitute.

Networks have played a crucial role as pressure groups capable of alerting the national and district disaster
relief committee of the need for mitigation and preparedness. Their continuous policy advocacy saw many
positive developments: the NSDRM was enforced19; the commitment of government officials and constituent
assembly members to enact the proposed Disaster Management Act has been increased; concerned line
ministries and line agencies have appointed disaster focal persons; VDC secretaries in project districts have
been trained in DRR; and disaster risks management stakeholders were jointly engaged in making a DRR
tool kit20. The multi-agency DRR tool kit initiative was facilitated by ActionAid. It was designed to inform
and sensitise Constituent Assembly (CA) members of Nepal so that they would be able and willing to
strengthen the country’s DRR framework. ActionAid, together with other DIPECHO partners, has used
advocacy to create an enabling DRR policy environment. At the central level, DIPECHO partners jointly
organised activities on the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR21) Day, Earthquake Safety
Day22, and World Environment Day in order to sensitise people and stakeholders about the importance of
DRR. About the usefulness of networks, Mr Hanuman Godiya, DMC Treasurer of Gangapur, Banke shared
this opinion:
We are very happy that, two members of our DMC, Namanandan Mourya and Ali Ahamad Mukeri, are
represented in the NN-CDMC. Because they represent our area, they have shared our concerns and
issues to policymakers and high-level governmental officials. Our voices are now loud enough to reach
the level of policymakers and project designers. Networks enabled us to get many resources for both
community development and risk reduction initiatives.

Because they understand the crucial role local plans play in responding to disaster, DIPECHO partners
facilitated the preparation of community-based disaster risk management (DRM) plans at the VDC and
municipality levels. ActionAid also strengthened the National Platform Strategy in close partnership with the
MoHA. The social structures to make great strides in achieving DRR are in place. Whether or not the

17
AINTGDM (Oxfam, ActionAid, World Vision, UMN, LWF) initiated this mission at the national level with the support of other DIPECHO partners
and DRR stakeholders. The NN-CDMC has organised and represented disaster-affected people from 22 flood and landslide affected districts
representing all over the country. It ensures that their voices are heard by all stakeholders and policy makers at the national level.
18
DN-CDMCs have begun to collect data on the existing DMCs with support from Oxfam, ActionAid, Lutheran, CIDA, the Centre for Disaster
Management (CDM), and the Koshi Victims Society, as well as from DDCs. They collect Rs. 250 from each DMC as a membership fee. Of the total,
50% goes to the VDC-level network, 30% to the DN-CDMC, and 20% to the NN-CDMC.
19
UNDP DIPECHO provided technical support to develop the NSDRM along with other DRR stakeholders.
20
A DDR tool kit, or information package, was developed for the DRR stakeholders in Nepal with the joint input of 16 organisations and networks,
including INGOs, the United Nations, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and NGOs. Initially, just one thousand copies were prepared for CA members;
later, they were widely distributed.
21
In October 2009, the DIPECHO partners provided the NN-CDMC with the support it needed to mark the UN’s ISDR Day.
22
The DIPECHO partners provided support to the National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET) to organise Earthquake Safety Day in
Kathmandu. The activities included raising awareness about the risk of earthquakes in Nepal and advocating for the government and other
stakeholders to adopt measures to mitigate and prepare for this risk.

18 | P a g e

innovations thus far implemented will be sustainable or not will now depend on the functionality of the
institutions in the long run.

2.1.2 Right to participation
After conducting a thorough analysis of the level of understanding of disaster-affected people and DMC
members, the study team concluded that people are aware of their fundamental rights and of the legal
obligation of government to provide them with protection from disaster risks. In a series of interactions and
capacity-building initiatives, DIPECHO partners shared with people the basic norms and standards of the
relief and response system laid out in the Natural Calamity Relief Act (NCRA) of 1982. Mr. Khalil Mansuri,
the DMC chairperson of Inarwara-6, Khikharipatti, Sunsari, said this about the response norms:
Before the DIPECHO projects, we had a very limited idea about our fundamental rights and the
response package we are entitled to. We believed that relief materials were provided merely out of
compassion on the part of the organisations involved. Now, because of information shared, we know
that the government must provide Rs. 25,000 to the family of every person who dies. Injured persons
are entitled to treatment and to a transportation allowance to return home. Seriously injured people
should be airlifted to a well-equipped hospital. Those whose houses are destroyed are entitled to Rs.
10,000. If a disaster threatens or if a house is temporarily unsafe to live in, then up to Rs. 5000 shall
be provided to arrange for temporary accommodations. We found out about such things because the
projects emphasise people’s right of participation.

