Strengthening NGO Coordination for Disaster Response

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Strengthening NGO CoordinationforDisaster
Response
Gujarat State Disaster Management
Authority Government of Gujarat
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Features of Disaster Response Planning

• Need to Know the Hazard related vulnerability and
  risk Profile
• Stakeholders who, where, etc
• Capacity of all stakeholders to respond
• Resources how many, where
• Need to know the impact

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Typical Action Areas of Emergency Response

• Search and rescue - finding those who may be
  trapped by building collapse
• Assessment of immediate shelter and living needs
  - working out what is required, where, in what
  quantities, and for whom
• Medical Support - provision of medical care and
  preventing the spread of disease through
  immunization, provision of safe water and food,
  waste disposal and burial of the dead
• Basic needs - procuring and distributing food,
  shelter and clothing
• Gender - understanding the differing requirements
  of men and women in families and communities to
  identify needs and ensure fair distribution of
  recovery resources

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Typical Action Areas of Emergency Response

• Livelihood and economy - assisting people to earn
  a living to help them recover quicker from
  adversity
• Emotional support - counseling and reuniting
  separated families
• Logistics - transportation of people and
  equipment
• Finance - obtaining, allocating and accounting
  for money
• Communication - media coverage, information for
  families, fundraising
• Infrastructure temporary restoration of roads,
  electricity, telephones, water pipelines, waste
  disposal systems

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Present Status of Emergency Response Capacity

• Although India's national capacities to respond
  to disasters of small or moderate size without
  external assistance are generally adequate, the
  overall trends suggest that current Government
  response mechanisms need to be strengthened
  further to respond to major events
• Among various states, these capacities vary
• Emergency Response Capacity usually may not be
  well coordinated with the States hazard profile
• All categories of responders may not be well
  integrated into the emergency response plan

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Constraints of Emergency Response

• Delayed response of the disaster response system
  to cover all the affected areas
• Less effective early warning systems
• Lack of resources to undertake mass evacuation
• Non-existent and non-familiarization with
  standard operating procedures for effective
  rescue and relief
• Inadequate stock piles of items such as sand
  bags, medicines, and life saving equipment. and
• Inadequate coordination with the defense and
  civilian forces as well as with other
  humanitarian/NGO partners

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Strengths of NGOs in Disaster Response

• Good Positioning - integration with local
  population during disasters
• Willingness to work in high risk areas
• Local area of Expertise - caste, religion,
  socio-political relationships, easy access to
  local leaders/opinion makers

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GSDMA ACT 2003 CHAPTER XII DUTIES OF
COMMUNITIES, PRIVATE SECTOR ENTERPRISES AND OTHER
AGENCIES OR PERSONS Section - 30 (a to d)
Duties of Voluntary Agencies

• Participate in capacity building, vulnerability
  reduction programmes and training activities
• Assist in relief operations under the supervision
  of the Government, the Commissioner and the
  Collector
• Assist in assessing damage and in carrying out
  reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in
  accordance with the guidelines framed by the
  Authority
• Provide such assistance to the Authority, the
  Commissioner and the Collector as may be
  necessary for effective disaster management
• GSDMA Commissioner of
  Relief, GoG

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Need for NGO Coordination

• To become an effective bridging mechanism between
  the affected citizens and the Government in terms
  of
• Advocacy
• Programme formulation and Implementation
• Capacity Building
• To facilitate effective local response as they
  have local knowledge, autonomy and adaptability
• To be able to adopt participatory approaches to
  emergency response and its planning as a part of
  the regular developmental work stakeholder
  involvement
• To assist Government in assessing immediate
  post-disaster needs

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Need for NGO Coordination

• To rapidly mobilize human resource in terms of
  individual volunteers for emergency response
• To enable equitable distribution of resources in
  disaster response by reaching the most needy
  groups such as the poorest and the most
  vulnerable
• To support community by providing alternate
  source of financial aid by fundraising
• To promote/restore livelihood alternatives as a
  core means of restoring normalcy in affected
  communities

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Areas for Strengthening NGO CoordinationIn
Disaster Response

• Early Warning Emergency Response
• Sensitizing community about emergency contact
  numbers of State/District Emergency Operation
  Centers
• Strengthening Taluka and Village Disaster
  Management Committees
• Sensitizing and putting into action the
  respective local DM Plans with special attention
  to marginalized sections
• Facilitating mobilization of volunteers for wide
  dissemination of warnings using megaphones and
  sirens, public address equipment, signal lights,
  search and rescue, first aid treatment,
  evacuation and shelter, and welfare
• Strengthening dissemination of traditional
  knowledge on early warning systems

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Areas for Strengthening NGO Coordination

• Damage Assessment Relief Management
• Facilitating local community participation in the
  entire damage assessment process in order to
  ensure inclusion of every affected
• Assessing damage assessment based on a common
  framework, which has balance between physical
  social concerns so as to minimize social
  exclusion etc
• Assisting Government in providing proof of
  identity at a local level for relief
  administration
• Assisting Government in preparation
  distribution of Relief Materials such as food
  packets, water pouches, medical supplies
• Facilitating in creating awareness in post
  disaster related hygiene and epidemic control

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Other Areas of Strengthening NGO Coordination

• Policy and advocacy
• Knowledge and education - Rejuvenating Spirits
  and Raising Awareness
• Developing and Strengthening Capacity Building
• Community - based risk and vulnerability
  assessment
• Community-based mitigation and preparedness
• Micro-Credit and Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
• Social Mobilization and Group Formation
• Mainstreaming DM in Development Program

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Existing Gaps

• Lack of institutional mechanism for information
  sharing and regular consultation between the
  Government and NGOs during pre - disaster phase
• Setting up of permanent group within the State
  Disaster Management Authority for NGO GO
  collaboration leading to
• Convergence of institutional expertise
• Identification of strengths and weakness
• Sharing stakeholder role and responsibility
• Disaster preparedness for better response

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Existing Gaps

• Lack of common policy and advocacy agendas for
  sharing with Government
• Multiple damage assessments and hesitation to
  share assessment reports either because they were
  not finished, or because information has been
  gathered quickly
• Setting up of task forces for internalization
  adoption of damage and loss formats by network of
  NGOs Government

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THANK YOU