A THIS Supporting Adaptive Humanitarian Action · Adaptiveness and flexibility involve a whole-of-organisation approach which can be difficult to describe in concrete 'best practices',

southasiadisasters.net February 20192

ABOUT THIS ISSUE

AIDMI is delighted to receive generoussupport of ALNAP (UK) towards this issue.

In an ever changing world,response to humanitarian crises

needs to adopt flexible and adaptiveapproaches to effectively serve theneeds of the victims of such crises.Multiple actors from across thespectrum of humanitarian actionhave always taken proactive stepsto respond to such crises in a timelyand efficient manner, but there is aneed for newer and betterapproaches to be tested.

This issue of Southasiadisasters.netis titled 'Making HumanitarianResponse More Flexible: Exploring NewModels and Approaches' andhighlights new approaches that canbe taken by humanitarianorganizations to effectively respondto the humanitarian challenges ofthe 21st century. Some of theimportant themes discussed in thisspecial issue include adaptiveprogramming by humanitarianorganizations, context specifichumanitarian interventions andculturally sensitive approaches tohumanitarian action.

Disasters and emergencies aredynamic in nature, therefore,responding to these challengesnecessitate humanitarian actors andorganizations to have the flexibilityand agility to work in highlyunstable and chaotic environments.A further discourse on knowingwhen to adopt proactive andreactive approaches to decisionmaking by humanitarianorganizations has also beenexplored in this issue. All in all, thisspecial issue is of significance to notonly the students as well aspractitioners of humanitarian actionbut also to everyone who isinterested in understanding andresponding to the needs of thevictims of humanitarian crises.

– Kshitij Gupta

INTRODUCTION

Supporting AdaptiveApproaches to DRR andHumanitarian Action

In almost all sectors in whichorganisational management is

studied – from ecosystemmanagement to construction, localmunicipalities to hedge funds,technology firms to hospitals – thelast 20 years have seen a growinginterest in creating flexibleorganisations that can respond moreeffectively to complex and dynamicenvironments (where 'environment'can be a physical ecosystem, a policyspace, the global market, a city). Themotivations for this shift are asdiverse as the sectors embracing it,but are driven by one or more ofthe following three beliefs:1) Organisations that are able to

learn, and which make learninga priority, are more successfulor competitive in theirenvironment.

2) Twentieth century models oforganisational management –which prioritise top-downcontrol, centralised decision-making and linear planning –are both ineffective andinaccurate for describing howmanagement actually happens.

3) Globalisation and the internetage have changed and arechanging the way in whichindividuals interact withinstitutions, meaning thatmany modern organisations'goals (e.g. profit, policyobjectives, etc.) are notachievable without greaterresponsiveness to the needs,interests and incentives of theirkey stakeholders – all of whichmay be contradictory andchange over time.

These insights have led to aninterest in adaptive capabilities, whichenable an organisation to be flexibleand agile without succumbing tochaos (Vicenzi, 2000). Adaptivecapabilities can be defined as:

The ability of an organisation to adjustand respond effectively to dynamics anduncertainty (Obrecht 2018; adaptedfrom Friedman et al., 2016; Aagaard,2012).

Adaptation is a familiar concept inthe disaster risk reductioncommunity, but it has been appliedprimarily as a characteristic ofcommunities, contributing to theirresilience to climate change anddisaster risk. Organisations havesought to build the adaptive capacityof communities, but less attentionhas been paid to the adaptivecapacities of the organisations thatdeliver this support.

Adaptability and flexibility arecritical if modern aid organisationsare to deliver effective and relevantsupport to communities as they facecontinual change. Longer termdevelopment and resilience supportmust shift their priorities whencrises arise, and similarly, within acrisis, responders need to adjusttheir activities based on inputs fromcrisis affected people and changesin a highly dynamic situation.

Adaptiveness and flexibilityinvolve a whole-of-organisationapproach which can be difficult todescribe in concrete 'best practices',and which defy checklists and

southasiadisasters.netFebruary 2019 3

toolkits. The articles in this specialedition highlight different aspects ofwhat an adaptive approach to DRRand humanitarian response can looklike. From different perspectives,they describe the experiences of arange of practitioners and specialistsas they have attempted to work in amore adaptive way.

When applied to humanitarianaction, adaptive capabilities involvethree main components:

Knowing when to change: beingable to identify the right time andmotivation for changing what,where and how humanitarian actionis delivered

Deciding on the change: Identifyingthe correct 'pivot' or change to make.

Implementing the change: Bringingabout the change throughmobilisation of resources andadjustments to plans.

The articles in this special edition canbe organised under these three themes.

Knowing when to ChangeAbhishek Pandey's articlesummarises four key responsemodels outlined in a recent ALNAPpublication, which identify differentways of working in a crisis setting.This article highlights theimportance of using models andscenarios to recognise when to applycertain strategies and not others.

In my short article on proactive andreactive strategies, I discuss thedifferences between these two typesof flexibility and how a failure todistinguish between them leads tothe misperception that humanitarianagencies are more adaptive than theyreally are.

Deciding on the ChangeAdaptive programming requires asupportive organisational culture

and the right team dynamics, bothof which can be difficult to describein tangible action points. IsabellaJean, of CDA Collaborative, bringsthese features to life in her articlewith examples decision-making thatmade space for adaptations inresponse to feedback fromcommunities. Jean concludes fromthese examples that the adaptivenessof an organisation 'hinges ondecision-making processes thateffectively engage key stakeholdersin reviewing relevant data,deliberating on options and jointproblem solving.' In contrast, SafaFanaian's article on urban floodinghighlights what is at stake whenauthorities fail to engage inproactive decision-making in theface of increasing risk.

Implementing the ChangeThree practitioner leaders describehow adaptive approaches areimplemented in their organisations.

Loreine B. Dela Cruz, ExecutiveDirector of the Center for DisasterPreparedness Foundation in thePhilippines, describes how flexibleprogramming makes CDPF's work'a journey with the people that itworks with in the fight for dignity,equality and the fulfillment ofhuman rights,' while Sarwar Bari ofPattan Development Organisationdiscusses the sometimes surprisingactivities and support that getimplemented when beingresponsive to the changing needs ofcommunities as they recover from acrisis.

As examples of how adaptivechanges can be implemented,Ankush Seth discusses theimportance of creating culturallyrelevant frameworks for movingbetween short-term and longer-termsupport to communities, as seen inthe Heart Head Healing approachtaken by the Asian HeritageFoundation.

Looking AheadThis special edition concludes withreflections by Mihir Bhatt on thecross-cutting challenges ofadaptiveness and flexibility, drawnfrom his concluding comments forthe ALNAP workshop on adaptiveand flexible models forhumanitarian action, held inLondon, U.K. in September 2018. Atthe end of the newsletter a resourcepage is provided, listing keypublications as well as initiatives tomonitor for future output over thecoming year. Building a moreadaptive response to people in crisiswill require system-wide changes. Asa network dedicated to supportinglearning across the humanitariansector, ALNAP encourages anyonewho is interested in learning moreon this topic or working withALNAP on this theme to reach outto us at: [email protected]

– Alice Obrecht, ALNAP, UK

References:

Aagaard, P. (2012) 'The challengeof adaptive capability in publicorganizations'. PublicManagement Review, 14(6): 731-746.

Friedman, Y., Carmeli, A. andTishler, A. (2016) 'How CEOsand TMTs build adaptivecapacity in smallentrepreneurial firms'. Journalof Management Studies, 53(6),996-1018.

Obrecht, A. (2018) 'Makinghumanitarian response moreflexible: ALNAP workshopbackground paper.' ALNAP/ODI: London.

Vicenzi, R. (2000) 'Creatingconditions for creativity andinnovation in organizations'.Proceedings of the 2000 IEEEInternational Conference onManagement of Innovation andTechnology: (Vol. 1, pp. 276-282).


