Southasiadisasters.net issue no. 139, December 2015:

City, Child, and Resilience interact with each other but not always to move towards sustainable development. This issue explores some of the key issues around this.

As the second most populous country in the world, India's has a greater share of young people in its population than other countries.

Almost 65% of India's population is under 35 years of age, of which 39% is18 years or below. Experts call this a demographic dividend. However, the optimism of this dividend is tempered by the dismal fact that more than 8 million children under the age of 6 years live in slums. This exposes a large number of children to a variety of risks. These risks are greatly amplified in the event of disasters, emergencies and climate extremes.

This issue's contents includes: (i) Smart Cities Must be Safe Cities; (ii) Urban Resilience and Children's Rights in Bangkok; (iii) Relocation, Resettlement, Rehabilitation: Key Challenges and Opportunities for Cities; (iv) Urban Resilience and Children's Rights in Sri Lanka; (v) Protecting Small Businesses in Urban Areas: From Disaster Response to Risk Reduction; (vi) The Impact of Heat Waves on Vulnerable Communities of Ahmedabad; (vii) Community Resilience: Why Cities are Different; (viii) The Vulnerability of Informal Settlements in Urban Centres of the Developing World; (ix) The Humanitarian Leadership Academy; (x) Looking Forward with Hindsight; (xi) A New Reality: Drought Situation in Brazil and Resilience and Sustainability for Smart Cities.

This issue of Southasiadisasters.net focuses on the theme of 'Urban Resilience and Children's Rights'. As Indian cities are constantly embattled against disasters and emergencies, its children often find themselves to be the victims of abuse, harassment and exploitation. This issue highlights the need for making children's rights to protection against the aforementioned risks indispensable in building 'Smart Cities' that are sustainable and resilient.

Some of the best thinkers, researchers, experts, and activists, including Mihir R. Bhatt with AIDMI Team; Seema Singh, Research Associate, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi; Costanza Ragazzi, Bangkok; Garima Jain, Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Karnataka; Alaa Sagaa, Sri Lanka; Enid Kabasinguzi Ocaya, DRR and Community Resilience Manager, World Vision Uganda; Jessica Yu, McMaster University, Canada; Laura Jump, Head of Business Development for the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, Save the Children UK; and Loy Rego, MARS Practitioners Network, India and Duryog Nivaran Fellow Traveler.

Theme: Smart Cities, Urban Risk, Community Resilience, Child’s Rights, and Governance.

Southasiadisasters.net issue no. 137, October 2015:

Children and Innovation do go hand-in-hand. But do humanitarian innovations and child development? Find out in this issue.

An unprecedented number of people in distress due to the crises triggered by disasters or conflicts have given rise to a series of daunting challenges faced by the global humanitarian system.

Southasiadisasters.net issue no. 136, September 2015:

What do children in South Asia want after a disaster? And what they receive makes any impact? This issue address these questions.

The enhanced vulnerability of children to the detrimental impacts of disasters and emergencies now qualifies as conventional wisdom in various humanitarian circles.

Almost 70% of the affected population of a disaster or extreme event are children. Consequently, a lot of government and humanitarian agencies have taken up the cause of protecting and promoting the rights of children to safety and security.

Some of the best thinkers, researchers, experts, and activists, including Mihir R. Bhatt with AIDMI Team; Jaivir Singh, Price water house Coopers Pvt. Ltd., Delhi; Emily Bild, UNICEF India; Atty. Lesley Y. Cordero, OPARR, Philippines; Mr. Lei Pun Chi, Typhoon Committee Secretariat; Prof. Smita Kadam, Saritsa Foundation, Mumbai; Ms. Abby Gwaltney and Dr. Hassan Virji, International START Secretariat, Washington DC; Dr. Henna Hejazi, Sphere India, New Delhi and Hamendra Dangi, University of Delhi explore the linkages between children and humanitarian assistance.