It must be acknowledged, however, that not all people are as aware about response norms as Khalil is. The
right of participation of the deprived and marginalised sections of the society was reinforced by the advocacy
of DMCs, task forces and networks. ActionAid, Oxfam and Handicap International employ a rights-based
approach to their development, humanitarian and advocacy works which ensures the right of participation
to disaster- affected people focusing inclusive DRR.

While in the past, people assumed that the right to participate was an act of mercy bestowed upon them,
now they understand that it is a right they are entitled to and have begun to advocate that duty bearers fulfil
their rights. A series of interactions and advocacy initiatives have enabled them to learn-- in varying degrees-
-about multi-sectoral policies, plans, rules, regulations, and disaster legislation. Community mobilisation in
DRR ensures that both communities and volunteers will participate actively. This participatory approach is
just one of many ways that has helped secure people’s right to participate. Participation has made a valuable
contribution to community efforts in reducing vulnerability and ensuring human security by demonstrating to
all that all are entitled to secure their fundamental rights through legal and policy instruments as well as
cultural codes. Sometimes harmony among people and organisations collapses and it is not possible for
people to secure their rights, but since the basic norms of a value-based approach are in place, people’s
rights are not violated if the environment is harmonious.

By adopting a gender- and socially-inclusive approach, one that 'puts the last first', DIPECHO partners have
ensured that everyone has the right to participate in planning for and implementing DRR. Even persons with
disabilities and the elderly, traditionally among the most neglected groups, are given due and equal
importance in the DRR process. The success of sensitising individuals with disabilities and their neighbours
about their rights and duties with respect to participation in DRR interventions has been enhanced by the
distribution of assistive devices (through the support of Handicap International) that enable persons with
disabilities to participate. Initiatives by the DIPECHO partners, such as including systematically a person with
disability into the DMCs and other DRR related committees and facilitating their acceptance, recognition
and active participation have enabled to give a practical application of the right to participate.

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2.1.3 Financial resources
DIPECHO project communities have accessed financial and material resources from local government
bodies in order to reduce the impact of disasters and to recover from disasters. Local people have helped to
raise financial resources by establishing emergency funds, collecting grains, making cash collection through
monthly saving and credit programmes, and carrying out “fistful of rice” campaigns in which contributions in
kind are collected.

The communities in all DIPECHO project area have established emergency funds. In ActionAid’s project
area, 19 DMCs have raised more than NRs 555,000. They have also prepared guidelines for the best use of
emergency funds to carry out actions which they themselves have prioritised clearly. In Myagdi District, the
communities of Aula and Torakhet raised NRs 147,000 and NRs 48,000 respectively in just one year. In
most areas, funds are collected monthly as part of a savings scheme. Recognising the relevance of emergency
funds, the DDRC chairperson (Chief District Officer) in Myagdi has proposed that all district-level
stakeholders establish a similar sort of fund for mobilisation in line with local needs. Some DIPECHO
partners have given each DMC a seed grant varying in amount from NRs 5000 (Danish Red Cross) to NRs
50,000 (ActionAid) to encourage members to add to the revolving fund.

