dipecho iv project summary

Nepal DIPECHO PROJECTS IN NEPAL

Prepared by: Indira KULENOVIC, DIPECHO TA South Asia – 29/02/2008

ECHO Partner:

ECHO/DIP/BUD/2007/04014 Implementation Time‐frame: 1st Nov 2007 ‐ 31st Jan 2009 (15 months)

Budget € 397,500 Location 14 administrative wards in 5 districts (Makawanpur, Sarlahi, Rupandehi, Udayapur and

Sunsari), 12 urban and 2 rural wards Beneficiaries 135,000 beneficiaries

Title Surakshit Samudaya: Building Safe Community through Disaster Management Objective To enable communities towards disaster management through awareness, empowerment and

enhanced capacity of accountable stakeholders Project Overview The ActionAid‐DIPECHO project IV aims at building safer communities in the project areas by applying disaster preparedness measures in collaboration with government and other key stakeholders. Capacity Building, information dissemination, networking and linkages are the primary thrust areas, while building small scale mitigation measures will demonstrate the need for such safety measures.

The DIPECHO IV project is building on the experiences assimilated from DIPECHO III, expanding the project coverage and venturing into addressing URBAN vulnerabilities. Of the 14 project locations, 12 are urban and 2 are rural. In addition, refresher activities on training and capacity building have been included for 8 project locations covered by the DIPECHO III project. The project is being implemented by five local partners of ActionAid Nepal, with ActionAid providing overall guidance as well as technical, managerial and monitoring support to the partners. ActionAid is also working closely with other DIPECHO partners in the country, so as to ensure cross learning, resource optimisation and collective advocacy.

Expected Results 1. Raised awareness and enhanced capacity of communities and stakeholders to cope with disasters: 14 Disaster

Management Committees in 14 project areas functional, and demonstrate leadership by understanding vulnerability and applying preparedness measures; DMC members, volunteers are trained in preparedness and life skills; target communities are informed on their vulnerabilities and need for preparedness resulting household level initiatives.

2. Established functional network of disaster preparedness committees and stakeholders: DMCs are linked at ward, municipal and district levels with government and other stakeholders, creating a advocacy platform to ensure rights are protected and lives are secured during disaster situations

3. Ensure protected sites through small scale mitigation for disaster preparedness: One emergency shelter, two retrofitted schools and urban safe exits during disasters demonstrate key mitigation measures to the people as well as other stakeholders and government

4. Increased access to locally available resources through accountable and responsible stakeholders: People are able to mobilise local and government resources and undertake disaster preparedness and response initiatives through a participatory, transparent process.



ECHO Partner:

ECHO/DIP/BUD/2007/04024 Implementation Time‐frame: 1st Dec 2007 – 28th Feb 2009 (15 months)

Budget € 251,676 Location Kanchanpur, Dang, Baglung, Gorka, Palpa, Nawalparasi, Sarlahi and Morang districts Beneficiaries 8,000 beneficiaries

Title Mainstreaming disability and people with disabilities into disaster management in Nepal

Objective The capacity of Handicap International’s (HI) DIPECHO partners and other Disaster Management (DM) focused organisations to mainstream disability into DM is enhanced, alongside the capacity of HI’s local partners to integrate DM into programmes for People with Disabilities (PwDs) in Nepal.

Project Overview DIPECHO Project was designed to strengthen the capacity of key stakeholders to mainstream disability into their long‐term disaster management strategies and to build capacity of appropriate local partner NGOs to mainstream disaster management into their current programmes.

Project’s focused on both awareness‐raising and capacity‐building of DIPECHO partners and other disaster management focused organisations by providing sensitisation and training to enable them to improve both design and implementation of disaster management projects by mainstreaming disability into the design. For local partner NGOs the training on disaster management will add value to their existing work with and for people with disabilities.

Advocacy and awareness‐raising components of the project aimed to sensitise key stakeholders to the importance of inclusion in disaster management – helping policy and decision makers in Nepal and the South Asia region to gain an insight into a complex and highly important social issue.

Capacity‐building components will capitalise on the increased awareness to equip key Nepali actors with some vital software and hardware tools enable them to facilitate positive changes in the communities in which they are working. These tools will be designed to enable the mainstreaming of people with disabilities into disaster management programmes by facilitating access to services.

Expected Results 1. Increased awareness on DM and disability issues among HI’s DIPECHO partners, local partners and other DM focused

organisations through sensitisation and development of appropriate informational materials.