This issue of Southasiadisasters.net focuses on the theme of 'Children and Humanitarian Assistance in South Asia'. South Asia consistently ranks as one of the most disaster prone regions of the world as a result of which a lot of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations are concentrated in this region. However, children which comprise a third of the total 1.72 billion people in South Asia are rarely engaged as active stakeholders in the dialogue around disaster risk reduction.

This issue's contents includes: (i) City, Child and Risk in India: A View; (ii) Children and Youth – "Don't Decide My Future without Me"; (iii) Commitment to Safe Schools; (iv) Training on Child-Centred Risk Assessment; (v) Odisha Leads Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in India; (vi) Adaptation and Disaster Resilience in INDCs of India; (vii) Rebuilding after Typhoon Yolanda; (viii) Typhoon Committee's Role in Implementing Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction; (ix) Droughts in India and Saritsa Foundation's Contribution to Prepare People in India; (x) START: Two Decades of Impact in Asia; (xi) Role of Sphere India in Coordination in J&K Flood Response; (xii) Responsible Inc., and (xiii) 10 Years Later: Reviewing Recovery of Tsunami Affected Women from India.

This issue highlights the need and techniques of engaging children as active stakeholders in shaping DRR policies and practices in South Asia. An inclusive approach to DRR which makes the voices of children count would make humanitarian assistance and disaster relief more effective and efficient in the region. This issue is a must read for all interested to know about the role children can play in risk reduction strategies in South Asia.

Theme: Disaster Risk Reduction, Disaster Response, Child and Risk, Governance and Humanitarian Assistance.

Southasiadisasters.net issue no. 125 - February 2015

This issue of Southasiadisasters.net focuses on the important theme of Children, Cities and Disasters in India. It tries to highlight all the aspects of building the resilience of children, especially in urban centres to the adverse impacts of disasters and emergencies.

Southasiadisasters.net issue no. 111, May 2014:
Schools and Education cannot be separated. Nor their safety.

Children spend the major part of their day at schools. Therefore, any concerted effort to enhance the resilience of children to disasters must focus on making schools safer from the adverse impact of disasters. This issue of Southasiadisasters.net focuses on the key policies, strategies and practices related to the important theme of school safety.

Apart from important policies related to school safety and child welfare in disaster situations, this issue also consists of the experiences and lessons learnt by organizations that are involved with school safety campaign in India and beyond. Engagingly written and meticulously researched, this issue seeks to underscore the role of school safety for the overall development of children. A must read for all interested in this important area.

The 111th issue of Southasiadisaster.net is titled ‘Safeguarding Schools: Safer Schools for Safer Education’ content includes:
i. A Lesson from Child Centered Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction
ii. Exploring Adolescence in Our Changing World
iii. Disasters Make a Child Choose the Path of Crime: A Case
iv. Building up Community Resilience through Mock Drills: BSDMA Leads
v. ASDMA's Gender Sensitive Approach
vi. Challenge Toward School Safety
vii. Children and Holi Risks
viii. Safety in School for Child Welfare
ix. Steps Toward School Safety Initiative
x. AIDMI’s Suggestions for Key Area 4 of HFA2
xi. The Role of NHAZCA in Reducing Risks form Natural Hazards
xii. Disasters and Emergencies NEWS
xiii. Recent Publications on Child Safety

The contributions from Mihir R. Bhatt with AIDMI Team; Amit Prakash and Anand Bijeta; Jayanta Hazarika; Mukul Kumar; and Paolo Mazzanti.

Themes: Children, Disaster Risk, Risk Resilience, Education and School Safety, Gender, Adolescence, HFA2, Natural Hazards

For download this issue: http://schoolsafety.in/publications.aspx
For more information contact: bestteam@aidmi.org

Southasiadisasters.net issue no. 108, March 2014:

So much is said about future of cities and yet city planning is not done by those who have a long future: children. This is odd.