Some DMC members collect grains after every harvest. When the bins are full, they sell the grain and
deposit the proceeds in their emergency fund. During emergencies, “fast foods” such as beaten rice, salt,
biscuits, noodles and sugar were procured using the emergency fund so that there would be no delay in
providing relief. DMCs do not give out cash except in the case medical treatment is required. This
restriction ensures that resources are not misused. Mr Khum Bahadur Khadka, Bhajani-1 Rajwara, Kailali
opinion about grain collection is typical:
With small contributions, we have been successful in exploiting financial resources at the local level. We
simply systematise the use of things that we already have. We have passed a rule that after each
harvest, each family has to raise 1 paseri (2.5 kg) paddy. Because this amount is very small, every family
can afford to contribute, yet if all the contributions are added, the volume is quite large. This year, when
some houses in Kushumghat of Kailali burnt down, we immediately provided them with grain from the
emergency fund. In Lalbhoji, Kailali District, schools also established emergency funds, raising NRs 5
from each student so that the schools could be equipped with first aid kits. The value of a first aid kit to
a school is well worth the NRs 5 per month students pay. What is really important is how to use
collective action to make things easier. Until a few years ago, we used to spend NRs 2500 to get
materials worth NRs 250 from Dhangadhi (District headquarters of Kailali District). The most
important thing we have learned is that VDC officials are our friends, not our enemies. We are quite
happy that VDCs have contributed a lot in terms of implementing small-scale mitigation initiatives and
providing money for our emergency funds.

Besides monthly savings programmes and “fistful of rice”, DIPECHO relied on community contributions,
volunteer labour, and youth mobilisation in order to raise materials resources.

In some areas, emergency funds are channelled into entrepreneurial and household uses using a savings-and-
credit or other modality23. Although money is used in non-humanitarian sectors, a minimum amount is
always maintained in the balance in order to ensure that sufficient money is available for any emergency that
arises. Some communities have given the needy loans from their emergency funds. However, as not all the
vulnerable households of any given community are involved in raising cash through saving schemes, it is often
difficult to maintain a balance between savers and non-savers, and sometimes this disparity forms the seed of
disputes.

23
In Doti District, for example, NRs 11,000 was collected for an emergency fund through the efforts of two cooperatives which were established
with financial assistance from the Lutheran World Foundation for some 5-7 years back.

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DMCs are able to leverage resources from local and district governments for DRR. In some instances, the
advocacy of DMCs has had very positive results: VDCs allocate budget explicitly to serve as emergency
funds. Kamdi VDC in Banke District has the impressive allocation--NRs.350,000—while Narshingh VDC of
Sunsari allocated NRs. 30,000 and Matehiya and Gangapur VDCs of Banke District have allocated NRs.
19,000 each. In Kailali District, the VDCs of Narayanpur and Dhansingpur have allocated about one-third of
their total budgets (roughly eight to nine hundred thousand rupees) for DRR activities, particularly small-
scale mitigation works. Even where money has not been allocated, government and other stakeholders are
informed about and support the endeavours of DMCs. The Home Affairs and Local Development ministries
work together with DIPECHO partners, DDCs and the Department of Water-Induced Disaster Prevention
together made bio-dykes to protect river banks, and VDCs allocated resources to execute VDC-level
contingency plans. Because DIPECHO projects are transparent, district governments are very willing to
provide co- or parallel funding for low-cost mitigation work. The Kamdi DMC of Banke District was even
able to get resources from the contractors who sell sand, stone and boulders from the river bank abutting
their community. However, they spent these resources more on mitigation and response work than on
preparedness initiatives.

In cases where projects clusters are found only in a limited number of wards within a VDC, however, it is
often difficult to channel VDC's funds to DRR activities. Another problem is that project wards are
marginalised in terms of getting other community development work implemented because VDCs believe
that the 'big project', meaning DIPECHO, will look after their emerging needs. Learning reflected that it is
better to include an entire VDC within any given project area to ensure that VDC resources will be
mobilised and that initiatives will be sustainable.

2.1.4 Human resources
DIPECHO project communities have far more trained human resources than non-DIPECHO project areas.
Representatives of each project community are provided with training in how to reduce risks and how to
respond to disaster. In fact, realising the important role that trained human resources can play in DRR and
immediate disaster response initiatives, all DIPECHO partners have made capacity building a key component
of their efforts. Teachers; media personnel; the members of DMCs, task forces, child and youth clubs, and
women’s groups; volunteers; local NGO staff; and people in the private sector were among those involved
in capacity-building initiatives. Trainings and orientations have been designed so that the strengths, capacities,
and resources available in communities and institutions can be effectively mobilised to reduce disaster risks.
Capacity building aims to strengthen community cohesion and social bonds, increase people’s ability to make
informed choices regarding their wellbeing, and enhance self-confidence through involvement in decision-
making processes among other goals. Most of the trainings used a cascade model, in which DMC members,
teachers and students are trained to serve as lead trainers and local resource persons who can later share
their knowledge with their peers and other people. The emphasis is on translating the knowledge acquired
into action. Learning from the Mid-and Far-West development regions demonstrate that it is wise to include
women and children in capacity-building initiatives because many men migrate to India and are absent from
the village during the peak emergency period in the monsoon24.