FLEXIBLE HUMANITARIANISM

Proactive and Reactive Strategies forKnowing When to AdaptThe terminology 'adaptive

management' and 'adaptiveprogramming' are relatively new,but some humanitarianprofessionals may feel as thoughthey have engaged in adaptivestrategies for decades already. If thisis the case, then why are adaptivemanagement approaches needed–and are they really offering anythingnew or different from currenthumanitarian practice?

There are different approaches thatorganisations can take to identifyingpivots or appropriate moments forchange, based on change orcomplexity in their externalenvironment. A common distinctionmade in the literature is betweenproactive and reactive strategies(Appelbaum and Goransson, 1997).Generally, proactive strategiesidentify potential responses orimprovements in advance of achange, while reactive strategiesrespond to changes that arehappening or have alreadyhappened. Understanding thedifference between reactive andproactive approaches toadaptiveness helps us see howadaptive management is both newand old for humanitarian action.

Adaptiveness can encompass bothproactive and reactive strategies, asboth support humanitarianorganisations to make relevant andtimely changes to their operations,programming or strategies (Ashmoset al., 2000). When it comes toknowing when to change, there areimportant questions as to whetherone strategy is more efficient oreffective than another, or whether

there are particular types ofdecisions for which proactivestrategies are best suited. Forexample, anticipatory scenarioplanning and disaster preparednesssit within the family of proactivedecision-making and may be moreappropriate for deciding on changesto programmes in settings withcyclical crises, where potentialscenarios are more predictable. Suchstrategies have been explored by afew humanitarian agencies,including the UK-based StartNetwork.1 Reactive decision-makingwill still be important for unexpectedevents that will not be captured inscenario planning based on priorexperience.

Humanitarian agencies tend to begood at reactive decision-making,working out responses to changes ina crisis after they have occurred. Thishas earned humanitarian actors areputation in some circles of beingflexible and responsive to dynamicsituations. However, humanitariansare not as good at proactive decision-making, projecting ahead to identifypotential scenarios and futureadjustments. Proactive decision-making may be more important forstrategic adaptations, which reflecta deeper level of learning about anintervention and an availability tomaking significant coursecorrections or changes.

A further consideration is whetherreactive decision-making issupported within an organisation inways that allow staff to adapt in areflective and structured way,enabling learning on what changesare made to a response and for what

reasons. In most humanitarianagencies, adaptive behaviour by staffgoes uncaptured and oftenunsupported, as staff are expected todeliver the programme as describedin a proposal document, regardlessof relevant changes in the situationas it unfolds.

With these considerations in mind,we can reflect more deeply onwhether humanitarian agencies arealready practicing adaptiveness inthe way it is framed as a capabilityof effective modern organisations.While humanitarian staff must oftenemploy reactive strategies–adaptingin response to changes in situationsor new learning from programmes–they are seldom supported to do thisconsistently and conscientiously.Also, proactive strategies foridentifying thresholds or changepoints in a programme are notwidely used or supported. Whileadaptiveness may be in the DNA ofmost humanitarian first responders,the systems and processes used todeliver humanitarian assistance areoften more rigid and unyielding.

Adaptive management andprogramming build on the flexibilityand adaptive mindset that alreadyexists in parts of the humanitariansector, while also offering somethingnew: a more formalised andintentional approach to thinkingproactively and reactively aboutchanging humanitarian action tomeet dynamic needs and situations.To a degree, humanitarians areindeed already adaptive, and alwayshave been–but in the face ofincreasingly long and dynamiccrises, they need to be engaging in

1 https://startnetwork.org/start-fund/crisis-anticipation-window


proactive and reactive adaptationsmore regularly and in smarter ways.


References:

Appelbaum, S. H. and Goransson,L. (1997) 'Transformational andadaptive learning within thelearning organization: aframework for research andapplication'. The LearningOrganization, 4(3), 115-128.Bingley: Emerald GroupPublishing. (www.alnap.org/

help-library/transformational-and-adaptive-learning-within-the-learning-organization-a-framework-for ).

Ashmos, D. P., Duchon, D. andMcDaniel, R. R. (2000)'Organizational responses tocomplexity: the effect onorganizational performance'.Journal of OrganizationalChange Management, 13(6),577-594. (www.alnap.org/help-library/organizational-responses-to-complexity-the-

REVIEW

What Do Shelterless Want after a Disaster?Accelerated urbanization is a

reality that India cannot affordto ignore anymore. It is estimatedthat by 2030, 40% of the country'spopulation will be residing in itscities. Such a huge influx of peopleinto India's cities will invariably puta lot of pressure on its alreadydistended urban infrastructureleading to acute shortages. Forinstance, India currently records anurban housing shortage ofapproximately 20 million units, ofwhich 57% are designated for theeconomically disadvantaged sectionsand 40% for low-income groups.

The exhibition "State of Housing Stateof Housing - Aspirations, Imaginariesand Realities in India" organized inMumbai in February 2018, tookstock of the housing challenges facedby India's low income groups in thecountry's cities. There is also a needto think of this challenge in termsof the disaster recovery process.

Reducing Risks and BuildingResilience in the shelter sector doesnot have an overview of aspirations,imaginaries and realities that can beused, and will remain usable inupcoming recovery process. Theunfolding of rebuilding shelter inKerala after the floods, and TamilNadu after the cyclone in 2018 remainmore of the same?

Rahul Mehrotra offers a template toapproach rebuilding shelter to thosewho wish to update and widespreadshelter after disaster. In his newpublication titled, "Housing in India:Aspirations, Imaginaries andRealities" Rahul offers a system wideas well as systematic way of thinkingabout a range of rebuildingchallenges India faces, from a houseto the entire settlement.

What we derive from the Volume 1is helpful to Risk VulnerabilityResilience (RVR) work as we findthat first gap in Building Back Better(BBB) shelter is that there is nohistory of rebuilding shelter, evenwhen there is.

How did Nehru see the rebuildingshelter after the Partition, and more,after floods and droughts that causedfood shortage and kept almost onethird of citizens without any shelterpossibility for over a decade. Didindependent India look at shelterrebuilding in any new orindependent way or continued whatthe British rebuild after any floodsor cyclone?

Was any re-thinking on housing andsettlement planning coming fromthe victims and vulnerable? Where?How? And did in-sight added anyadvantage to the victims or replaced

them in the vulnerable as well as atrisk position? To what degree didhousing and settlement rebuildingcoordinate together? And when theydid, did it cause any advantages? Andfor this was there any re-imaginingof the role of the State?

The time has come for NationalDisaster Management Plan (NDMP)to see if the rebuilding of shelter isadequately covered so that Indiaretrofits millions of unsafe sheltersto fulfill the ambitious promise ofoffering a pucca shelter to each Indiancitizen by 2022.

– Mihir R. Bhatt

effect-on-organizational-performance ).

De Jong, A. and De Ruyter, K.(2004) 'Adaptive versusproactive behavior in servicerecovery: The role of self-managing teams'. DecisionSciences, 35(3), 457-491.(www.alnap.org/help-library/adaptive-versus-proactive-behavior-in-service-recovery-the-role-of-self-managing-teams ).


ADAPTIVE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Daily Nudges: Using Community Feedbackfor Problem Solving

This reflection on daily nudges inadaptive humanitarian

programs was first presented at theALNAP London Workshop "Makinghumanitarian response more flexible:Exploring new models and approaches"in September 2018.1

A few years ago, I observed ahumanitarian manager using dailynudges with his team. He gatheredhis frontline staff at the end of eachday for a 10-15 minutes long huddle.This was a standing meeting withno laptops or phones allowed, andstaff standing in a circle. A singlequestion started the meeting: "Whatdid you hear today that concernedyou or surprised you?"

As issues were brought up, teammembers were asked toimmediately sort them intocategories: a) "we can address thison our team"; b) "we need tocommunicate this to seniormanagement for decision or action";c) "we need to refer this outside ourorganisation." The program managertook notes and assigned

responsibilities. He asked for statusreports on previous issues. They alsoreviewed feedback data related totheir program that arrived througha toll-free hotline. The meetingended with "What are you proud oftoday?"