The 108^th issue of Southasiadisaster.net is titled ‘Children in Urban Space: Making Child Friendly Cities’ highlights the concept of a ‘Child Friendly City’. This issue of Southasiadisasters.net outlines the key pre-requisites to make child friendly city by documenting the experiences and expertise of organizations and individuals that have strived towards this ideal. The content includes:

i.           Making Child Friendly Cities through School Safety: A Case Study

ii.         Child Friendly Schools in India

iii.       SAARC Framework for Care, Protection and Participation of Children in Disasters

iv.       Building Child Friendly Cities: A Framework for Action

v.         Child Friendly Spaces: A Healthy Environment for Children in Emergencies

vi.       Campaign Against Japanese Encephalitis(JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome(AES) in U.P.: Leads by NDMA

vii.     Early Intervention Programmes for Children and Disaster Risk Reduction

viii.   Lessons from Typhoon Haiyan Response

ix.       Children as 'Active Agents' in Climate Change Adaptation

x.         Khadija Khatun–An Agent of Change for Climate Change Adaptation

xi.       Earthquake-Proof Table for Schools

xii.     Towards Child Friendly Education

The contributions from Mihir R. Bhatt with AIDMI Team; David Mcloughlin; Monika Jaryal; Dr. Muzaffar Ahmad; and Syed Matiul Ahsan.

Themes: Children, Climate Change, Disaster Risk, Risk Resilience, School Safety

for more information contact: bestteam@aidmi.org
Source(s): All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI)

Southasiadisasters.net issue no. 107, March 2014:

The 107^th issue of Southasiadisaster.net is titled ‘We Can Not Leave Everything to God: Children and Crowd Management in Schools’ explores the important theme of Crowd Management. Crowd management is extremely important for a country like India that routinely witnesses stampedes. Replete with views of experts from the field, this issue provides vital information on Crowd management policies, practices and procedures. The content includes:

i.           We Can Not Leave Everything to God

ii.         Assam Jatiya Vidyalaya: A Case of Crowd Management at Schools

iii.       Need for Stampede Management at School Level

iv.       Major Stampedes of India

v.         Proactive Approach to Disaster Response In India: Adoption of Incident Response System

vi.       Crowd Management at Heritage Sites

vii.     Role of Switzerland in Making World Safer from Disasters

viii.   School Safety Assessment of Cyclone Thane - Affected Schools

ix.       The EU's Disaster Risk Reduction Work in India

x.         Children in the Uttarakhand Disaster

xi.       School Safety and Crowd Management

The contributions from Mihir R. Bhatt with AIDMI Team; Col Alok Raj; Arjun Clair; Brig (Dr) BK Khanna, Mrs Angeli Qwatara and Nina Khanna; Daniel Ziegerer; and Omprakash Bhatt.

Themes: Children, Crowd Management, Disaster Risk, Risk Resilience, School Safety, Stampedes

for more information contact: bestteam@aidmi.org
Source(s): All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI)

Disaster preparedness in urban area is mainly focused on big cities. This is odd. Because the fastest growth and the greatest vulnerability has been observed in smaller towns in India. All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) has argued this since 1999 Kandla Cyclone. And continued its campaign to attract national attention on smaller towns. Mock drills are one of the best ways to focus on disaster preparedness in smaller towns.

AIDMI conducted a track on "School Disaster Preparedness" in the five day long Emergency Management Exercise in Silchar City scheduled from November 25–29, 2013. This was the third city level emergency management exercise of AIDMI in Assam and sixth in India. The exercise was inaugurated by Shri Prithbi Majhi, Honorable Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management, Government of Assam on November 25, 2013.