The process of developing trained human resources began with assessing the knowledge, attitudes and
practices of communities with respect to DP and DRR using a baseline study. Based on Participatory
Vulnerability Analysis (PVA) and Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) tools, hazards and
vulnerability were mapped; such assessment tools were able to gauge the existing level of information, skills
and knowledge and identify the gaps that needed to be filled in order to carry out DRR successfully and to
design an appropriate curriculum. Capacity-building initiatives focused on arming people with the skills and

24
Once paddy is transplanted in mid or late July, men migrate to India only to return at harvest time in November. Some, however, stay the entire
year and return only in July to support paddy transplantation. Migrants are not at home during August and September, which are the most flood-
prone months.

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knowledge they need in order to increase their resilience and be able to withstand even large disasters.
They also enhanced the skills of both individuals and communities as a whole so that people take
responsibility for mitigating disaster risks, rather than expecting and waiting for external support. In other
words, capacity building emphasises what communities themselves can do rather than on what they would
like others to do for them.

Under the capacity-building component, DIPECHO partners facilitated a range of trainings at different levels,
including refresher trainings. Some of these trainings and their outcomes are presented in Box 4.

Box 4: Some of important trainings and their outcome
• Community-based DRR trainings increased knowledge about DRR and heightened awareness about hazards
and risk reduction strategies.
• Trainings in and simulations of light search and rescue developed people’s skills in searching for and rescuing
missing people.
• Emergency response trainings improved the skills needed to manage emergency responses using local
resources.
• Trainings in basic first aid accompanied by the provision of kits enabled people to provide immediate
medical attention before transporting the injured to health posts or hospitals for further treatment if needed.
• Health and hygiene trainings helped teach vulnerable populations how to stay healthy during and after
disasters.
• Leadership and community mobilisation trainings have improved people's confidence to deal with disaster
events.
• Gender and social inclusion trainings have ensured that DMCs, task forces and networks are socially
inclusive and have developed a culture of listening to the voice of those who used to be voiceless.
• Nursery management and bio-dyke trainings have enhanced using indigenous knowledge and skills in using
locally available materials and resources for riverbank protection.
• Community-based EWS trainings have reduced the vulnerability of flood-prone communities by developing a
communication that enables people to prepare in advance.
• Inclusive DRR trainings have updated recent innovations in DRR, in particular, introducing a disability
legislative framework and facilitating techniques to ensure the meaningful participation of persons with
di bili i
Overall, capacity-building initiatives are highly instrumental (see box 5) in preparing communities and schools

Box 5: New initiative in capacity building
ActionAid has successfully used national-level policy advocacy to build capacity. With other civil society
organisations, it has mobilised national-level stakeholders by organising a series of awareness campaigns, rallies,
and mass demonstrations and by raising DRR and climate adaptation issues at different forums for debate. In
particular, it worked with concerned ministers and CA members to advocate that they adopt a strong DRR policy
framework. The DRR Tool Kit and Sensitisation Workshop it held for CA members were milestone in the area of
policy advocacy for DRR: CA members are now committed to passing the Disaster Management Bill. More than
100 of the 400 CA members and political leaders approached participated in the orientation on DRR issues, the
first such interaction with elected representatives in the country. Regional administrators, chief district officers, and
local development officers were also oriented to DRR and DP in three of Nepal’s five regions: the Far-West, Mid-
West, and Eastern regions. A total of 216 participants attended these orientation workshops and more than 123
VDC secretaries of the three flood-prone districts of Sunsari, Udaypur and Banke were trained in DRR planning
process. VDC secretaries were also trained in mainstreaming DRR into development by DIPECHO partner
Practical Action.
to participate voluntarily in DDR and to build institutional capacity to carry out DRR. They also increase
people’s understanding of the problems they face and help to recommend suitable actions that will serve as

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steps forward in a continual process of empowerment. Training programmes are short—just three to five
days--so that people can easily spare the time to participate. Training guidelines have been distributed to
serve as reference materials in the future and basic equipment has been distributed so that people can put
the skills and knowledge they acquire into action. By conducting refresher trainings, DIPECHO partners
have further sharpened people’s skills and knowledge.

