RCE Srinagar - 2018

DRR Preparedness encompassing well being of all, everywhere, all the time
Basic Information
Title of project : 
DRR Preparedness encompassing well being of all, everywhere, all the time
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Srinagar
Contributing organization(s) : 
Centre for Environment Education (CEE India)
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Dr. Abdhesh Kumar Gangwar, Programme Director
Organizational Affiliation: 
CEE Himalaya, Centre for Environment Education
Format of project: 
PowerPoint
Language of project: 
English
Date of submission:
Saturday, June 30, 2018
India National Disaster Management Act 2005
At what level is the policy operating?: 
National
States Disaster Management Act
At what level is the policy operating?: 
Subnational
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Asia-Pacific
Country: 
India
Location(s): 
Bahraich District in State of Uttar Pradesh, flood prone area (floods caused by Ghaghara and Saryu Rivers)
Address of focal point institution for project: 
CEE Himalaya
House No. 83, Bal Vihar, Faridi Nagar, Lucknow 226 015 India
Phone/Fax: +91-522-2356911 Mobile: +919415104125
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
The project area is highly flood prone, illiteracy, malnutrition, child marriages, high child mortality rate, insanitation, un-hygiene and poverty ridden. It is one block having 121 villages falling under 78 Gram Panchayats, having 234 Government run elementary schools organized into 11 Cluster Resource Centres. The block has population of approximately 250,000 people (2011 census), population density of 706 inhabitants per square kilometer, population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 46.08%, sex ratio of 891 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 51.1%.It is one of the India's 250 most backward districts.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
1. Floods are recurring and cause heavy loss of lives and property every year. It was worst this year.
2. Local people lose their livelihood by losing their homes and agricultural land. They are primarily a farming community having small land holdings.
3. Floods cause contamination of drinking water, sanitation, hygiene, water borne and other diseases
4. Floods causing poverty aggravates illiteracy, malnutrition, stunted growth, poor physical and mental development of children
5. Able bodied male folks migrating out leaving behind women, children and old people leads to social problems at both the ends
6. Drinking cheaper liquor (hooch), gambling, chewing tobacco and tobacco products, and picking up other bad habits
7. Early marriages, girls are married at the age of about 14 years. They are already weak, malnourished and anaemic but start bearing children
8. The babies born are under weight and weak, post delivery survival of babies and mothers is quite low
9. Menstrual hygiene and menstrual waste management are big problems
10. There is severe gender discrimination. Girls are not preferred and treated well.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Period: 
October, 2017 to October, 2018
Rationale: 
Child safety and promoting an enabling environment for children to grow and develop does not end with school. The Child is in the school only for some time. For the rest of the time s/he is at home, in the community. This programme ‘Mehfooz’ aims at safety of school children in schools and extended beyond. A child, besides in the school, has to be safe at home also, has to be safe everywhere. Safety of child also includes safety of all his other family members and friends, and safety all the time. Though named as ‘School Safety’, the programme covers DRR preparedness in schools as well as villages (residences) involving students and teachers and the community and Panchayati Raj Institutions. Thus ‘Mehfooz’ School Safety programme encompasses safety of all, safety everywhere, and safety all the time.

‘Mehfooz’, an Urdu language word means true well being. It’s about not only the physical safety of the child, but total well being including social and psychological security. Awareness and education is key for building safe and disaster resilient communities. Schools can play a vital role in reducing disaster risk through education and innovation. Teachers and students can play an active role in transferring knowledge and skills on disaster preparedness, prevention and mitigation to their families, friends and the larger community, consequently aiding in the development of a culture of safety in society.
Objectives: 
The objective of the project is to reduce the socio-economic impacts of the disasters through the measures of disaster risk reduction preparedness. The social impacts include enhancing resilience, reducing vulnerability, building capacity and thus reducing risk during unpredictable disasters. The proposed programme will develop capacity of the community to help them cope with the disasters especially floods leading to reduction in loss of lives and property.

The main agenda of DRR Preparedness will also piggy back other much needed agenda for the area like that of WASH, menstrual hygiene, gender equality & sensitivity, women empowerment that will help in improving the quality of life of the people and the quality of environment. Smokeless and fuel efficient cook stoves will also be demonstrated and promoted in all the 121 project villages and 234 elementary schools catering to 250,000 population. Open Defecation is rampant in the area leading to ill health and deaths. Achieving Open Defecation Free environment will also be promoted in 121 villages, 250,000 population.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
DRR Awareness and Education:
Children are worst affected during the floods and many schools and homes of the students have been damaged or completely destroyed. Given the experiences after previous natural disasters, CEE has taken up education, trauma relief and awareness-raising as primary area of intervention. The activities include:

1) Activity: DRR School programmes
DRR School Programme will provide these children an opportunity to mitigate the impact of disasters, especially floods, through education, awareness and capacity building of school teachers, children and the representatives of the education department

2) Activity: Teacher Training Workshops (TTWs)-Training to school teachers and personnel of the department of education
Training teachers will help them understand the floods and associated problems that people including teachers and students have undergone over the years. Two two-day workshops will be conducted at Block level. Each workshop would have about 40 participants. Offices of the District Inspector of Schools, Basic Shiksha Adhikari and other concerned officials would be involved in this exercise.

