Update and News

Partners for Resilience program celebrate flood safety week with BSDMA

Bihar state disaster management authority ( BSDMA) vide has appealed the NGOs to collaborate with  district disaster management authority (DDMAs) and plan for celebrating flood safety week from 1^st – 7 June. Caritas India prominent member organisation in Bihar collaborating with BSDMA in different programme, had been made an effort bringing outlook of the government more positive towards NGOs. The collaborative flood safety week celebration is one of the such example. Taking this is indeed a good opportunity to collaborate with government for the safety of rural poor Caritas India and partners have worked with Begusorai, and West Champaran district authorities for successful completion of week long programme.

Through out  the week, rallies, school sensitization programme, block level sensitization programme jointly organised where Caritas India partners were invited as resource person. In village level rallies thousands of people joint together to promote safety of the people with slogans, placard etc. each of the programme were witnessed by the government officials.

In other district like Bhagalpur had celebrated bloke level rally where 2000 people joined together and made rally from village to block making community aware on the flood preparedness.

Partners for resilience programme initiate a research study in Ganga basin on impact of depletion of natural resources in climate change and Disaster

Suffering in fertile land

“Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Records of variability in temperature, sea level rise and extreme weather events provide collateral evidence of global climate change” said Dr. Haridas V.R. coordinator for agriculture programme Asia, after two days visiting communities in Bhgalpur and Munger district of Ganga basin.  There is compelling, consistent, and objective evidence that humans are responsible for altering the climate in ways that threaten our societies and the ecosystems in Ganga basin.

The team consisting of Dr. Haridas V.R., Mr. Subhasis Debnath and Anjan Bag made discussion for the Research study with the community in Bagalpur and Munger and noted that degradation of natural resources like soil fertility loss, water depletion, cropping pattern changes, are affecting the livelihoods of the community including traditional wisdom. While there is increase in the yield of crops due to the Excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, it is contributing to the increase in expenditure and effect on their health. Soil quality is also being depleted due to so called green revolution. Irregular and untimely rain is also affecting in proper planning of cropping.

Mr Subhasis Debnath consultant to government of West Bengal disaster management department spoke “the

Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change reports suggest that droughts, heavy precipitation, and heat waves will become more prevalent. Such changes current or predicted can have major impacts on the economic performances, on the lives and livelihoods. Extreme weather events and climate variability will increase the risks of natural disasters. These changes will result in increased floods and drought.” He stressed that the Ganga basin will have more difficult times in future to cope with climate change variability.

The research team led by Dr. Haridas, with technical support of Wetlands International and CEESS (centre for ecology & environmental studies) will complete the study by December 2013. “The study would support the advocacy initiative of Partners for resilience programme  for the recovery of natural resources and disaster risk reduction as a means of climate change adaptation “ said Mr. Anjan Bag – Thematic officer Caritas India.

Advocacy the steps towards resilience building by Community

Panchayat Vikas Manch in Mahanua has been started 4 months back (they had another old CBO which was restructured and then converted into Panchayat Vikas Manch) with 33 influential members from 15 wards of the panchayat. Each member is contributing Rs. 20 per month for the development of the Manch. The Manch has started creating pressure on government / panchayat to access government facilities and they have already been able to get approval of one government high school, used Right to Information Act for getting information on Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) and on Public Distribution System (PDS), and are now making efforts for getting approval for 683 elderly pensions from the government. This is another example of good community mobilization and organization leading to people’s efforts to access government resources & their rights and entitlements.

People from Harijan Kalyan Tola, Ward # 8, Mushari are actively involved in advocacy at Panchayat and Block Level. This community was displaced from their original place because of river erosion and flood and rehabilitated in the current place. However, they have been deprived from accessing government schemes and facilities and development opportunities. They have been continuously denied their rights and entitlements for a long time by the government agencies and officials. However, after implementation of the CMDRR program and after formation of the DRR committees, the villagers have started putting pressures on the local BDO for village infrastructure development and they have been continuously making efforts to create pressure on the government to include them in the government development programs and village infrastructure development: villagers went for organised demonstrations and protests in front of the BDO & DM offices couple of time. Though results have not yet received but efforts are on. This is an example of community taking initiatives for village development, which will ultimately contribute to disaster risk reduction through increased access to government resources and improved infrastructure at the village level.