2.1.5 Schools and health facilities
So that they will be able to provide prompt services, schools and hospitals established committees to plan
and carry out disaster prevention measures as well as to prepare for responding to disasters. For the most
part, these committees function well.

It was easy to carry out DRR-related activities at schools and in their vicinity because each school in
DIPECHO project areas has a school-level DMC which has formulated a DP and contingency plan focusing
on a range of activities, including mitigation activities. Students, teachers and school management committee
(SMC) members have not only increased their skills and knowledge by participating in trainings in DP, light
search and rescue, and first aid but have also taken action. For example, they pruned or cut down tall trees
within school grounds, built compound walls to keep livestock out, and levelled school compounds to
reduce accidents. Many schools built railings on stairs and around verandas. Other initiatives included
plantation and protection work, like the construction of spurs and bio-dykes, in order to control soil
erosion. Under the leadership of child clubs and school DMCs and with the support of community-level
DMCs, small wooden river crossings were built to facilitate the movement of children to and from school
during the monsoon season.

DMCs were also formed at the sub-health post level. Local health personnel are included in community first
aid task forces so that they will assume responsibility for providing health services during disasters.
DIPECHO also arranged to re-supply first aid kits after medicines and other materials ran out. Ms Sunita
Chaudhary, DMC Member, Rampura, Nawalparasi praised the mobilisation of health personnel under
DIPECHO projects:
Health post personnel have made a significant contribution to raising awareness about why drinking
water needs to be purified and how to avoid the emergence of water-borne epidemic during and after
floods. We benefited a lot from the many awareness-raising campaigns. Even simple steps for making
clean drinking water available deserve commendation. As inundation often continues for day, the
aftermath of flooding has a big impact on us: the incidence of water-borne diseases increase and many
large livestock die. After we addressed drinking water, our next initiative was how to destroy dead
livestock timely and appropriately. Because of simple initiatives, floods are not as devastating as they
used to be.

2.2 Priority action 2: Risk assessment: Identify, assess and monitor disaster risks and enhance
early warning

The achievements in risk assessment are discussed in terms of two areas: disaster risks assessment and early
warning system.

2.2.1 Disaster risk assessments
DIPECHO partners initially held meetings with representatives of all segments of the community, including
women and vulnerable groups, in order to assess the existing disaster risks. Since then, periodic community-
level meetings of task forces and DMCs have been held to assess developments in mitigating disaster risks.

DIPECHO partners used participatory approaches like PVA, VCA and Hazard, Vulnerability and Capacity
Assessment (HVCA) to identify potential hazards and the vulnerabilities and capacities of communities and

23 | P a g e

to plan for specific adaptation and risk reduction measures. Participation not only helped individuals,
households and communities to recognise their weaknesses and capacities in terms of addressing the
impacts of hazards but also prepared them to reduce their vulnerabilities through local-level efforts. Ms
Rekha Nepali, SMC member of Rastriya Lower Secondary School, Dhansinghpur of Kailali lauded the
benefits of these participatory tools and techniques:
In the past we did not know how to respond to disasters in order to reduce their impacts. We did not
even know how to initiate the process of disaster response. We learned about the importance of disaster
risk assessment for the very first time when DIPECHO started its projects. At informal meetings and
discussions, we prepared many mappings (I’ve forgotten their names) which clearly identified disaster-
prone areas, settlements, existing infrastructures and institutions, disaster-sensitive months, what to do
and what not to do, and other topics. We also explored what basic works we can carry out to reduce
our vulnerability to disaster and allocated roles and responsibilities for coping with disaster.