Total of seven simultaneous tracks were carried out including:

1. Emergency Management Planning and Comprehensive Trauma Life Support, 2. Emergency Nursing Service and Mass Causality Handling, 3. Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction, 4. Public Health in Emergencies, 5. Coordination of Response for Heads of Line Departments, 6. Search and Rescue and Incident Response System, and 7. School Disaster Preparedness. These tracks were carried out from  November 25–27, 2013 with facilitation from Resource Persons from various organizations. These tracks were followed by Table Top Exercise on November 28, Mega Mock Drill and Hot Wash on November 29. Leaders from NDMA and ASDMA were present throughout this exercise.

A total of 74 school teachers from key schools of Cachar district participated in the training on School Disaster Preparedness on November 25, 2013. Sessions on Concepts of DRR, Exercise on school level Risk Assessment and Making of School Disaster Management Plan were carried out and explained to the participants following track evaluation. Participants demanded that such trainings should be held twice in a year for their schools.

For more information contact: bestteam@aidmi.org

The first session of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) saw representation from children from 4 states (Bihar, West Bengal, Delhi and Odisha), who shared their voices and experience of disaster risk reduction.

A one-day National Workshop on Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction was organized on May 11, 2013 at India Habitat Center by Children Coalition India (UNICEF, Save the Children, RedR, SEEDS, Plan and AIDMI). The workshop facilitated by Save the Children. The event is one of pre-workshop of National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) for pushing children’s perspectives from local to national level. 

Vipda Nivaran, Issue no. 87, January 2013 on ‘Creating Awareness Pertaining to Disaster in Assam’ launched at Training on School Safety from February 21-23, 2013 at Dhubri district of Assam by Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) and All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI). The issue was launched by Mr. Sarfardz Haque, Circle Officer, DDMA. Write to Ritu Saxena at bestteam@aidmi.org to receive copy of Vipda Nivaran by  E-mail. 

In the landscape of risk reduction where do children stand? As victim? As risk reducers? As risk managers? As future citizens? This issue explores all these possibilities and more for those who wish to look at Post HFA Agenda from the eyes of the children at risk. Those interested in Post 2015 Development Agenda including members of Expert Reference Group may also find useful insights.

This issue covers articles on Promoting Child Rights and Child-Centered Disaster Risk Reduction in India. The content includes: (i) Child Centerd DRR Means Putting Children at the Heart of DRR; (ii) The Role of India's National and State Governments in Promoting Child Rights and Child-Centered Disaster Risk Reduction; (iii) Promoting Child Rights and Child-Centered Disaster Risk Reduction at the Policy Level; (iv) Emergency Management Exercises as Tools for Developing Child-Centered Disaster Management Plans; (v) Child-Centered Disaster Risk Reduction in Guwahati, Assam; (vi) Child-Centred Disaster Risk Reduction and Child Rights; (vii) Launch of State Platform for Children in Bihar.

The ideas and insights are of use to those who work on local projects and those who advocate rights of children to safety in international policy events such as ADB’s 46^th Annual meeting in Delhi or Global Thematic Consultations on Disaster Risk Reduction and the Post 2015 Development Agenda.

In many ways the insights reinforce what is now being documented by Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Centre (TDMRC) of Ache in Indonesia. Unequal treatment of children in disaster risk reduction is a concern.

The Preface is written by Margarita Tileva, Chief Emergency, UNICEF India; contribution from Mihir R. Bhatt and Vandana Chuhan, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute. With this publication AIDMI is promoting Child Rights and Child-Centered Disaster Risk Reduction at the State, National and Regional Levels for Policy Influence and the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Yogyakarta follow up.

for more information contact: bestteam@aidmi.org

Source(s): All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI)

Publication date: January 2013

Number of pages: 12p.

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For more information contact:

Vandana Chauhan at bestteam@aidmi.org

The Duryog Nivaran has invited to All India Disaster Mitigation Institute to join their Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Project Portal Promotion under the ISDR Asia Partnership (IAP) Regional Stocktaking and Mapping of DRR intervention in Asia and Pacific phase. The aim is to increase collaboration and cooperation on conceptualisation, planning and programming on DRR among different stakeholders at regional level.  The DRR Project Portal answers the question: who is doing what, and where and thus helps to identify gaps, increase cooperation and improve planning on DRR.