In the same ward, a village committee has been separately formed by the villagers themselves in September 2012. They conduct meeting each Sunday at 7 pm. There are total 48 members in this committee: 1 from each of 48 families in the ward: each member contributes Rs. 10 per month for developing village fund (mobilized Rs. 1290), has taken up issues of alcoholism and misconducts.

Moving towards resilience.......

Caritas India in PfR programme working in 90 villages/wards across 6 most vulnerable and flood prone districts of Bihar. The population dynamics of the area revels out of 15282 families 59.54% belong to other backward class, and 34.31% belong to backward class. In a summary the programme is working for more vulnerable section in class wise division.

Summary of achievement

While narrating the report it is worthwhile to acknowledge the community participation and contribution, where community groups such as DRR committee, SHGs, Farmers Club and Task forces have taken their own initiative towards resilience in true sense. The report analysis reveals the major achievements are in following sections.

Planned

• It is found in all 90 villages have practiced risk assessment and risk reduction planning for ecosystem integrated plan and also contingency plan exercise as process of development. In all the communities have DRR and ecosystem plans, and village management committees are regularly reviewing the plans and implementing it.
• In DRR through convergence with PRI  out of 26 targeted Panchayats 19 panchayat have integrated and allocated resources for DRR actions in the villages. These convergence processes were done through people participation through Gram sabha.
• In contribution from the PRI towards resilience it is found in 60 villages already Rs. 35763250 have been leveraged out of community actions plans, and being implemented. Out of these resources major portion is from plantations; however DRR activities such as tube well raising, mud filling also contributed by the fund leveraged.
• In all villages it found to have strong system of early warning  through a strong community mobilisation process by early warning task force. And 49.7% families know about the system existence.
• In Disaster preparedness measures it is found 62.7 % families have prepared themselves for at least 10 initial days of flood with safekeeping of dry food, household items and documents.
• At present 34% families out of 10665 families have job cards at their hand, while it was only 12% based on the baseline, and 2151 families got job during the reporting period with an average of 30 days from MNREGS.
• The ecosystem based livelihood initiated in the project area, where 249 families out of 5768 have adapted the same, which is only a 4.3%.

Unplanned

• A strong advocacy platform being initiated through BIAG, caritas India being core committee, able to pursue /generate state level issues to be proactively taken up by the groups for actions.
• Ministry of Rural development had been convinced to initiate the MNREGS convergence in PfR villages. The authority agreed to issue a letter for special support on MNREGA in all 90 PfR villages.
• Caritas India and partner has been invited by West Champaran district administration for technical support in celebrating flood safety week 1-7 July 2012.
• Kabal taal restoration plan being initiated with support of World bank under the technical guidance of Wetlands International. As assessment process initiated to prepare management plan.
• Farmers to farmers learning process initiated with Orissa and Bihar, where 5 farmers have visited and gathered flood resilient traditional seed and initiated pilot in Begusarai.

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Visit of South Africa experts from CDRA  in PfR programme

Rubert Van Blerk, a practitioner in CDRA based in South Africa made a visit in PfR Bihar programme area. The purpose of visit  was to assist Cordaid in its commitment to learn about improving its own practice drawing from experience in the field effectively contribute to strengthened community engagement for changing power relations to promote social justice and reduce inequalities in fragile contexts. Mr. Rubert along with Munish Kaushik Cordaid Advisor and Anjan Bag thematic Officer visited two Mushar villages in Begusorai distirct, operated by Caritas India partner Muzaffarpur Diocesean Social Service Society, and learnt the context. The communities in both villages have givem ample evidence of the how they are being motivated towards all round development. Communities are now better position to bargain with the duty holders, as said by Mr. Rubert. The old age tradition of caste system slowed down the development of the Musahar in Bihar, while discussing with the communities  it was evident that the communities now geared up in a organized forces and able to implement the action plans of the DRR programme.