During a disaster risks assessment, information is collected, collated and analysed. The particular tasks
undertaken include the following.
• Prepare hazard, risk, and vulnerability maps and share them with relevant stakeholders to assess
their reliability and validity
• Correct and update those maps and share them with relevant stakeholders and duty bearers and
communities so that natural and related hazards, vulnerabilities and disaster impacts can be
forecasted
• Identify the most-at-risk-populations and places of society, emerging risks and their nature
• Prioritise risks
• Analyse25 the information derived from these process
• Prepare both short- and long-term community-based DRM plans taking into account capacity, the
extent of the problems identified, and their impacts—all information derived from the participatory
exercises
• Develop community-agreed indicators of disaster risk and vulnerability for use in periodic
monitoring of progress as part of a self-evaluation process
• Follow up on disaster-stricken areas regularly in order to enhance preparedness activities
• Assess the impact of projects using pre- and post-project evaluations of knowledge, attitude and
practice.
• Mercy Corps carried out a DMC Capacity Index study as part of impact assessment.

Participatory assessment at the community level has some flaws. Because people do not have adequate
technical knowledge about the geology of the hills or the geo-hydrology of the rivers in the Tarai, it is often
difficult to assess the level of risk and hazards with precision. As a result, the design of structural mitigation
works is often poor and, as a result, so is their performance. Despite this problem, communities have, in
fact, used participatory disaster risk assessments to identify disaster risks and develop community-based
disaster risks management plans (under whatever name the different DIPECHO partners gave them). They
were then able to use those plans to influence policy and to raise awareness about changing behaviours in
order to create safer societies.

Considering the nature of different hazards, DIPECHO partners carried out different approaches. As part of
disaster risks assessment, Care Nepal carried out action research on landslides in Doti District and assessed
the causes, effects and appropriate community-level solutions for landslide hazards. Its assessment was
instrumental in designing appropriate actions for responding to the landslides. In Humla District, Mission
East carried out a comparative risk assessment to help mountain communities respond to disaster risks.

25
The analysis comprised four steps: (i) situation analysis of community vulnerability, (ii) analysis of the causes and effects of that vulnerability, (iii)
analysis of community action (existing coping mechanisms), and (iv) drawing up a community action plan based on that analysis.

24 | P a g e

Practical Action developed, published and disseminated a community-based DRM planning guideline based
on comprehensive disaster risks assessment. Mercy Corps carried out a cost-benefits analysis based on its
disaster risk assessment and educated people about the reasons for investing in mitigating flood-induced
disasters. All these initiatives have helped increase the people's understanding about disaster risks and how
to cope with them, but whether or not they will be continued will depend on how well DMCs and their
networks function.

2.2.2 Early warning systems

DIPECHO project communities have developed EWS to raise awareness about potential risks. For
generations, people living in the rural areas of Nepal have drawn upon indigenous knowledge systems to
forecast floods. The EWS adopted enhanced and built upon the strengths of those systems. Some of the
forecasting systems that people rely on are described briefly in Box 6:

Box 6: Some of the forecasting systems that people rely on
• Clouds: Stationary black clouds in the east suggest there will be heavy rain within the hour. If clouds turn
yellow at the time of sunset, then there is a possibility of rain at night.
• Rainfall: If there is heavy rainfall in the upper catchment and the Churia Hills, then the possibility of
flooding increases.
• Mobility of ants: If a heavy rainfall is imminent, a colony of ants living in the earth will take their eggs and
climb trees or the walls of houses, seeking safer place.
• Abnormal fly bites: If flies do not bite in the ordinary way, there is a possibility of a heavy rain.
• Abnormal crying of animals, birds and insects: Abnormally loud or long cries by frogs, jackals, swans,
and cicada suggest that there will be a heavy rainfall. The abnormal howling of jackals at night is considered
a bad omen.
• Storms: If thunderstorms come from the southeast or if wind blows from east to west, there is a possibility of
a heavy rain. If the wind suddenly stops blowing in the evening, there may be a cloudburst
• Stars: If the stars twinkle differently, people predict a heavy rain.
• Heat: If, all of a sudden, the temperature suddenly rises, people expect a heavy rainfall.
• Rivers: The strange sounds of torrents, a muddy smell, water bubbles on the surface, and rising water levels
are all sign of an imminent flood.