3) Activity: Making “School Disaster Management Plan’ (SDMP)- The 234 schools to be addressed will get capacity built for preparing SDMP of their school that will help them save themselves during any disaster and become the first responder to help others.

4) Activity: Making ‘Village Contingency Plan’ (VCP)- The village community of 121 villages reached out through teachers and students will be able to make the contingency plan of their village that will come handy during any disaster in future avoiding loss of life and property.

5) Activity: Mobile Multi Media Awareness Exhibition
CEE has a multi media mobile exhibition for DRR awareness. The same will be used in a variety of ways for creating awareness in different sections of society as well as in schools. The facility being mobile can be taken around to the villages easily. Besides DRR contents on WASH, ODF, biogas, energy efficient & smokeless cook stoves, Climate Change, and Environment & Development will be added to it.

6) Activity: Demonstration-cum-Training on livelihood improvement,
Trainings will be imparted on improving existing livelihood practices; appropriate technologies suitable for the area will be demonstrated and necessary trainings imparted for alternative livelihood options
Size of academic audience: 
234 schools each having about 150 students and 3 teachers; 121 villages having approximately 250,000 people.
Results: 
- 121 villages having a population of 250,000 people and 234 schools having strength of 36,000 students and 700 teachers received DRR Preparedness related awareness, education and capacity development.
- 36,000 students given psycho social care and support to overcome their fears and stress that they face during the Floods.
- 700 teachers have received training on DRR Preparedness and handling psycho social care and support. This will equip them to save themselves and become the first responders during the floods and other disasters.
- 234 schools have prepared their ‘School Disaster Management Plan’ (SDMP)
- 121 villages have prepared their ‘Village Contingency Plan’ and the Gram Panchayats of these villages have their capacity built in Community Based Disaster Management.
- Quality of life of people of over 250,000 people of 121 villages and students and teachers of 234 schools improved.
- People of 121 villages having skill development in livelihood, like improved agriculture, animal husbandry, other appropriate technologies like mushroom cultivation, bee keeping, poly green house.
- Awareness created on WASH, ODF, menstrual hygiene, energy efficient and smokeless cook stoves and good practices being promoted in schools and 121 villages
Lessons learned: 
Mainstreaming is important. Right from the beginning programme was in partnership with Department of Education and Panchayati Raj. Gram Panchayats were involved actively giving them the ownership. DRR was made part of School Development Plan and Gram Panchayat Development Plan. Youth and women were involved.
Key messages: 
Becoming part of the community, seeing their problems as people see and face them ensures our acceptance by the community and the success of the programme.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
In India 6 RCEs, Pune, Bangalore, Kodagu, Lucknow, Srinagar, Guwahati are hosted by CEE. All the RCEs were consulted and their advice taken. Other India RCEs especially Jammu was consulted.
Funding: 
Give2Asia, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Image icon A Teacher Training Workshop in Progress.jpg (2.83 MB) A Teacher Training Workshop in Progress RCE Srinagar
Image icon Meeting with Cluster Resource Persons on making SDMPs and VCPs.JPG (4.72 MB) Meeting with Cluster Resource Persons on making SDMPs and VCPs RCE Srinagar
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere 
Direct
SDG 2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture 
Direct
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Direct
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
Direct
SDG 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 
Direct
SDG 7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 
Indirect
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Direct
SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation 
Indirect
SDG 10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries 
Indirect
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Direct
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 
Indirect
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Direct
SDG 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 
Direct
SDG 15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss 
Direct
SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 
Direct
SDG 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development 
Indirect
Theme
Disaster Risk Reduction 
Direct
Traditional Knowledge  
Direct
Agriculture 
Direct
Arts 
Indirect
Curriculum Development 
Direct
Ecotourism 
Indirect
Forests/Trees 
Direct
Plants & Animals 
Direct
Waste 
Direct
Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development – Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 3 - Building capacities of educators and trainers 
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Empowering and mobilizing youth 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
Direct
Update: 
No