I spoke to his staff about thisexperience. Some of them spent mostof their day conductingimplementation and monitoringvisits to remote flood-affected areas.They enthusiastically described asense of empowerment andconfidence, especially fromcategorizing issues into "we canresolve this right here" category.They saw it as a daily practice ofproblem-solving which made theincoming complaints and issues lessdaunting. Staff began to listen forand bring in more examples of howprogram aspects could be tweakedor changed significantly to resolverecurring issues. They made severalmodifications to the shelter programbased on community and partnerfeedback: the amount of the firstcash payment was increased to allow

for construction to proceed faster,and modifications were made to cashtransfer procedures to increaseefficiency and avoid bottlenecks atlocal banks.

The manager had no specific tool foradaptive management. He didn't

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1 https://www.alnap.org/system/files/content/resource/files/main/ALNAPpaper Making humanitarian response moreflexible_1.pdf.


require his staff to file long anddense reports. Instead, he put inplace a daily expectation of engagingin inquiry-based and collaborativeproblem-solving process, one thatalso celebrated accomplishments andbuilt pride. He didn't rememberbeing asked about such skills duringthe job interview. But he felt that hisjob was to demonstrate how to usethe daily stream of information toimprove the services his programwas providing. He also felt that thisresponsibility should be shared byothers on the team.

Adaptive management hinges ondecision-making processes thateffectively engage key stakeholdersin reviewing relevant data,deliberating on options and jointproblem solving. The table-1compares two decision-makingstyles. In one of them, seniordecision-makers play the role of"advocates" who present informationselectively, buttressing theirarguments while withholdingrelevant but contradictory orpotentially conflicting data. Theirgoal is to make a compelling case,not to convey an even handed orbalanced view. Conversely, inquiry-focused decision-makers carefullyconsider a variety of options andwork jointly with others to discoverthe best solution. Their goal is notto persuade the group to adopt agiven point of view, but to come to

agreement on the best course ofaction (Garvin & Roberto, 2001). Thehumanitarian team I accompaniedduring their shelter reconstructionresponse, successfully applied thelatter approach without any specificguidance for doing so.

At CDA, after years of applying theDo No Harm framework with staffon the frontlines of humanitarian,development and peacebuildingefforts, we also know that adaptivemanagement requires a certaindegree of confidence. We know thattaking DNH seriously requires us tore-consider and, possibly, challengeor change the program elements thatwe or others, including oursuperiors, do not wish to give up.

Confidence doesn't simply arisefrom the latest guidance documentor a tool handed to you. But it canbe encouraged and modelledthrough a routine process withtangible results. Frontline staff riseto the expectations set for them bytheir managers and peers. This isespecially true when theseexpectations reflect broaderorganisational values. I don't meanthe values that appear as words onposters or in periodic staff meetings.I mean the values that are observeddaily in interactions between staff,managers, partners, and communitymembers. In this case, the managerhad set a clear expectation that his

team will solicit and use communityfeedback to the best of their ability.The feeling of confidence that wassupported on that team, ultimatelycontributed to increased competenceto manage adaptively.

CDA's case studies documentmodifications made tohumanitarian, development andpeacebuilding programs in Cox'sBazar, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Uganda,Kenya, Ukraine, South Sudan,among other contexts. Please checkthese relevant resources for moreexamples, lessons and guidancepoints:• Bond/CDA (2017). "Beneficiary

Feedback: how we hinder andenable good practice." Publishedby Bond Network in the UK,this report summarizes lessonsfrom our learning processeswith Bond members and CDAcase studies on feedbackutilization in humanitarian,development and peacebuildingprograms.

• IRC-CDA (2018). Feedback toAction: Strategies to improvethe use of feedback inprogrammatic decision-making.Joint research report from USState Department fundedresearch on feedback utilizationcarried out by IRC and CDA in2016-2017. – Isabella Jean,

Director, CDA Collaborative Learning,Cambridge, USA

Table-1. Comparing Two Approaches to Decision Making (Garvin & Roberto, 2001, Harvard Business School)2

Concept of decision makingPurpose of discussion

Participants' rolePatterns of behaviour

Minority viewsOutcome

Advocacy Approacha contest

persuasion and lobbyingspokespeople

strive to persuade othersdefend your positiondownplay weakness

discouraged or dismissedwinners and losers

Inquiry Approachcollaborative problem solving

testing and evaluationcritical thinkers

present balanced argumentsremain open to alternativesaccept constructive criticism

cultivated and valuedcollective ownership

2 David A. Garvin and Michael A. Roberto, What You Don't Know About Making Decisions, Cambridge, MA: HarvardBusiness Review, 2001.


CASE STUDY

CDP@20: Two Decades of Commitment toResilience, Empowerment, and Development

Twenty years of existence servesas a testament of CDP's

flexibility and adaptiveness inkeeping with and responding to thesigns of the times. Its workthroughout the years is a significantcontribution to the national effortsin community-based climate &disaster risk reduction andmanagement (CBCDRRM). For twodecades, the organization'sengagements have mirrored itspriority areas of work andadvocacies in response to the globalcall to address critical concerns inCBCDRRM.

Being a pioneer in CBDRM, it hasdeveloped CBDRM as its frameworkof intervention in working withcommunities and in engaging localgovernment units over the years.CDP can very well say that it hascontributed to its development andsignificance today as also enshrinedin the current DRRM law in thePhilippines. It is a comprehensiveframework and approach tocommunity-based disaster riskreduction and management which

highlights the process ofinstitutionalization andsustainability by locallymainstreaming the communities'capacity development in partnershipwith local government units. Suchprovided the impetus for locally-ledpreparedness and response andcontributed to more strengthenedleadership of national and localactors in disaster risk reduction andmanagement and in humanitarianaction.

Governance initiatives includingshared risk governance has madeCDP an important partner forchange by communities, buildingpeople's resilience through time-tested methodologies of capacitydevelopment; training of trainersamong stakeholders, mentoring andaccompanying them in the process,together with creation andevaluation of policies craftedtogether in a process bymultistakeholders. CDP's advocacyengagements and praxis hadenriched its very own conceptualdevelopment and theory building

thereby serving as guide to itsdirection and thrust through theyears.

CDP's programming framework hasbeen very open, flexible andadaptive in its twenty years ofexistence. From a specializationscheme of developing variedprograms based on its mandate inDRRM, programs had beendeveloped and nurtured thataddressed training and capacitydevelopment; advocacy, partnershipand networking; research,knowledge exchange andmanagement; projects andpartnerships and later humanitarianpreparedness and response. Saidspecialized programs bore fruit ingender-inclusive CBCDRRM withemphasis on partnership andcomplementary roles between menand women. The child-centeredCBCDRRM has brought to light thevalue and role of children and youngpeople in the field of DRRM. Onthe other hand, disability inclusionand whole of society approach hasutilized inclusivity in engagingvarious stakeholders at varyinglevels in diverse kind ofengagements.

The organization's transformativeprogramming approach also led theway to various new projects andpartnerships. Learning fromsimilarities and diversities of urbanand rural projects, with the urbanDRR Project providing lessons ofengaging communities in the citiesthat capitlized on concerted localactions founded on people's capacityand leadership towards theachievement of disaster resilienceand development. The rural DRRinitiatives had prioritized the leastserved in far-flung and remoteDisability People's Organization at work.


URBAN RESILIENCE

Risking Cities and Rivers: What are thePathways Towards Resilience?

Many cities have grown onriverbanks due to the strategic

importance of transportation andtrade in addition to social andphysical resources that riversprovide1. However, the growth ofcities on riverbanks comes at a costto both the river and the city.

The growing cities in India are ladenwith visions of future growth whilegrappling with their past ofinadequate infrastructure, multiplelayers of overlapping policy, andlocal politics2. Out of the 497 censuscities in India in 2011, more than 100are situated on rivers, includingBangalore, Chennai, Delhi,Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

Urban planning within India oftenoverlooks the connection of risksthat cities pose to and face fromrivers. These risks include urban

floods, water supply issues, erosion,increasing river pollution due tosewage and waste release from citiesand more3. There is little researchon or attention being paid to themanagement of risks at the nexus ofcities and rivers.