In the Tharu communities of Kailali District, efforts in DRR build on the existing cultural milieu and value
system: aghariya26 assumed the responsibility for monitoring floods as assigned by bhalmasha27. In Dhungana
settlement of Thapapur VDC, a tower constructed by the Dolphin Conservation Centre is used to monitor
flooding, as are wooden posts and elevated machan28.

Indigenous EWS have been modified and re-introduced in order to build the capacity of disaster-affected
people. DIPECHO partners, particularly Practical Action, ActionAid and Mercy Corps, have established
community-based EWS to address flood hazards in vulnerable communities and to build community-wide
awareness and response capacity in flood-prone areas. These EWS put people, not just technology, at their
centre. To popularise the concept of community-based EWS two slogans--“purbasuchana: sabai ka lagi sabai
marphat (“early warning for all from all”) and “purbasuchana ko bistar: jokhim nyunikaran ko aadhar” (“the
promotion of early warning: the basis for reducing risk”)—were introduced through FM radio and produce
IEC materials.

26
An agharia is an assistant to a bhalmasha who circulates messages to local people as instructed by that bhalmasha.
27
The first level warning was to alert the villagers of the incoming flood. Second level warning was for the people to act on the first warning and
to collect important document and dry foods. Third level warning was to get people to safe places in the higher grounds with their family
members, livestock and important belongings.
28
A raised tower made up of wood or bamboo and used to look out for marauding elephants. It is now also used for flood monitoring.

25 | P a g e

River gauge readers in upstream communities notified the coordinators of the EWS task force when rivers
approached flood levels. The coordinators then verified the situation by observing downstream gauge
meters themselves and informed the community by using large loudspeakers and hand mikes so that they
would have sufficient warning time to be well prepared. Mr Dil Bahadur Chaudhary, the coordinator of the
community FM Radio in Tikapur, Kailali, said that Tikapur’s community-based EWS was very effective:
The project provided ropes, sticks and torches to promoter individual safety and prepare us to evacuate
to shelters safely. Persons with disabilities, pregnant women, children, and the elderly in particular are
prepared to face disasters; their resilience has increased significantly. The most important aspect of
EWS is that it has given us more time to prepare by informing us in advance. For example, to move
from Chisapani to Narayanpur, flood waters take five-and-a-half hours; this time is enough to gather
important belongings towards safer places or shelters. In the past, such facilities did not exist.

Though the installation of gauges is akin to engineering work, DIPECHO projects made sure to simplify their
use so that communities learned how to measure average water levels and to determine higher, 'warning'
levels. In addition to flood and rain gauges, local-level flood observation posts marking high, medium, and
low flow with different colours (red, yellow and green respectively29 to mark no danger, caution and danger
requiring evacuation) were installed as they are easy to interpret and readily alert communities. The levels
were based on the last ten years of experience of the local people, both those up and downstream, at
interactive meetings. However, it is possible that the bed levels of the rivers might have changed significantly
and that the flood levels observed in the past no longer accurately represents the present time and that they
will not do for the future. Since annual sedimentation rates in Nepal are very high, it would be best to verify
the flood-level markings after determining the rise in river bed levels due to sedimentation. In Oxfam
DIPECHO programme areas, a system of colour-coded flags is used to notify the hearing impaired. Handicap
International also has designed a people-centred EWS which includes all members of the community,
especially those who are most vulnerable and most-at-risk of not acknowledging the warning. In doing so, it
got all segments of the population, including persons with disabilities, to participate and set up community-
based communication networks.

When water levels rise to dangerous levels, people are alerted through hand mikes, sirens, and telephones30;
the entire community gets the message. Where there are no sirens or hand mikes, traditional musical
instruments like the percussive dhol31 and madal32 are used to inform people. In this way, local people are
informed about the possibility of heavy flooding. In addition, the project mobilised local FM stations to
disseminate emergency news, weather-related bulletins, and DRR-related jingles in local dialects.