2. HI’s DIPECHO partners, local partners, and other DM focused organisations are trained and have the resources needed to mainstream DM and disability into their respective programmes

3. Increased capacity of DIPECHO partners and HI’s local partner NGOs to replicate model inclusive and accessible DM infrastructure

4. Enhanced co‐ordination and knowledge sharing among DIPECHO partners



ECHO Partner:

ECHO/DIP/BUD/2007/040001 Implementation Time‐frame: 1st Sept. 2007 – 30th Nov. 2008 (15 months)

Budget € 333,240 Location Bardia (Gulariya and Mahamadpur) and Banke (Holiya, Betahani and Phatapur) Districts

of western Nepal Beneficiaries 29,967 direct. 57,250 including indirect beneficiaries. 596,553 including beneficiaries of

district‐wide mass media awareness activities.

Title Banke Bardia Flood Warning Programme Objective To strengthen the capacity of vulnerable flood prone communities in Banke and Bardia

to understand, mitigate and respond to risk, and benefit from EWS. Project Overview: Banke and Bardia are Terai (plain) districts regularly hit by floods, with these floods increasingly occurring on an annual basis. Emphasis is currently given, by NGOs and government authorities alike, to relief activities with few preparatory or mitigation initiatives undertaken to date. During the floods target communities have to evacuate en masse to safer locations, often several kilometres away, with the lack of any pre‐warning resulting in wide‐scale loss of livelihood assets and property. This project aims to combine a programme of integrated flood preparedness (structural interventions, training, awareness raising, etc) with two river basin‐wide early warning systems to ensure that communities have greater control over their lives. The programme will link communities, media, district authorities, emergency services and Department of hydrology & meteorology staff for the first time in an integrated system at the heart of which will be the communities themselves.

Expected Results: 1. Increased access by communities to flood warning/risk information (provided through official governmental

channels, media, internally developed sources, and community to community networking), the impact being greater local level empowerment, decision making ability and shift away from reliance on external assistance.

2. Increased early warning system (EWS) awareness, coverage and operation within integrated community level disaster management (DM) plans, the impact being decreases in annual flood loss, increased community skills development and a proactive approach towards flood damage limitation.

3. Policy and practice changes evident at National and District level with proactive support to community disaster mitigation initiatives. The measurable impact being greater investment in disaster preparedness and more cost effective use of limited funds to reduce the impacts of flood on the poor. In at least one District this will result in a district DMP (disaster management plan) prioritising DRR and EWS.

4. Capacity increased within communities and District authorities to respond to and mitigate the affects of flood and other natural hazards. The impact being greater local level self reliance, ability and confidence, combined with increased multi‐actor initiatives (where previously activities have occurred in isolation).

The overall impact of this project will be locally safer and more resilient communities benefiting from simple forecasting and warning systems which can be replicated nationally. It will aim to demonstrate that such systems are cost effective, sustainable and replicable, and a viable alternative to investment in costly post‐disaster relief.

Bardia

Barnke



ECHO Partner:

ECHO/DIP/BUD/2007/04019 Implementation Time‐frame: 1st Nov. 2007 – 31st Jan. 2009 (15 months)

Budget Euro 291,278 Location 6 communities in 4 VDC (Phulbari, Hasuliya, Ratnapur and Pabera) in Kailali district Beneficiaries 3,050 beneficiaries (2,000 inhabitants and 1,050 students)

Title Kailali Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives Objective To ensure the vulnerable communities and institutions in Kailali district are better

prepared to respond to natural disasters, are linked into district and national response systems, and contribute to shared learning on risk reduction practices

Project Overview

The overall aim of the project is to assist communities in reducing risks of negative impact from disasters. Key interventions are built around capacity building trainings, workshops, and sessions for increasing community awareness and strengths for disaster risk management targeting community members and local authorities. Community disaster management plans and early warning systems will ensure preparedness; vulnerability will further be reduced through small scale mitigation measures.

The project is being implemented in cooperation with Nepal Red Cross Society Kailali Chapter. Mercy Corps provides technical assistance to the partner and is managing pilot early warning systems and mitigation initiatives as well as monitoring and evaluating. Sustainability will be enhanced by linking communities to VDC and district support networks and integrating community plans into VDC and district plans. At local and national level the project is working closely with authorities, organizations and partners thus ensuring ownership and sustainability.

Expected Results

Disaster Preparedness Committees set up and/or strengthened to better manage disaster risks: 6 committees established in target communities, trained in risk assessment and community management, and able to take the lead in preparedness and emergency response initiatives

NGO and DP relevant support institutions able to sustainably support DP activities and raise DP awareness: Feasible NGO facilitated DP plans developed in 4 VDCs. Links established between community, VDC level stakeholders, and district level response and mitigation plans.