The 2015 Chennai floods werelinked to high rainfall and backwashfrom the Cooum and Adyar riversthat run through the city4,5.Mumbai's continuing battle withurban floods is strongly also linkedto blocked river channels anddevelopment on the floodplains ofthe Mithi, Poisar, and Oshiwararivers6,7. The growth of built areasin cities, decrease in open spaces (e.g.lakes and wetlands) to absorbrainfall, weak drainage, changingclimate patterns and mismanagementof rivers together create a perfectrecipe for the disaster of urban floods.

Most Indian cities also directlyrelease wastewater into adjoiningrivers or water bodies. The 2015report by the Central PollutionControl Board of India noted that37,000 million liters per day ofuntreated sewage water flows intorivers across the country8.

Rivers into which wastewater arereleased, are also a source ofdrinking water for cities. Urbanwater utilities spend crores of rupeesinvesting in water treatment plantson construction and maintenance totreat water from these rivers tomake it safe for domestic use9.

The water governance system inIndia has evolved since itsindependence. However, the legacyof colonial preference towardsinfrastructural solutions, remain 10, 11.

communities in different parts of thecountry to help the marginalized andvulnerable sections of the populationcope with disaster impacts andrespond to community needs. In

recovering from disasters, CDPventured on resilient livelihood thatdrove the communities to projectsbringing sustainable source of livingand uplifting people's lives.

Different community projects hadput emphasis on sustainability,nutrition, pollution control, naturalresource' preservation and solidwaste management.

CDP's experience and practice intwo decades is actually a journeywith the people that it works within the fight for dignity, equality andthe fulfillment of human rights. It isa demonstration of nationalism, loveand service to the people and tohumanity. Beautiful friendships,amazing relationships and fruitfulpartnerships and collaborationshave all been built and nurtured inthe pursuit of safe, resilient, andsustainable communities in thecountry and globally.

– Loreine B. Dela Cruz, ExecutiveDirector, Center for Disaster

Preparedness Foundation, Philippines


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Urban floods are sought to becontrolled by improving storm-water drains within cities, increasingembankments or flood walls on thesides of rivers12. The number ofpumps to pump out water steadilyincreasing in effort to decreaseinundated areas. More drains andpassages constructed to quicklydrain out water from the cities13. Butthe flood damages continue to risewith each flood event.

More and more Sewage treatmentplants (STPs) and Water treatmentPlants (WTP) are being constructedas the solution for the waterproblems of cities14,15. The domesticwater shortage and river pollutionis still steadily increasing

This article does not try to say thatinfrastructure solutions are bad orthat we have to leave cities or giveinto the romantic notions of simplerpast days. What the article seeks todo is open the conversation, on risksfaced by cities and rivers. Thegovernance of these risks requires asystemic perspective, one that iscontext specific and includes otheroptions beyond technology andinfrastructure.

The rise of SMART Cities programin India along with a drive towards

rejuvenation of rivers provides anopportunity improve management.It can allow us to go beyondtechnology and infrastructuresolutions for improved resilience ofcities and rivers. Sustainingtechnology and infrastructure infuture SMART cities requiresinclusion of SMART modes ofgovernance as well.

References:1. Dempsey, N., Jayaraj, S. R. &

Redmond, E. There's always theriver: social and environmentalequity in rapidly urbanisinglandscapes in India. LandscapeResearch 1-14 (2017). doi:10.1080/01426397.2017.1315389

2. Colmer, J. Urbanisation , Growth ,and Development?: Evidence fromIndia. 1-52 (2011). at <https://urbanisation.econ.ox.ac.uk/materials/papers/24/urbanisationindia.pdf>

3. van den Brandeler, F., Gupta, J. &Hordijk, M. Megacities and rivers:Scalar mismatches between urbanwater management and river basinmanagement. Journal of Hydrology(2018). doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.01.001

4. Arabindoo, P. Unprecedentednatures?: An anatomy of theChennai floods. City 20, 800-821(2016).

5. Ramasamy, S. M., Vijay, • A &Dhinesh, • S. Geo-anthropogenicaberrations and Chennai floods:

2015, India. Nat. Hazards 92, 443-477 (2018).

6. Zope, P. E., Eldho, T. I. &Jothiprakash, V. Impacts of landuse-land cover change andurbanization on flooding: A casestudy of Oshiwara River Basin inMumbai, India. Catena 145, 142-154 (2016).

7. Zope, P. E., Eldho, • T. I. &Jothiprakash, • V. Hydrologicalimpacts of land use-land coverchange and detention basins onurban flood hazard: a case studyof Poisar River basin, Mumbai,India. 87, 1267-1283 (2017).

8. GoI. Unstarred Question No.1478.(Lok Sahba, 2015). at <http://164.100.47.190/loksabhaquestions/annex/6/AU1478.pdf>

9. Bassi, N. & Kumar, M. D.Addressing the Civic Challenges:Perspective on Institutional Changefor Sustainable Urban WaterManagement in India. Environ.Urban. Asia 3, 165-183 (2012).

10. Mollinga, P. P. in Governance ofWater: Institutional Alternatives andPolitical Economy (ed. Ballabh, V.)33 (SAGE Publications, 2005).

11. Naz, F. & Subramanian, S. V.Water Management across Space andTime in India. (2010). at<www.zef.de>

12. Vollmer, D., Prescott, M. F.,Padawangi, R., Girot, C. & Grêt-Regamey, A. Understanding thevalue of urban riparian corridors:Considerations in planning forcultural services along anIndonesian river. Landsc. UrbanPlan. 138, (2015).

13. Rafiq, F., Ahmed, S., Ahmad, S. &Ali Khan, A. Urban Floods inIndia. Int. J. Sci. Eng. Res. 7, (2016).

14. Acharya, K. How India's citiescame to drown in sewage andwaste. The Guardian (2012). at<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/aug/01/india-cities-drown-sewage-waste>

15. Rai, S. C. Water Management for aMegacity: National CapitalTerritory of Delhi. Water Resour.Manag. 25, 2267-2278 (2011).

– Safa Fanaian, DPhilCandidate, School of Geography and

The Environment, Oxford – IndiraGandhi Scholar, Somerville College,

University of Oxford, UK


CONTEXT DRIVEN RESPONSE

Making Humanitarian Response more Flexible:Responding to Context

Crisis and disasters are generallyan unknown and dynamic

phenomenon that arrive without anyprior notice. Some of them last for ashort period whereas others last fora long period of time. But alldisasters lead to chaos and woe. Insuch cases, it becomes imperative forthe humanitarian organisations tobe flexible, adaptive and agile toensure speedy assistance andprotection to the victims. But if thepast experiences of humanitarianorganisations are analyzed, then itis observed that they are strugglingto react in the nick of time despitethe fact that they are recognized tobe flexible and proactive.

There are two major challengescontributing to this averseperformance of the humanitarianorganisations. First is the change inthe context in which theseorganisations operate, and second isthe organized structure that isrestricting them to function withfreedom and efficiency. Thus, thereis a need to have some model or anapproach that cater to these twochallenges thereby increasing theability of these organisations toadapt dynamically in complexenvironments.

The new model should be such thataddresses the root cause leading toprevention and mitigation of disasters.It should aim to offer short-termdevelopment and long-term reductionin vulnerabilities. The following arethe four major models ofhumanitarian responses to crisis anddisaster caused by ever-changingclimate1.

1. Comprehensive ModelThis model is predominant in lower-income countries having limitedstate capacity and high level ofvulnerability. In such cases, the

international humanitarianorganisations play a pivotal role inproviding assistance as the statedoes not have enough capacity torespond to disaster rapidly. Forexample, the 2010 earthquake inHaiti. The pitfall in the model is thatit has less involvement of local andnational actors and mainlydependent on external actors.

2. Constrained ModelThe constrained model is used insituations where humanitarianorganisations cannot intrude due topolitical unrest. It becomes difficultto provide assistance in dealing withdisaster vulnerability. For example,countries like Somalia who are inconstant political unrest.