Life-saving equipment, including first aid kits, life jackets, boats, ropes, tubes, torch lights and stretchers have
been provided to each EWS task force so that they can also carry out rescues. The equipment is in very
good condition and has been put to use well. Many task forces have prepared protocols prescribing the best
use of the equipment. Since a blanket approach was used in the distribution of materials some EWS task
forces have ended up with equipment they rarely use, like life jackets and tubes among hill groups.

The approach to alerting communities to landslide in the hills is different. The Danish Red Cross, along with
community people, developed the following indicators for landslide-based EWS which they use to determine
when to adopt precautionary measures:

30
The telephone numbers of various actors at early information flow and flood measurement stations were pasted in public places for easy access by
all community members. Local people have now started to communicate river-level readings obtained from gauge reader to downstream community
members via telephone. Handy calendars with details about essential phone numbers are provided to locals.
31
These are local instrument used during festivals and religious functions.

26 | P a g e

• Tilting or cracking of concrete floors and foundations
• Soil moving away from foundations
• Leaning telephone and electricity poles, trees, retaining walls or fences
• Crooked fences or distorted retaining walls
• New cracks or unusual bulges in the ground or in street pavement
• Sticking doors and windows and visible open spaces indicating jambs and frames out of plumb

Working with the mountain communities in Humla District, Mission East developed a set of simple
indicators33 to assess the probability of landslides: it stretched a rope between a stable point and the
potentially unstable slope that will break if the land starts to move and thus alert the population. In its
experiences three indicators can help measure landslide risk: slope, vegetation and the quantity and intensity
of rainfall. It devised a simple toolkit for communities to understand the causes of landslide, measure the risk
using the given indicators, and to be alert if the risk becomes high. The solution is an affordable one which
has significant numbers of households, human lives and livestock. Ms Padma Devi Deudi, Khirsene-6, Deudi
Goan of Doti said:
In the long term, we should promote an integrated watershed management approach which entails gully
control, terrace improvement, and the preparation of bhalkulo, or diversionary water runoff channels in
strategic locations. We are happy that we got support in making bhalkulo though it was very small scale.
I think the plantation of medicinal plants, hay, forage, grass, fodder, and bamboo; the control of grazing,
and the construction of check dams, spurs, and brushwood dams in strategic locations are good
immediate steps. The project opened our eyes to what to works and how to carry out coordinated
efforts for making things different.

The benefits of comprehensive landslide treatment systems are multifaceted. First, the frequency and the
extent of landslides have decreased so much that people are more confident about staying in their native
villages and once again engaging in different agricultural practices. Second, they have realised that gabion
boxes are not enough to control landslides and that bio-engineering is also crucial. Third, the fear and
trauma associated with the monsoon have been declined. Fourth, the conservation of landslide areas has
helped to meet local demands for firewood and timber.

In collaboration with Practical Action, Mercy Corps Nepal helped Kailali District prepare a district-level
EWS guideline, which has since been approved by its DDRC, and organised a national EWS strategic
workshop to sensitise stakeholders. The modality of the flood-focused community-based EWS developed by
Practical Action, ActionAid and Mercy Corps was replicated by other DIPECHO partners. Practical Action
extended and scaled up EWS in districts other than Banke, Bardiya, Nawalparasi and Chitwan, its base, and
provided support to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DoHM) and other stakeholders to
establish EWS in Koshi River System and Kailali district. Mercy Corps worked with the DoHM to pilot a
low-tech flash flood forecasting model suitable for short river systems like those found in Kailali.
Community-based EWS helped reduce economic losses by allowing people to better protect their assets
and livelihood in advance. To promote their sustainability, EWS has been integrated with local-level
contingency plans and partnerships among EWS task forces, DMCs, and VDCs have been established in
order to institutionalise the process. Community-based EWS function well and have created great interest
among disaster-affected people. As ESW are very simple, it is highly likely they will continue to operate even
after external support is withdrawn.

33
The type and angle of a hill slope have a great influence on landslides. Landslides rarely occur on slopes less than 25°; the large majority of
landslides occur on slopes with gradients ranging from 30° to 50°. The presence or absence of dense vegetation also determines the likelihood of a
landslide.

27 | P a g e

Dipecho nepal contribution2 hfa final report nov 30 _2_

Dipecho nepal contribution2 hfa final report nov 30 _2_

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