WHY DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IS ALL OUR BUSINESS

02/05/2023 Lafir S. Mohamed, Cons Technical Advisor – DIEPCHO 8, OXFAM

Cooping with climate

System was able to coop with both the conditions!

100 mm rain in 1 days (hydrological importance!)

&

10 mm/day for 10 days (agronomical importance!)

Source: Handawela, J.

DRR in Sri Lanka Since independence; GOSL established systems to provide

welfare assistance to affected people. With the declaration of the IDNDR in 1990 by the UN, a new

trend in DM started in mid 90s in Sri Lanka, including formalised provision of relief and shelter assistance through

Ministry of Social Services, and district and divisional administrations. Initiatives have taken place such as, implementing projects

attempting to incorporate DRR into urban planning; developing guidelines for urban planning, Land use zoning and construction in hazard prone areas; DM training and integration of DRR into school and university curricula; Developing plans for preparedness and response for disasters at district and

divisional levels.

Tsunami 2004 and DM Act• With the tsunami of 2004, the government and the society had to

take the challenge of assisting the victims.

• Enactment of the Act; Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act No.13 of 2005 provides for the coordination at the highest executive level

• Addresses Disaster Management (DM) holistically, leading to a policy shift from response based mechanisms to a proactive approach

Act contd..• Establishment of the institutional framework for disaster

management including – The National Council for Disaster Management (NCDM), – Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and elaborates powers and

functions of the institution.

• The Act also recognizes the cross-cutting nature of disaster management.

• Act empowers HE the President to declare state of disaster.

Implementation of the ACT

• In Nov2005; Establishment of a separate ministry of Disaster Management (DMC within its preview)

• In 2006; Road map for DRM – Towards a safer in Sri Lanka was developed 2006-2016

Road Map for Disaster Management 2005-2015

• Developed under 7 thematic areas• Institutional and legal framework• Early warning • Hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment• Prevention and Mitigation• Awareness and Training• Preparedness Planning• Community Based Disaster Management

Damages and Losses

2010 in 5 Districts

21

Relief provided (LKR)

2014

Nepal earthquake• The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked Nepal on 25

April 2015 and the many subsequent aftershocks have imposed a huge human and economic toll on the country, with over 7,000 deaths and some 15,000 injured. Millions of people have been affected in other ways.

• Roads, bridges, water supplies, schools, hospitals, and homes in the main cities and in rural areas across more than two-thirds of Nepal’s 75 districts have suffered damage.

• Clearly the poorest in the country, with fewer resources to fall back on, will suffer the most, and many will likely fall back below the government’s national poverty line of NRs19,261 per person per year (average 2010-11 prices).

In Summary

Main findings – worldwide Disaster losses remain substantial• improvements in disaster management have led to

dramatic reductions in mortality in some countries, the economic losses from disasters are now reaching an average of US$250 billion to US$300 billion each year.3 More

• Critically, the mortality and economic loss associated with extensive risks in low and middle-income countries are trending up.

Main findings – worldwide • Global risk poses a

significant opportunity cost

• The cost of disasters is equivalent to that of major diseases and is an economic and social burden

Main findings – worldwide Expected future losses threaten economic development and social progress in lower-income countriesIf this risk were shared equally amongst the world’s population, it

would be equivalent to an annual loss of almost US$70 for each individual person of working age,

OR two months’ income for people living below the poverty line

Risk for people already struggling for survival on a daily basis.? How abt kilinochchi?

Main findings – worldwide Fiscal resilience challenged

Making development sustainable• Reducing poverty, improving health and education for all,

achieving sustainable and equitable economic growth, and protecting the health of the planet now depend on;

• The management of disaster risks in the day-to-day decisions of governments, companies, investors, civil society organizations, households and individuals.

• Strengthened disaster risk reduction, therefore, is essential to make development sustainable.

Group / in plenary Brainstorming

• Is it the mandate of Disaster Management Centre in building a resilient communitty?

• What are limitations ?

• What could be the best way of managing risk reduction ?

What is ‘Mainstreaming’?

What do we mean by ‘Mainstreaming’?

• Integration?• Institutionalization?

• Mainstreaming is a ‘process’… to make it a ‘normal process’

• Not an one off exercise… but rather continuous from short to long term

• It is not an end in itself… rather a strategic approach

Main stream?

Side stream?

Source: PEDRR

Broad elements of typical development planning process of country

• Development policy (macro-economic policies, sector policies, local development policies)

• Socio-economic development plans (national, district, village) (national, sector) (medium-term, short-term)

• Poverty alleviation programs• Physical plans/Land use plans/Spatial Plans• Annual development Plans and budgets• Development programs and projects• Monitoring and evaluation of plans and programs

Advantages of having a national framework for mainstreaming DRR into development • Better articulation of common objective for DRR and Development such as

sustainable development/safe development

• Better understanding of interdependency: risk assessment will reveal risks, planning will help prioritize investments and budgets, investment programming will drive resource mobilization if there are budget constraints

• Strengthening Horizontal linkages: multi-stakeholders talking of common risks result to complementation of initiatives;

• Strengthening Vertical linkages: from national to local