3. Collaborative ModelThe collaborative model is effectivein low to middle-income economiesthat are developing the resilience todisasters. Here, both internationaland national actors complement eachother and work in collaboration. Forexample, countries like India.However, the model fails when theinternational actors take more

control in delivering the aid due tothe reluctant nature of working atpar with the national organisations.

4. Consultative ModelThis model is suitable for middle tohigh-income economies having thehighest adaptability and resilienceagainst disasters. The nationalgovernment takes the lead inproviding assistance thereby reducingthe role of international actors. Forexample, frequent earthquakes in Japan.

After seeing different models, it canbe concluded that there is no oneparticular model applicable to all thescenarios. Today, when the form,type and impact of the disaster ischanging rapidly, an ideal approachshould look like having the highestflexibility and adaptability to deliveraid in no time.

– Abhishek Pandey,Development Studies, Gujarat, India

Reference:1. Ramalingam, B. and Mitchell, J.

(2015). Responding to ChangingNeeds? Challenges and Opportunitiesfor Humanitarian Action. ALNAP/ODI: London, UK.

Response to Hurricane Katrina.


CULTURALLY SENSITIVE APPROACHES TO DRR

Heart Head Healing in South Asia

The Himalayan ecosystem, vitalto the environmental security of

the South Asian Sub continentallandmass and lifeways of itsinhabitant faces many threats due toclimate change and humanindifference. Its glaciers along withthose of the Tibetan Plateau havebeen dubbed the "third pole" as itcontains the largest stores offreshwater in the world outside ofthe North and South poles.According to studies, these aremelting more rapidly than at anygiven point in the last ten thousandyears and two-thirds of it coulddisappear by the end of this century.

The number of instances of disasterssuch as floods, earthquakes andlandslides has dramatically increasedsince the turn of the centuryclaiming thousands of lives anddisplacing millions. In the yearfollowing the Uttarakhand flashfloods of 2013, the Kashmir valley,nestled in central Himalayas wasflooded in the September surge ofJhelum. This was subsequented byApril 2015 Earthquake in Nepal.These events caused incalculabledestruction to the tangible heritageof these regions and disrupted manytraditional practices beyond repair.

The damaged cultural artifacts andsymbols invariably became thevisible face of these disasters… be itthe flood washed Kedarnath temple,the peeling paint of the soakedpaintings of eminent artists housedin SPS Museum in Srinagar or theravaged marvels of the NewariArchitecture at the Patan DurbarSquare in Kathmandu.

At the face of it, culture invokes anostalgic sentiment which makespeople pause and take note. But the

relationship between human desires,culture and nature goes muchdeeper. In context of adversesituations this interplay isbeautifully captured by PathanayKhan's rendition of the dialoguebetween Sohni and the clay pot:

Sohni ghare nu aakhdi, uj mainu yaarmilla gharia…

Keewain millan mahiwal nu, daryazouran na uj charia…

Ghara kehnday… Dosh na mere ohsohniye,

main ishq di aag che na sadeya…

Sohni urges her clay pot to takeher to her beloved (across the

river)…How will I meet Mahiwal (her

love), the river flows savagely…The pot replies… it's not my fault

oh Sohni,I've not been baked in the fire of

love…

The fact remains that the growth ofhumanity on the planet is foundedon exploration and exploitation ofnatural resources. By 2050, it isestimated that the world populationmay touch 10 billion souls. The nextfew decades are also expected to seethe fourth industrial revolutionwhere the very idea of a humanbeing as a natural concept may be

challenged by bio-technology. Inaddition to exponentially increasingpressures exerted on Earth, theseprojections tender the culture ofhuman – nature interaction touncertain probabilities.

While, a sense of deference withnature has always existed in alltraditional and evolving knowledgesystems, the lack of thoroughmodels and consistent follow upoften reduce the concepts ofsustainability, feasibility, eco-friendly, green etc. to romance andhalf baked strategies… just likeSohni's pot.

To increase civic consciousness forenvironment and counter publicapathy towards the pushovers of thenatural calamities, design-ledinterventions and context basedsolutions are increasingly gainingfavour amongst those concerned fordelicate ecologies.

Heart Head Healing (HHH) is asmall example of such a framework.Conceived by the Asian HeritageFoundation (AHF) under theproactive mentorship of her chair,Rajeev Sethi, HHH is a three–pronged approach oriented towardsempowering the disaster affected"doing more with less".

Heart – Empowering withimmediate need based relief, whichmay include the following;• Essential supplies – Food, safe

drinking water, hygiene &sanitary Kits etc.

• Healthcare – medical camps,medicines, post disasterawareness campaigns & first aidkits

• Temporary shelter andsustenance – Tents, sheds,

A shift of economic focusto the small and broadly'cultural', 'creative' or'legacy' industries ispertinent to sustainablegrowth and capacitybuilding for this vast butvulnerable populace in thesubcontinent.


bedding, blankets, clothing andfootwear

• Emergency control rooms tomanage communicationmobilize resources and to find,help and rescue the missing.

Head – Putting in place systems formanaging calamities via• Mapping the affected areas,• Scaling the level of damages,• Identifying / profiling the

affected communities• Networking with donors,

concerned partners, relief fieldworkers, experts, official andn o n – g o v e r n m e n t a lorganizations/agencies andestablishing direct linksbetween them and the

• Creation of a brain trust –Involved in research, policymaking & advocacy, Impartingtrans–disciplinary workshopsand creation of experienceexchange platforms essaying therole of man and nature whiledeliberating on the factors thatexacerbate various forms ofcalamities

• Building of a dedicatedvoluntary corp - Identificationand training and retention ofvolunteers through workshops,drills field visits and socialmedia.

Healing – Developing short andlong term rehabilitation programssuch as• Setting up transitional

classrooms and child friendlyspaces

• Reimagining, rebuilding andresettlement of residential areas,educational institutions,commercial precincts, culturaland heritage spaces, agriculturaland horticultural lands

• Creation of sustainablelivelihood creating newopportunities for livelihoodsespecially in creative andcultural industries; craft- based

training forming cooperativesand self-help groups

• Ecological restoration• Raising awareness about natural

heritage, environment andecological balance

• Support ecological conservationactivities like afforestation, soilconservation drives and etc.

• Community resilience anddisaster risk reduction

• Age-appropriate post–traumaticstress management programmes

• Organize counseling andemotional support groups toreduce vulnerabilities (micro aswell as macro)

• Remembering lost lives –reconciliation with talismanicshrines and memorial spaces.

Launched during the 2004-5 IndianOcean tsunami, AHF extended itsHHH model to the flood affectedareas of Kashmir in the October of2014 post the Jhelum deluge and tothe conflict affected districts of Nepalpost the April 2015 Earthquake.

As we continue to follow up withour beneficiaries and concernedstakeholders, there is an increasedrealization that issues of risk andresilience with vulnerablecommunities are linked to thestrategic intentions of prosperity,peace and coexistence within theSouth Asian region. The pressure ofgeopolitical issues related to theenvironmental degradation, futureof work, gender disparity, identitycrisis and cross-borderapprehensions, need a coherent anda resourceful deliverance.

Within this larger context, there is acase to be made for the CulturalIndustries as a potential enabler of aseamless South Asia opening "newdevelopment pathways thatencourage creativity and innovationin the pursuit of inclusive, equitableand sustainable growth anddevelopment" (The United NationsSystem Task Team on the Post–2015

United Nations DevelopmentAgenda).

What has been consistentlyoverlooked is the capacity of ourcreative economy to drivetransformative change; to rejecthomogenization; to indigenize'global' practices and applyinnovative skills and resources todrive original commissions.Consider the scores of women andmen in the region – a numberpossibly larger than agriculture -who work with their time-testedknowledge systems, their craft andtalent largely inherited butincreasingly unrecognized,underutilized, undervalued andundeterred by organized industry.

A shift of economic focus to the smalland broadly 'cultural', 'creative' or'legacy' industries is pertinent tosustainable growth and capacitybuilding for this vast but vulnerablepopulace in the subcontinent.