Visit of wetlands International team for Restoration of Kabar lake.

A team from Wetlands International namely Dr. Ritsesh Kumar, Dr. A.K. Jha and Satish Kumar a co donor of PfR programe is under the visit in Bihar. The team met Mr. Anjan Bag – Caritas India and Mr. Abhisek Kumar – MDSSS in Patna on 7^th November at Patna, and had briefing on Kabar taal issue of Kabar tall based on the assessment done by Caritas India and partners. The team along with Mr. Anjan Bag met Mr. B. A. Khan, IFS, and Principal Chief Conservator of Forest along with team and briefed about the process of Kabal taal restoration plan supported by world bank. The team is in Kabar lake Begusorai supported by Mr. Girish assessing the situation. Based on the present understanding Caritas India would undertake a survey process with 700 families to understand the issues of kabar lake in the life and livelihood of the dependents.

Workshop cum review meeting

51 staff of PfR programme went through a process of “how to make the programme entirely community managed and community led advocacy process from 5 – 6 November in Bettiah Diocesean Social Service society.  Mr. Anjan Bag Thematic Officer of Caritas India along with the District Project officer of 5 partners’ organization facilitated the programme. During different session the staff of PfR programme reflected and came out with different strategies, methodology and process in community management and advocacy aspects in the programme. During the workshop the different areas of concerns raised by monitoring team was also discussed. The entire PfR team has taken up the issues of concern made an effort to work on the same.

Capacity Building Needs Assessment of CBOs under PfR programme

During the process of intervention of 15 months PfR program formed different CBOs, purposefully to strengthen the community management aspects in the programme. A team was formed with experts from ASK ( Prakash Layak and Mnas Bhatachraya) and Anjan Bag from Caritas India to make an assessment of CBOs to define the strategic capacity building needs. The team visited 8 villages and met 20 CBOs as sample from 7 – 9 November in the districts of East Champaran, West Champaran, and Sitamari. The team is working on the road map of CBOs to build the sustainable community organization for reduction of disaster Risk in the project area. The team also have taken the notion of the monitoring team to in build the recommendation.

Midterm external monitoring

In order to review the progress of this Project within 15 months of the programme, a monitoring was planned to the Program. A team of two people (Manas Bhattacharyya and Ashok Yadav) from Association for Stimulating Know How (ASK) undertake the Monitoring visit from October 29 to November 04, in Bihar Water Development Society (BWDS), Muzaffarpur Diocesan Social Service Society ( MDSSS), Fakirana Sisters’ Society( FSS). The Broad scope of the Monitoring was  The monitoring were to know the Project Progress in terms of the status of implementation of the planned activities under the Project; and the quality of activities, Process and Mechanisms adopted, the aspects of Community Management , the Focus on and inclusion of marginalized groups, Measures adopted in the Project to ensure inclusion of the most marginalized & vulnerable groups as well as their participation in the Project, Sustainability of the Interventions and Staff Capacity.

On 4^th November the monitoring team made a debriefing to the PfR team at Bettiah. According to the monitoring team, the project has made several attempts to ensure the quality intervention and created favorable environment for the community, where communities’ capacity enabled to access the government resources. While discussion the monitoring team have proposed the areas of concerns too, where community management aspects need to be brought in to the project.

Summary of PfR write shop  and strategic document

Background: 

Caritas India under the umbrella of Wetlands International and Cordaid is functioning in the state of Bihar. The PfR programme is being implemented by 5 network partners of Caritas India. The entire project area divided under two cluster, i.e. – Ganges cluster and Gandak cluster The PfR partners in Bihar have started implementation with great enthusiasm . The objective of the strategy building was to ensure the effectiveness of the implementation based on the outcomes expected.