Tested early warning and communications systems established: early warning systems (EWS) linked to Mohana EWS and tested during simulation and emergency situation

Community led small scale infrastructure projects to mitigate against flood implemented: Infrastructure and bioengineering mitigation projects implemented with community contribution, maintenance and DP funds established.

‘Young Rescuers Clubs’ set up in local schools for peer education on Disaster Risk Management: School disaster preparedness plans developed by the clubs, simulation carried out and awareness tested through art competition.

Project results and lessons learned contribute to Hyogo Framework for Action and shared at district, national and global level: Lesson learnt shared through workshops, meetings, publications, film, and case study document for UNISDR.



ECHO Partner: ECHO/DIP/BUD/2007/04020 Implementation Time‐frame: 1st Nov. 2007 ‐ 31st Jan. 2009 (15 months)

Budget € 323,240 Location 6 wards of the Kathmandu valley (Lalitpur, Kathmandu and Bhaktapur) and 15 communities of rural

districts (Kavre, Udayapur and Sindhuli) Beneficiaries Direct beneficiaries: 176,422 and catchments population 1,093,593

Title Community Based Multi Hazard Risk Reduction Programme Objective To strengthen the capacity of the target communities (6 Districts) to improve their preparedness

and response to disasters resulting in reduced injuries, loss of life and property Project Overview:

The Community Based Multi Hazard Risk Reduction (CBMHRR) programme aims at reducing the impact of disasters by strengthening community resilience and ensuring better preparedness to respond to emergencies at the community level. The programme is designed to make the necessary interventions on developing community based disaster response mechanisms, disseminating messages for public awareness on disasters, advocating the culture of safety and preparedness through school projects and community organizing, and facilitating structural and non‐structural risk mitigation projects at the community level. The programme is implemented through Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) – the local implementing partner of Danish Red Cross (DRC) in Nepal. This programme captures the lessons learned from NRCS DM programme and incorporating recommendations from the results of the evaluation of the DIPECHO III Action Plan in Nepal. The current programme also aims to continue the present cooperation between Danish Red Cross and DIPECHO, to strengthen, standardise and expand the earthquake disaster preparedness operation in the Kathmandu Valley and to add adjacent rural areas, in synergy to other rural community‐based projects of NRCS thus contributing to the overall disaster risk reduction initiatives in multi‐hazard preparedness in Nepal.

Expected Results:

1. The capacity of the target population of three rural Districts is enhanced in order to prepare for and responds to disasters. Capacity building for 15 community based disaster risk reduction committees which includes public awareness, community organizing and training leading to the formulation of community action plans to facilitate the implementation of disaster risk reduction measures.

2. Small scale flood and landslides mitigation works are in place or functioning in communities in rural Districts. Community managed structural and non‐structural mitigation projects are implemented as identified by the community action plan, appropriately based on the results of the hazard, vulnerability and capacity assessments conducted.

3. General awareness and response capacity of 6 earthquake vulnerable wards of Kathmandu valley has increased. Disaster preparedness units are established in different clusters in Kathmandu Valley. These units are trained in earthquake response and are equipped to conduct basic search and rescue operations. Disaster response plans are developed identifying safe areas, evacuation sites, relief operations and coordination mechanisms.



ECHO Partner:

CARE UK ECHO/DIP/BUD/2007/04007

Implementation Time‐frame: 1st Oct. 2007 – 31st Dec. 2008 (15 months)

Budget € 375,871 Location Doti and Kailali Districts Beneficiaries Direct Beneficiaries: 22,208 poor, vulnerable and socially excluded people.

Title "SAMADHAN II ‐ Community Based Disaster Risk Management Project in Nepal" Objective To build resiliency among communities, especially the poor, marginalized, and socially excluded

to withstand natural hazards with less loses in lives and assets.

Project Overview:

On the strategies level, the Far Western Region's remote and Terai areas have been identified as a priority program area for CARE and it has been supporting government programs on remote area development and poverty reduction and strengthening the capacity of civil society organization. The communities in the target area experience multi hazard. Communities in northeastern Doti within a buffer zone of the Khaptad National Park are prone to three major hazards – earthquakes, landslides, and floods – as well as fire, cold waves, and storms. Doti has experienced two major earthquakes in recent memory: one in 1971 and another in 1980.The buffer zone area is landslide prone partly as a result of earthquake activity. Similarly, the south‐eastern point of Kailali, which borders Bardiya and India, is extremely vulnerable. All rivers within the district flow into the Mohana in the south bordering to India. The Mohana and Karnali meet at the southern tip which is inundated during the summer months. The situation is further exacerbated by the Kailas Dam in India due to which the backflow of water also leads to flooding.