"Culturally sensitive approacheshave tangibly demonstrated how itis possible to address the economicand human rights dimensions ofpoverty while, at the same time,pointing to innovative solutions tocomplex development issues.Indeed, culture helps broaden theterms of the current developmentdebate by advancing a human–centered approach that effectivelyyields sustainable, inclusive andequitable outcomes.

In this broader perspective,creativity and culture are recognizedfor the multiple contributions theymake to development, includinggenerating social energy, confidenceand engagement, enabling bothindividuals and groups to aspire toand imagine alternative futures."(Creative Economy Report,UNCTAD, 2015).

– Ankush Seth,Executive Director, Asian Heritage

Foundation, New Delhi


CASE STUDY

Flexibility First: Why Flexibility is Essential inHumanitarian Work

Apart from causing massivelosses of life and assets,

disasters also cause widespreaddisruption of livelihoods andbusinesses that are beyond thecoping capacity of the affectedpopulations. Hence, outsideassistance becomes a necessity. Since,most outsider humanitarian actorsare often strangers to the affectedareas, they need to understand thecomplexity of local dynamics andfluidity of the situation. Our longexperience shows that for a certainperiod depending on the intensityand spread of disaster, the followingfactors ought to be considered whileplanning an intervention. First,needs of disaster affected peoplechange fast. Second, the higher thenumber of outside humanitarianactors involved, the higher the needof flexibility and coordinationamongst actors required. Third, takeconcrete measures to observeeveryday developments. Fourth,build confidence and trust of menand women of affected communitiesin order to ascertain their opinions.Fifth, establish rapid actionmechanism to respond to thechanging needs. Last but not theleast, never ignore capacities of localpeople. Despite colossal damages,

the affected people do have theenergy to bounce back strongerfrom their collective misfortune.

Consider the following two casestudies. In the aftermath of 1992super floods, Pattan received fundsfrom two international NGOs for ahousing project. One hugelydevastated community, residing nextto the river Jhelum had lost almostevery house wanted us to build nothouses but an embankment aroundthe village. No one was interestedin getting a house. They argued thatthe embankment will save themfrom flood disasters forever whilehouses might be washed away againby future floods. I informed the donorsimmediately, the donors agreed andthe community's wish became areality. The community has beenproud of its decision even today, asthe embankment saved them fromsix super disasters since then.

The 2005 earthquake in Pakistankilled nearly 87,000, seriouslyinjured more than 150,000 anddisplaced 1.3 million persons. Pattanwas perhaps the first national NGOwhich had reached to Balakot.Within a couple of weeks weestablished a tent village. About 49

families were registered in oneweek. We already knew that thetemperature drops to freezing pointsin Balakot in winter. But keepingpeople warm in tents throughtraditional means was full of risk.Within a couple of days of ourmeeting with the tent community,we provided the hot water bottlesto the people.

Moreover, it was easy to anticipatecommon needs of women and men,young and elderly, and differentlyabled persons, but we were nearlyblind about their differential anduncommon needs. One afternoonwhile I was on a visit to the camp, Iencouraged the men and the womento speak. A woman embarrassinglyasked for a mirror, needle andthread. Rest of the women endorsed.I thought it as an early sign of thereturn of normalcy. Next day everytent family received the items. Aftera few days, an old man approachedme and reluctantly shared with methe desire to marry off his daughter.The bridegroom family was alsopart of the tent village. Both familieshad lost most of their loved onesonly a couple of weeks back. Thiswas indeed a turning point as a hugesign of normalcy. Pattan helped theboth families in finalizing thearrangements for the wedding. Thenews spread across the world.

General Musharraf then the ruler ofPakistan thought to grab somelegitimacy too. He along with hiswife visited the tent village, handedover some precious gifts to thenewly married couple and the eventwas splashed across the globe.

Lesson – informed planning isessential but keeping room forflexibility is equally important.

– Sarwar Bari, NationalCoordinator, Pattan Development

Organisation, Islamabad, PakistanHot water bottle distribution winter 2005/6 Kaghan Valley, Inexpensive yet greatly valued.


REVIEW

Landscape Planning for Risk Reduction andResilience BuildingAlthough landscape studies have

long been a part of architectureand design disciplines, it is onlyrecently that the landscape of riskreduction and resilience building iscoming up in discussion amongpolicy makers and planners. Thelandscape of risk (and resilience) isbecoming an important area ofstudy as demand for leadership toreduce risk and norms that safeguardhumanity is increasing in South Asia.

Over twenty interviews of India'sleading disaster risk reduction andresilience experts conducted by AllIndia Disaster Mitigation Institute(AIDMI) for Save the Children, India,suggest the need for a new way oflooking at risk and resilience. Andlandscape studies may be one wayto plan risk reduction and resiliencebuilding.

In this light, a recent 56th issue ofJournal of Landscape Architecture,2018 on Mumbai offers a range ofideas to consider. The issue leads thereaders to find a new way of readingrisk in maps, reports, anddevelopment projects as ShilpaGaurish Chandawarkar suggests.Writings on cities do not directlydeal with risks but needs a way ofreading risk that is yet to bedeveloped, that is yet latent, and thatis yet evolving. By locating risk andresilience in her framework, we finda new way to read risk in plans andplanning process. Shiraz Allibbhai inthis issue throws light on nurturingrisk reduction and resilience in acity: what it takes; what it means;and who has a lead role to play.Though he per se does not talk aboutrisk, or resilience, he indeed tells alot about nurturing in urban areasbeyond Mumbai. What can be donecan be done in many similar anddifferent cities or towns of India.

risk reduction experts to jointly findan additional narrative for risk incities that can help make safer plans.And we know that a single narrativeis never enough to turn ideas into adoable plan, even if the narrative isscientific or technical and abouturban risk.

If India wants to leave no one behindin its efforts to make its cities safefrom disaster risks, additional waysof landscape studies and planningmust be explored.

– Mihir R. Bhatt

And that is the potency of Mumbai Ihave admired. Saylee Soundalgekaris talking about publicness in herpiece, what disaster risk reductionexperts can find in her piece is a wayof experiencing urban risk in publicspaces. In most disaster riskreduction studies and research, riskis down there in the locality or aplan, away from disaster riskreduction experts and Saylee invitesexperts to experience specific riskbefore planning process is started.

The time has come for architects,landscape designers, and disaster


BOOK REVIEW

Humanitarian Action: INGOs and State Flexibility

Flexibility in HumanitarianAction is not possible without a

better understanding the policies,principles, and identities that shapethe relations between internationalNGOs and the State. Andrew J.Cunningham, an expert and consultanton matters of humanitarian studiesoffers a book to humanitarian actorsfor this purpose.

He argues in his book that therelationship between the State andinternational non-governmentalorganisations (INGOs) working inthe humanitarian sector are complexand often contradictory. INGOsaiming to provide assistance topopulations suffering from theconsequences of conflicts and otherhuman-made disasters work in themidst of very politically sensitivelocal dynamics. Police that does notpolice. Hospitals that keep thepatients waiting. The involvement ofthese non-political internationalactors can be seen as a threat to theState that sees civil war as a state ofexception where it is thegovernment's prerogative to actoutside 'normal' legal or moralboundaries. The book makes usthink who has drawn theseboundaries, for whose benefit, andhow firm or flexible they are in theface of the reality of ongoing conflict.Drawing on first-hand experience ofhumanitarian operations in thecontexts of civil war, Andrew J.Cunningham explores how therelationship works in practice andhow often clashing priorities can bemediated. Thus the book is useful tothose in the authority or official dutyto offer relief.

Andrew J. Cunningham bringstogether key issues of politics,principles and identity to build a'negotiation structure' for analysingand understanding the relationship

using case studies of civil conflictsin Sri Lanka, Darfur, Ethiopia andChechnya. Each country offers areality that is both universal as wellas specific. He churned his ideas andover twenty years of experience inworking with humanitarianorganisations, especially MédecinsSans Frontières (MSF) and thereforethe book becomes a must read forthe leaders of INGOs trying to makehumanitarian action more flexible.