Visits details:

Location/Place	Agency Visited	Themes
Dharmtari, Chattishgarh	Pradan	Livelihood based on natural resource  and convergence of INRM and MNREGA
Rayagada, Odisha	Living Farm	Improve their wellbeing through ecological & sustainable agriculture, reestablish farmers control over food and farming systems through the conservation, renewal and rejuvenation of biodiversity

Write shop details

Location/Place	Themes
Write shop - PURI	Strategic planning development on the issues/result wise

Proceedings and Processes:

29^th and 30^th September 2012:The day started with a trip to Pradan Office in Dhamtari where Pfr Bihar partners had a small meeting with Mr. Anjan Bag from Caritas India where he briefed about the objectives of the write shop. PfR Bihar partners got introduced to PRADAN by Mr. Masroor Ahmed, he gave about PRADAN engagement   with the community in Dhamtari district. The presentation consisted of strategy of convergence and outcome of the processes.

PfR team interacting with Community in Living farm

Observation: The community in villages detailed the processes and success as well challenges with the help planning cum monitoring sheet. The discussion with the committee helped understanding convergence planning of MNREGS. The convergence of MNREGS and INRM managed to construct better water harvesting structure for the agriculture and for recharge of the ground water. The observation on the sustainability and regular function of the VEC and the committee members realized as entire planning, implementation & monitoring of developmental activities done by them. It was found the strong MIS maintained by the committee. The agency role was more on catalyst then doer.

Exit Meeting: The team leader of PRADAN describing the success lighten up issue of trust building process with community and different government official, they are now in position to link with any Government department because of good rapport through trust building process. He stressed on better localized strategies for the convergence, he said “becoming a helping hand for the Government.” Is key to success in convergence.

1^st and 2^nd October 2012:

The day started with the briefing by Living farm on the intervention. Mr.Birinchi explained the process of intervention. Basically the farmers and scientific way of dealing made the farmers to restore the old age practices.

Observation: Living farm introduced the seed conservation, traditional cotton farming, traditional paddy field, community seed bank. The conservation of local spices the community initiative to preserve. Although the government starts promoting hybrid with contract with corporate. farmers realize the cost of production of hybrid with different component is more  in comparison to Local spices , and practice of hybrid make them dependent and farmers decision to  conserve of local variety is initiated . The farmers to farmers approach and learning by doing have enabled the farmers to self dependent.

Exit Meeting; Mr. Debojit living farm had presented the entire gamut of the biodiversity conservation principle through farmers. The process of building capacities of the selected model farmers has regenerated the confidence of the other farmers now practicing the same. Basically “community to community teaching is best way to sustain the initiative” he stressed upon.

3^rd and 4^th October 9, 2012

The write shop facilitated by ASK, was based on the following agenda, Sharing of experience –Pradan & Living forms, Identify key issues: livelihood  and advocacy, Identify and develop specific strategy for identified Livelihood and advocacy  issues, Articulate clear results again each strategy, Set time line, Role of various stockholders within the Organization and beyond Organization , Capacity to perform respective role and implementation strategy .

The two days were spent with group discussion, presentation and brainstorming  session . The PfR team during the session developed the strategic planning and steps for 4 outcomes envisaged under Climate change adaptation, Ecosystem restoration and enhancing livelihood. The themes were the following the design the strategies.

• Ensure disaster resilient /diversified livelihood: FARM –Agriculture based
• Disaster resilient/diversified livelihood – NON FARM
• Enhancing livelihood capital –through revival of Natural resource /Water bodies etc  as pond, Lake etc Strengthening Disaster prevention and mitigation through embankment, tree plantation

Learning by the PfR team: 

•   Need based intervention based on the assessment/needs analysis of the individual families strengthen and make the programme realistic.
•   Promotion of activity through CRP (community Resource Person). A person from the community sustain the initiative more crucially after phase out
•   Phase wise capacity building of different committee make sustainable CBOs for continuation. It also helps in linking them with government schemes
• The committee members in, Plan, implement & monitor Development activities makes the community owned programme.
• The intervention has to be  output oriented not activity/project oriented.
• Functional and strong Documentation by the committee, and the support of the organization to document the same.
• The individual has the power either to adopt and disagree the strategies based on the need; project should not be barrier in decision making processes.
• Better coordination and sharing with in the village.
• Government initiative, with NGOs and hand to hand support makes the intervention more meaningful.
• Facilitation – for tapping government schemes and resources, should start from day one of the intervention.
• Community felt needs, community initiative, agency role is a catalyst.
• Integrated, inclusive and sustainable approach.
• Self realisation of people and community desire level need to measured at first and then design the action based on the desire level, and strive to reach the desire.
• Conservation of diversified seed through farmers to farmers support. It need to understand the farmers demand not the agency demand.
•  Recognition of peoples knowledge and resource