This project is built on the learning identified by CARE that the need to address livelihood security and longer‐term development at the same time as programs strengthen the disaster preparedness of communities and schools. CARE will integrate disaster preparedness activities with other CARE programs: community forestry project, women’s empowerment project, ECHO‐WATSAN project, Poverty Reduction Project, Child Survival Project and post Flood Rehabilitation project, some of which are funded through grants from the European Commission.

The project will take up mass public awareness raising, orientating teachers and students on DP, building community capacity on early warning systems and constructing small‐scale mitigation structures, through 2 local implementing partners. Overall, the core strategy is building community capacities to sustain disaster risk reduction activities, applying community based and participatory approaches, primarily through awareness raising, increasing their level of preparedness, and integrating with CARE other projects activities. CARE will focus on creating community ownership of the project, and coordinating with Government as well as non‐government agencies active in the areas for cost‐efficient and sustainable community based approaches.

Expected Results

There is increased awareness and knowledge in disaster risk reduction among 30 vulnerable communities and 30 community level civil society groups for DP. Increased education and capacity of students and teachers for DP in 19 schools. Enhanced capacity of implementing partners, local NGOs and other district stakeholders and 6 VDCs to support CBDRM. Also the local communities have developed their capacities to plan, implement, manage and sustain small‐scale, low cost, sustainable and replicable mitigation measures.



ECHO Partner: United Nations Development Programme

ECHO/DIP/BUD/2007/04009

Implementation Time‐frame: 15th Nov. 2007 to 14th Feb. 2009 (15 months)

Budget € 509,999 Location National Level Beneficiaries 7 key Ministries of the Government, Members of the Disaster Preparedness Network and

National Platform and General Public

Title Disaster Risk Reduction at the National Level in Nepal – Phase II Objective To promote disaster risk reduction in Nepal through a multi‐sectoral and multi‐stakeholder

approach through institutional strengthening within the Government, better coordination within civil society, and awareness generation among general public to manage and reduce the risks of natural disasters in Nepal.

Project Overview: UNDP Nepal is implementing second phase of the DRRNL project under DIPECHO grant for the second time. In order to consolidate the achievement made from DRRNLN–I, the II phase of the same has been implemented specially focusing on the implementation of the National Strategy by the key ministries on pilot basis, strengthening the capacity of DP‐Net to be able to sustain in the long run and organizing the outreach programmes for awareness generation on disaster risk reduction (DRR). In addition to it, this project has envisaged to support the establishment of National Platform on DRR.

Nepal is in the process of approving the HFA based National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management with the support of DIPECHO under its 3rd Action Plan in South Asia. During the first phase of DRRNL project, the strategy was developed through wider consultation with the government agencies, donor, UN agencies, I/NGOs, corporate sectors, academia and media agencies, and based on the review done by the experts, UNDP Country Offices and UNDP BCPR. In the current phase of the project, the emphasis is on implementation of the strategy, particularly through start up of mainstreaming disaster risk reduction approaches into development planning processes of Nepal. The project therefore aims at supporting the key government ministries to take lead on mainstreaming DRR into their sectoral plans.

During the first phase, Disaster Preparedness Network (DP‐Net) was formally registered as a network institution and supported to develop its institutional capacity to facilitate information sharing among the partner institutions and train them on effective DP/DR activities, as well as doing advocacy for mainstreaming DRR at local and national levels. The support under the current phase is basically to further revitalize and strengthen DP‐Net’s networking and institutional capacity to provide skill training to partner institutions and ensure implementation of DRR approaches in their area of work, and develop DP‐Net as a sustainable institution in the long run.

Expected Results

Key line ministries leading different sectors in the government are more aware of disaster risk reduction issues and are able to demonstratively imbibe the same in their respective professional spheres.

DP‐Net, a network of all the major civil society members in Nepal and the official National Platform on DRR in Nepal strengthened. Further, DP‐Net would be implementing its work plan that will be co‐financed through this programme and other partners and Management Information System (MIS) established in the National Platform.

Level of knowledge of the general public increased on disaster preparedness leading to progressively better personal safety and construction and livelihood practices and greater awareness raised among the national and international organisations on HFA and IASC cluster approach for post‐disaster international response

dipecho iv project summary

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