Negotiations with authorities areoften multifaceted. A theoreticalframework used to conceptualise therelationship in the book offers apossible way ahead. The negotiationstructure describes the relation ofthe external with the internal. Butthen what is "in" and what is "out"where boundaries are many andrapidly changing? Each of the fourcase studies are examined with careand analysis. The case studiesrepresent a variety of civil conflicts,types of states and geographicalareas. The Sri Lanka case study formsthe reference point which examinesthe 2006 and 2008/9 periods of civilwar. Experiences of those two

periods and why the relationshipbetween humanitarian actors and thegovernment changed over time hasbeen compared with an insider's eyeand an outsider's ear. The Chechnyastudy examines fear as discoursewhile the Ethiopia case examines thelaw as discourse. The Sudan casestudy explains expulsion asdiscourse. All four offer a roundedview of the complex reality ofconflict within which the State andthe INGOs relate with each other toserve the humanity. The case studiesoffer potent outlines to students andresearchers of humanitarian action,may the action be in Myanmar orBhutan, West Asia or South Asia.

Not only in conflict situations, butthe framework and case studiesequally provide guidance for INGOsworking in disaster managementsector. The time has come to revisitthe relationships between INGOsand the State in disaster situationsas well. This is more true in SouthAsia where the humanitarian sectorsees decreasing funds for INGOs; theState moving ahead from the finalresponsibility; and the private sectordeveloping business plan for theirhumanitarian response. South Asianetworks such as Duryog Nivaranhave shed light on this challenge inthe South Asia Disaster Report 2016titled Building Back Better.

Flexibility in the humanitarianaction becomes more evident whenwe find the rigidly of the statepolicies, principles and identity.

– Book Review by Vipul Nakum,AIDMI

Bibliographic information:Title: International Humanitarian NGOsand State Relations - Politics, Principlesand IdentityAuthor: Andrew J. CunninghamPublisher: Routledge, 2018ISBN: 9781138049147Length: 209 pages


Road accidents and related injuriesare among the top ten causes of

death and human health losses inIndia, and disproportionately highamong young adults and in hill states.Pragya, a development organisationworking to address development needsand intractable issues in India, isimplementing a project, titled "RideSafe in the Himalayas", that aims toimprove safety and bolsteremergency and trauma managementon Himalayan roads. The project usesa multipronged approach to improveroad safety and reduce fatalities andhealth losses resulting from roadaccidents in selected Himalayandistricts in India. Launched in 2017,the project was implemented in Lehin its first year and was expanded toLahaul & Spiti from the second yearonwards. Under the project, publicawareness campaigns have beenconducted on road safety, using streetplay, radio jingles, a Road Safety

Mascot and other modes; local youthhave also been enlisted as Road SafetyChampions. In collaboration with thedistrict health authorities, the projectalso supports preventive and curativehealthcare for communities throughmonthly health camps in villages,and aids vocational skilldevelopment for the youth.

The central initiative under theproject is of establishing an effectiveEmergency Response Network (ERN)towards Road Safety along the Leh-Manali highway, in partnership withthe district administration and localhealth authorities as well as localcommunities. So far, in Leh, selectedhealthcare facilities (district hospital,primary health centres) along thehighway are being upgraded withadvanced medical equipment to helpthem function as Advanced TraumaCare Centres (ATCCs) and FirstResponse Centres (FRCs)]. Critical

Care Ambulances are being providedto these facilities and stationed atvarious strategic points along thehighway. Pragya has also equipped20 Points of Presence (PoPs) or firstresponder points to respond quicklyto accident-related medicalemergencies; seven of these havebeen helped to set up as pitstops toprovide vehicle maintenance andrepair services to travelers. Twenty-one satellite phones have beenprovided to the PoPs, upgraded healthfacilities and ambulances, includingthose in blackout or no-networkzones. Additionally, the organisationis introducing emergency helplineservices for travelers and developinga mobile-based Road SafetyApplication to provide informationto travellers on the ERN and facilitiesavailable in the area. These activitieshave been made possible with theactive participation and support fromlocal government agencies. Apart

ROAD SAFETY IN HILLY REGIONS

Emergency Response Network for RoadSafety in Leh

"Health and trauma facilities between Leh and Sarchu are very poor, and Pragya has been playing a supportive role in ensuringthat a robust emergency trauma management network is in place along the Leh-Manali highway."

– Dr. Gyal Wangal, Deputy Chief Executive Councilor, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)

Pragya supported 3 Critical Care Ambulances to District Health Authority, Leh.


WAY AHEAD

Insights on Making Humanitarian ResponseMore Flexible

In September, ALNAP broughttogether humanitarians from a

variety of functions in the system -from HR, to logistics andprogramming - under the same roofto talk about adaptiveness. Can youdistil two days of rich discussionson the ideas and experiences ofmaking humanitarian programmesmore flexible into a list of actions?

Looking back, there are someinsights that I took away from thosediscussions which I hope to takeahead on my own steam in my

organization, All India DisasterMitigation Institute (AIDMI):

Sharing and Pooling PowerSharing and pooling of powerbetween the internationalhumanitarian system and localactors is very important. That is, weall have power. Some have powerof position, some of gatekeeping,some of better credentials with thedonors and others with localcommunities. Instead of onlydepending on the power that the"other" has, we all need to find ways

to build "our" own power and poolthese together in an integrated wayto better serve the victims ofhumanitarian crises.

Similarly, sharing the power tomake decisions on spending moneyand utilizing funds is equallyimportant. It is only when the powerof money, ideas, harmoniousteamwork and local links andcredentials come together, that ahumanitarian programme becomesflexible, and adaptable to local needsand demands. In the end, the value

from the district administration andhealth department, the SDRF hasprovided critical support to theproject- training, guiding andmentoring the POPs, coordinating foreffective communication along theERN.

An allied initiative under the projectis that of enhancing the capacity ofthe human resources for health ontrauma care in the two districts.Earlier this year, Pragya conducted afive-day Advanced Trauma LifeSupport (ATLS)-certified traumamanagement training course fordoctors and paramedical staff in Leh,with the internationally-recognisedATLS instructors from UniversityCollege of Medical Science andMaulana Azad Medical College, NewDelhi. The training was supported bythe State Health Services, J&K. Dr.Anwar Hossain, a TraumaOrthopaedician who attended thecourse, said at the time, "This is thefirst time that an expert panel of trainerscame down to Leh to train our doctors ontrauma management and oriented healthstaff on the standard guidelines that needto be adhered to vis-à-vis traumamanagement".

In December 2018, Pragya conducteda Workshop on Emergency ResponseGuidelines in Leh, to firm up thestandard operating procedures(SOPs) for all components of the ERN- the PoPs, the health facilities andambulances and helplines. Forty-sixparticipants who attended theworkshop, including localgovernment personnel, healthcareservice providers, local volunteerstrained by Pragya and other ERNstakeholders, worked to delineate theprocedures for responding to roadaccidents and related emergenciesand to define the roles to be playedby various ERN stakeholders forresponding to trauma cases andtransporting the victim/patient toappropriate healthcare facilities. Theworkshop also aimed at identifyingrelevant procedures and precautions,coordination and communicationframework to facilitate support andto roll out the guidelines to therelevant stakeholders under theproject. The Guidelines thus developedcomprise recommendations on thefollowing: Communication andDocumentation; On accident sitemanagement, including Extricationand First-Aid and Safety at Accident

Scene; Patient Transportation andpre-hospital care; Hospitalization, in-facility medical care, and follow upincluding counselling andrehabilitation; Crisis managementstructure / communication /coordination; Visibility / signage /awareness.

Speaking about the Government'srole in the execution of the project,Dr. Henna Hejazi, Manager, Pragyasaid, "Government agencies involved inthe project's implementation have beenextremely responsive and cooperative.Coordination and collaborativepartnerships have helped us in developingguidelines for emergency response whichhave been whetted by the districtadministration. Our aim is to reduceadverse outcomes, morbidity and mortalityarising out of road traffic accidents byaugmenting health facilities, bridgingcommunication gaps and building thecapacities of ERN stakeholders."