Strategic plan document - 1

ENSURE DISASTER RESILIENT DIVERSIFIED LIVILIHOOD

ONFARM

       Mapping of the farmers by DRR committee & SHG members:

 Identification of exact beneficiary based on base line data analysis: 

        Realization of the need of the farmers regarding DRR resilient livelihood through

        Formation of farmers club and basic orientation on the on farm livelihood options

        Feasibility study - Exposure Visit

        Categorization of the farmers

        Mapping of various institutions who can support farmers in their plans

        Understanding the guidelines of various institutions and follow the same

        Enterprise & Technical planning:

        Development of business plan (as per the need and resources availability Technical planning on DRR resilient livelihood lens.

        Technical support for mapping, planning, feasibility, budgeting of the land by agriculture officer/KVK through land visits and in discussion with farmers.

        Submission of farmers plans to KVK, NABARD, Horticulture department and agriculture department as well as getting it presented and approved in gram  sabha:

        Ongoing meeting with various institution to ensure approval of the plans

        Capacity building of target group on various on farm livelihoods decided     by them:

        Demonstration  of on-farm livelihood

CROPS, Horticulture,  Kitchen garden

        Process recording of each and every activities

        Handholding and capacity building of staff and farmers:

        Promote model farmers as a facilitator

        Documentation and monitoring

        Cost analysis productive analysis and documentation of successful models

        Sharing it with farmers and with Government through district level workshop, media publicity.

        Replication for further expansion

Strategic plan document - 2

ENSURE DISASTER RESILIENT DIVERSIFIED LIVILIHOOD –

Non farm

        Baseline survey of landless and small marginalized families for nonfarm livelihood.

        Ongoing capacity building programmes for staff – ( SHG management and livelihood promotion through enterprise planning

        Formation and reorganization of self help groups.

        State level recommendation for incorporating partners in NABARD/JEEVIKA 

        Preparation of Individual Micro Plan of respective families

        facilitate Disaster risk reduction measures across all enterprises right from planning till implementation ongoing

        Regular training to the SHG members performing business/enterprise management.

        Linkages with INSURANCE Company for reducing the risk related issues 

        Setup market facility making contact with the dealer to purchase the products

        Execution of Nonfarm livelihoods 

        Regular monitoring/review by the village DRR committee of ongoing nonfarm based livelihood for improvement. Periodic meetings will be organized by village DRR committee, with the members doing nonfarm base livelihood.  

Strategic plan document - 3

Enhancing livelihood capital –Through revival of Natural resource / Water bodies etc. as ponds, Lake etc…belongs to community property resource, government property resource, resources taken by community on lease…

        Review eco system assessment report and identify the Natural resource of the Target villages. Ex: forest, ponds, lake, well, canal etc

        Conduct a small study on depletion of various natural resources and its impact on disaster risk reduction:

        Identify the Households who are primarily dependent on Natural resources by DRR committee:

        To give awareness to the community to protect the Natural resources.  Sensitization through Case study, picture, screening, to present the status of existing natural resources and if nothing is done in this regard (developing FEAR) the condition can be worsening and threatening:

        Mapping government departments and schemes of livelihood who work for the revival of the Natural resources  Ex: MNREGA (Maintaining of existing ponds, well –cleaning and repairing), forest dept etc - Purchase and Know how, forest dept(seeking NOC

        Sharing of the findings of resource/scheme/department mapping exercise with Community:

        Meeting individually all the departments and sharing of the program its results and the study on the Natural resources:

        District level meeting with different government line department such as forest, water, fisheries along with DC/DM, BDO, PRI & DRR representative:

        Develop plan for the revival of natural resources with the community and extension worker of various government department:

        To ensure the approval from the Gram sabha of the plans:

        Same plans submit to concern line departments:

        Follow up of the plan.