If offers lessons on safer shelter; region’s growing involvement in humanitarian and disaster risk reduction assistance; coastal and maritime risks; creation and communication of a wide range of risks information; food and disaster risk; and power of integration of disaster risk reduction into development. The portal will help you make smarter decision to reduce risk.

For more information contact
bestteam@aidmi.org or www.drrprojects.net

Two simultaneous 3-days of trainings on School Safety (including School Disaster Management Plan and Mock Drills) were organized by Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) and facilitated by All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) at Goalpara and Darrang Districts of Assam from 11-13^th October 2012. 103 schools from Darrang and Goalpara districts of Assam prepared the action plan for building knowledge on DRR with school community. Enhanced focus was on girl child and female teachers. 

International day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) is a day globally acknowledged and celebrated to promote awareness on Disaster Risk Reduction with a theme concerning different dimensions of DRR. For the year 2012, UNISDR has decided to celebrate the unending, not very well acknowledged but valuable contribution made by women and girls for Disaster Reduction all over the world.

Sensitization Workshop on National School Safety Programme, Port Blair was organized on August 30, 2012 by Directorate of Disaster Mitigation, Department of Education and West Bengal Voluntary Health Association with contributions of All India Disaster Mitigation Institute. Government officials of departments of Disaster Mitigation, Education and teachers participated in the event. Arpita Chhatrapati of AIDMI offered insights into ways of making National School Safety Programme more effective at community level. A two year plan is worked out.

Number of pages: 20 p.

All risk reaction must in the end be local. But most disaster risk reduction (DRR) knowledge material is in English. This is odd. All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), with Concern Worldwide India under ECHO support, has developed a set of display material for schools located in coastal areas of West Bengal and Odisha. To promote DRR in schools, the material has been developed in Oriya and Bengali. For joint efforts in making schools safer, contact Sanchit Oza at bestteam@aidmi.org.

The research study was undertaken for the time period of three weeks from 3^rd to 21^st January, 2012 by the organisations - All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), Ahmedabad and Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai. This research study has been carried out in association with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. The objectives of the study were: i) To conduct  an audit of the  disaster mitigation measures of 109 Primary and High schools in Ahmedabad; ii) To assess the level of understanding and knowledge of disaster mitigation and  school safety among teachers and administration staff as well as level of student’s understanding and awareness; iii) To assess the mitigation measures taken by schools and outside agencies for promoting school safety and disaster risk reduction; iv) To assess school structural safety and hazard potential. more...

The articles includes: (i) Disaster Safety of Schools: A National Concern; (ii) Sab ke Liye Salamat Shiksha: Key Coordination Areas for National School Safety Programme: Briefing Note; (iii) Impact of Earthquake on Schools in Sikkim; (iv) Safer Education during Emergencies (v) Building Disaster Response in School; (vi) School Safety Insurance: Ensuring Protection for Students and School Staff; (viii) Disaster Education: Experience from Rural Schools of China; (ix) Joint Efforts for Making Schools Safer in Myanmar; (x) Schools Safety Initiatives in India; (xi) Know the Risk and Take Action: Priority of Action 3 of Hyogo Framework for Action (xii) Step Up for Disaster Risk Reduction; (xiii) City-level Emergency Management Exercise (EMEx): Towards Making Urban Citizens Safer; and (xiv) Case Studies from India. download issue...http://www.schoolsafety.in/publication-form.aspx?Type=pub1&id=25

INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION 2011

The reality of this situation clearly emphasizes the need to promote actions for risk reduction which can hinder without building DRR education in youth.

It is our younger generation who will find solutions to the risks that have been created over the past two centuries.

Mobilizing youth to play key roles in practical community based actions for DRR and Climate Change Adaptation.

But for this to happen we must invest our trust, ideas and resources in our youth.