The organisation hopes that theproject will help improve emergencyresponsiveness on the Leh-Manali routesignificantly in the coming years.

– Dr. Henna Hejazi, Manager,Pragya India, Gurgaon, India


of any sort of power to respond isin serving the victims ofhumanitarian crises.

AIDMI's work with INGOs such asSave the Children and UN agenciessuch as UNICEF has also shown thatno single agency can take effectivehumanitarian action by itself.Humanitarian action, per se, is acollective action. A Round Table onWays of Understanding PowerRelations in Humanitarian Responsecould be a good start and we'd behappy to host it.

The Importance of ContextDifferent types of context (Complex,Constructive, Collaborative andConsultative) discussed at theworkshop are key to the future ofhumanitarian action. These shouldnot be viewed as stand-aloneprinciples but as one's that work inharmony with each other. It is up tothe humanitarian agency and actorsto be flexible and adaptive enoughto strive for the best combination ofthese Cs keeping in mind the needsof the victims. What is needed is whocombines which of these four Cs andin what manner.

Flexibility in humanitarian responsecan also be by agencies that have abetter sense of their purpose in thelarger scheme of humanitarianaction. Some of us have focused onshelter or WASH, others have doneso on mental health and support.Some of us take humanitarian actionfrom global platform. Others maybe local and therefore, a victim oran actor, or both. This, I rememberwas one of the findings of TsunamiEvaluation Coalition's jointevaluation supported by ALNAPthat we conducted. Those agenciesthat had a better sense of who theywere and what they could do didbetter than others with more money,staff or programme ideas.

Striking a balance between thestandards of humanitarian actionand its missionThe humanitarian system must beflexible enough to maintain ahealthy balance betweenhumanitarian standard operatingprocedures and its overall impact.Adherence to the humanitariansystem's standard operatingprocedures should never be at thecost of mission failure. The systemand the mission are equallyimportant. Often we find a well-managed humanitarian project butwith limited humanitarian impact.Many recent reviews andevaluations reveal that perhaps thereis too much focus on the system andrelatively less focus on the purposeof this system. AIDMI is eager to joinany effort to review or evaluate themission success of humanitarianprogrammes, (i.e. to what degree hashumanitarian action achieved itsmission of serving the needs of thevictims of humanitarian crises, andhow has adaptiveness and the abilityto make strategic pivots enabled thisto happen).

The flexibility of local actors andcommunityIf we as stakeholders of thehumanitarian system—global andlocal—are rigid in our projects andprogrammes and allocations, thelocal actors and community have tobe flexible to access us and ourresources. These local actors need theright kind of flexibility and agilityto fit themselves into our forms andframeworks. AIDMI has seen thisrepeatedly. Local actors andcommunities have to be even moresupple if they want even one-tenthof the aid that is coming for them.We need to learn from the flexibilitythat victims, local organisations andauthorities, exercise to fit in with theglobal forms and rigid programmes.This demands humility.

Adaptive programming andflexibility in urban context needsfurther attentionWith more than 50 percent of theworld's population residing in cities,humanitarian crises are poised to gourban in the near future. The rapidmovement of large swathes ofpopulation from the countryside tocities, especially in the developingworld, has put an inordinate amountof pressure on the alreadyinadequate urban infrastructure inthese areas. Furthermore, complexgovernance structures in cities canmake humanitarian response anightmare for agencies working inurban areas. Flexibility and adaptiveprogramming by humanitarianagencies and actors can help themnavigate through the complex andnarrow streets of city governancesystems and infrastructure deficits tobetter serve the needs of urbanhumanitarian victims. AIDMI'songoing work on rating the urbanresilience of 15 towns and cities inIndia with UNISDR tells us that thereis a need for an urgent re-look atwhat flexibility of humanitarianprogramming means in urbancontexts.

These above insights havepredominantly been drawn from therich discussions and deliberationsthat have taken place in thisworkshop as well as my ownexperiences of working in the fieldof humanitarian response. As thecontext in which humanitarianactors operate gets more complexand as more regulations are foistedupon them by donors, it has becomeimperative for such actors to useadaptive programing for makinghumanitarian response moreflexible.

– Mihir R. Bhatt


Editorial Advisors:

ALL INDIA DISASTER MITIGATION INSTITUTE411 Sakar Five, Behind Old Natraj Cinema, Near Mithakhali Railway Crossing, Ashram Road,Ahmedabad–380 009 India. Tele/Fax: +91-79-2658 2962E-mail: [email protected], Website: http://www.aidmi.org, www.southasiadisasters.net

Denis NkalaRegional Coordinator, South-South Cooperationand Country Support (Asia-Pacific), UnitedNations Development Programme, New York

Dr. Ian DavisVisiting Professor in Disaster Risk Management inCopenhagen, Lund, Kyoto and Oxford BrookesUniversities

Dr. John TwiggSenior Research Fellow in the Risk and Resilienceprogramme, Overseas Development Institute(ODI), London

Madhavi Malalgoda AriyabanduSub-Regional Coordinator, Central Asia & SouthCaucasus, United Nations Office for Disaster RiskReduction (UNISDR), Kazakhstan

Mihir R. BhattAll India Disaster Mitigation Institute, India

Dr. Satchit Balsari, MD, MPHThe University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell,New York, USA

T. Nanda KumarFormer Chairman, Institute of Rural ManagementAnand (IRMA), Anand, Gujarat, India

RESOURCES

Interested in Learning more aboutAdaptiveness?You may find these resources useful:

Key resources on adaptivemanagement and programming inthe development aid sector:

Doing Development Differently: one ofthe key catalysts for looking atadaptive programming andmanagement in development aid

DDD Manifesto: https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/events-documents/5149.pdf

Report on DDD by the OverseasDevelopment Institute https://www.alnap.org/help-library/from-political-economy-analysis-to-doing-development-differently-a-learning-experience

INGO resource on DDD: https://www.wvi.org/sites/default/files/How%20INGOs%20are%20DDD.pdf

Summary from a USAID workshopon adaptive management: https://usaidlearninglab.org/library/learning-adapt-exploring-knowledge%2C-information-and-data-adaptive-programmes-and-policies

Recent learning paper from ChristianAid on adaptive management: https://www.christianaid.ie/resources/about-us/report-learning-make-difference

Study on adaptive monitoring andevaluation for Oxfam: https://usaidlearninglab.org/sites/default/files/resource/files/adaptive_management_lse_oxfam_report_draft.pdf

Adaptive management andprogramming in humanitariansettings:

Mercy Corps and IRC case studies ontrialling adaptive approaches in crisissettings: https://www.mercycorps.org.uk/research/adaptive-management-case-studies

ALNAP background paper onadaptiveness: https://www.alnap.org/help-library/making-humanitarian-response-more-flexible-alnap-workshop-background-paper

Case study on adaptive humanitarianaction in the Democratic Republic ofCongo: https://www.alnap.org/help-library/dynamic-gridlock-adaptive-humanitarian-action-in-the-drc

ALNAP work on context:

https://www.alnap.org/help-library/alnap-video-what-is-context-why-does-it-matter-for-urban-humanitarians

https://www.alnap.org/help-library/responding-to-changing-needs

Initiatives/ Resources to keep aneye on:

The Global Learning for AdaptiveManagement (GLAM) initiative: Anew 3 year project that will developguidance and tools for monitoring andimplementing adaptive managementin development and humanitarianprogrammes. More information here:https://www.odi.org/projects/2918-global-learning-adaptive-management-initiative-glam

ALNAP will publish four furtherresources on adaptiveness: a finalreport from the workshop held inSeptember 2018; a second countrystudy on adaptive approaches inKenya; and two spotlight studieshighlighting particular methods andapproaches to supporting adaptivehumanitarian action. Stay in touch bycontacting [email protected]


Documents

A THIS Supporting Adaptive Humanitarian Action · Adaptiveness and flexibility involve a whole-of-organisation approach which can be difficult to describe in concrete 'best practices',