        Facilitating construction and reconstruction of side walls for wells and ponds through MNREGA, PRI: 

        Development of Norm (Dos & don’ts) for Natural resource management along with Panchayats, community, DRR committee:

        Capacity building of DRR committees on the norms and management of natural resources:

        Documentation of the entire process and sharing it with government department further replication

Strategic plan document - 4

Strengthening of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation such as embankment, tree plantation

        Study of the embankment:

        Sharing the above findings with community and DRR committee:

        DRR committee share the findings with respective PRIs:

        Facilitating preparation of plans to be integrated in the GS…. of proposal of strengthening the Embankment in all the vulnerable villages/wards to be submitted in Gram Sabha:

        Facilitate the Gram Sabha to pass the resolution for work under MNREGA:

        Block level sharing workshop:

        Facilitate the PRIs in submission of the proposal at different departments.

        Follow up and Document the progress 

Making DDMP( District Disaster Management Plan) Pro – Poor, An initiative of PfR Bihar………….

A mission that has a series of critical paths to be accomplished is being strived at by Caritas India.  Being an organisation having a DRR mandated approach, it has decided to enrich one of its targeted district with a process resulted District Disaster Management Plan. The realisation of this mission began with selection of West Champaran District of Bihar involving collaborative network certain other resource organisations that have taken certain divisible responsibilities and initiated a pro-poor planning process.

The major agencies involved in this process included Cord Aid who is making available financial resources, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute has been engaged in facilitating the process, Sphere India with experience of facilitating the same process in another District has taken advisory role, whereas, Caritas India along with its partners and BIAG will be the coordinating agency which will coordinate the entire process. 

Mr. Sridhar C. IAS addressign the inauguration session
of revising DDMP of West Champaran

The structure of steps in the process of planning is so designed to ensure that the voice of each stakeholders group gets an opportunity for consideration. In the beginning with the orientation and approval of NDMA and BSDMA, the representatives from the facilitating agency, Caritas India and its partners have introduced and oriented the DM, Line Departments, NGOs, Media Houses and other stakeholders about the initiation of this process in the District which received a very warm welcome and enthusiastic support from one and all. Not only could it ensure active involvement of the District Administration and the Line Departments but also the proactive initiatives of the NGOs and other Civil Society partners. 

The coming up actions:

• Final Workshop with selected stakeholders and representatives from BSDMA and NDMA to finalise the draft
• Formation of plan writing committee inclusive of all stakeholders representation headed by DDMA (District Disaster Management Authority).
• Micro Level Hazard Vulnerability Analysis in selected panchayats. 

The difference made

The real difference in this process if it is compared with other such plans in the country is that the nature of the plan provokes participation as an elementary necessity for its accomplishment. Those responsible for this process have reached out to the most vulnerable, marginalized, affected, neglected and excluded section and the pro-poor approach has been the central pint of concern. The initial process itself has highlighted the existing gaps in planning and received praiseworthy recognition of the administrators who have intended to incorporate this process in developing other plans. This has resulted in a reshuffle of grass root thinking concerns that they are not taken into account when something is planned for them. Truly speaking as the participants explained for the first time the grass root stakeholders have been involved in such a process which has made them to feel acknowledged and also to think and give suggestions and recommendations for their own concerns. 

Conclusion

Never we have been in such a situation where we received such an acknowledgement, our thinking and our voice will become the base for the administrators to act in times of disaster was simply unbelievable. We feel empowered as we are planning for our survival but still a question “Ka Ee Niyojan kagoj se gaon tak pahunchi?”(Will this plan is translated from paper to field?). 

According to Shri  Shridhar Distirct Magistrate, We have data but these are scattered can this plan be an integrated document which will comprehensively compile the different data banks in one document? Can we produce an action oriented integrated plan of Disaster Management?

Workshop on Gender Mainstreaming and Contingency planning