International Training Workshop on Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction (ecoDRR)

Jointly organized by National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Government of India, And the Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR), United Nations

12-15 December 2011, New Delhi Course Report

Background
Lately, it has been realized by the disaster managers that environmental degradation is a major driver of disaster risks, whereas the ecosystems provide an efficient buffer against the disaster impacts. Hazards, in particular those related with water and climate, are aggravated by the impacts of environmental changes, viz. climate-change, land-use and natural resource degradation. Loss of ecosystem services is responsible for increasing vulnerability by reducing livelihoods, health, resources and economic sustainability of the communities. A Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (UN-PEDRR) under the aegis of United Nations has been shaped during 2009 with a major goal towards ecosystem approach to disaster risk reduction for inducing the culture of sustainability within the entire disaster risk reduction framework. Since the official launch of the PEDRR Training Course on Ecosystem-based DRR at the Global Platform and the first pilot training programme in Sri Lanka in May 2011. NIDM has been involved with the PEDRR since 2010, the International Workshop on Ecosystems, Livelihoods and Disaster Risk Reduction in Bonn, Germany in September 2010, and also collaborated in delivering the first Pilot ecoDRR Training Course at Colombo, Sri Lanka in May 2011. Following these initiatives, an International Training Workshop on EcoDRR was taken up by NIDM in association with UN-PEDRR during December 12-15, 2011 at New Delhi.

Aim and Objective of the Course

The PEDRR Training Course, entitled Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable and Resilient Development, is a collaborative initiative of the PEDRR partners including UNEP, UNDP, IUCN, ADPC, WWF, and Global Risk Forum (GRF). PEDRR has recently collaborated with global partnership the Ecosystems and Livelihoods Adaptation Network (ELAN) to further develop courses focusing on Ecosystem-based Adaptation and DRR linkages and leverage resources. The Training Course aimed at strengthening the capacities of vulnerable countries and communities to mainstream Ecosystem-based DRR in national and local development planning. It specifically targets government officials, as well as National Disaster Management Institutions (and their respective Training Divisions) and National Public Training Institutions with the mandate to provide trainings on DRR-related issues in-country. Key thematic sessions include environment and disaster linkages, ecosystem services for DRR, ecosystem management tools for DRR (e.g. integrated coastal zone management, integrated watershed management, etc), linkages with Ecosystem-based Climate Change Adaptation, mainstreaming Eco-DRR in Recovery and Reconstruction, etc. Additional details
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on the Training Course may be found on the PEDRR Training Course flyer and website www.pedrr.net
PEDRR_training_flyer_v2 (1).pdf

India National Training Workshop

National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and PEDRR delivered for the first time its 4-day Training Course (the full package with all the modules) at New Delhi. The Training Programme was developed in close consultation with NIDM faculty members, and was focused on establishing an interactive classroom setting, combining technical /content presentations with invited guest speakers, case study analysis, small group discussions, group work, dynamic learning exercises, and videos.

Dignitaries on the dais: Chief Guest Dr. Rakesh Hooja, Director, Indian Institute of Public Administration, Dr. Satendra,IFS, ED NIDM and Dr. Muralee Thumarakkudy, UNEP during Inaugural Session of the EcoDRR Training Workshop

Both the opening and closing sessions were attended by high-level government officials. Dr. Rakesh Hooja, Director of Indian Institute of Public Administration inaugurated the course. Dr. Anil Kumar Gupta, Associate Professor, presented the welcome note focusing the course objectives and scope. Introduction to course and PEDRR was done by Dr. Muralee Thumarkkudy, Senior Programme Coordinator of UNEP. Special Address was delivered by Dr. Satendra, Executive Director of NIDM. The Training included a field visit coordinated by Wetlands International to the nearby Yamuna Floodplains where participants had the opportunity to analyze the local disaster risk context and talk with vulnerable farming communities. The field study was used as the basis for undertaking group work that focused on Action Planning and resulted in proposed initiatives related to Ecosystem-based DRR. First day aimed at introducing the concepts of Eco-DRR and linking Eco DRR with climate change adaptation. Sessions include Introduction to Eco-DRR, Enhancing Resilience in Development, Linking Eco-DRR to Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change and Ecosystem based Adaptation, Demonstrating the links between Eco-DRR and EbA, ECO-DRR and Recovery. Resource persons for this Radhika Murti of IUCN taking Technical Session 3 during day 1 session included UNEP (Ms Marisol Estrella, Dr. Muralee Thummarukudy), Ms Ioana Creitaru UNDP (CADRI), Ms Radhika Murti and Ms Kaia Boe from IUCN. On Day 2, the forenoon session was focused on various ongoing projects or initiatives in the country that integrate environment and DRR priorities. There were brief presentations followed by a panel
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discussion with the resource persons, viz., Prof. R.B Singh, Department of Geography and Dr. Shashikant Chopde, Institute of Social and Environmental Transition (ISET). The afternoon session was dedicated on the field visit to the Wetlands site of the Okhla Bird Sanctuary in Delhi area along river Yamuna, to understand the role of ecosystems and ecosystem services in flood risk mitigation. Resource team and the participants interacted with the communities in the flood plains near the Yamuna Bank near ITO and Akshardham temple area, to understanding the challenges in implementing ecosystem approaches and advantages

of protecting the ecosystems for livelihood of the people. Day 3 forenoon session was aimed at understanding the policy framework for supporting ECO-DRR in global and national context in India and role of strategic tools such as EIA. Resource persons for this session were Ms. Marisol Estrella, Dr. Anil K. Gupta and Ms. Sreeja S. Nair.
Experts from Wetland International explaining the advantages of wetlands showing the example of wetland at Okhla Bird Sanctuary.

Day 3 afternoon focused on the environmental management tools and their implication in DRR. Tools session discussed in detail on the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (Prof. A L Ramanathan, JNU), Integrated Water Resource Management (Dr. Ritesh Kumar, Wetland International), Protected Areas Management for Disaster Resilience and Recovery (Dr Ram Boojh, UNESCO), and Integrating environmental action plan and disaster management into the local development (G Padmanabhan, DRR Unit, UNDP India). Other sessions in the afternoon of day 3 and day 4 was focused on situation analysis and formulation of action plan under group exercise and guided assignments. The concluding session of the training workshop was presided over by Dr. Muzaffar Ahmad, Honourable Member of National Disaster Management Authority, Government of India. While delivering the valedictory address Dr. Ahmad appreciated the significant of ecosystem approach to disaster and development in the present context where environmental degradation and decline in ecosystem services are becoming a key challenge for DRR and
Dr. Muzaffar Ahmad, Honourable Member of National Disaster Management Authority delivering valedictory address 4

post-disaster recovery process. He recommended that NIDM shall conduct training programmes and also in particular the Training of Trainers Courses on Ecosystem based DRR in the coming years at NIDM and also at state level. Accepting the recommendation of he UNEP on behalf of the PEDRR, Honble Member further declared that NDMA will bring out a national guideline for Eco-DRR by involving NIDM faculty members, UNEP, UNDP and IUCN. Prof. Santosh Kumar, Head of the Policy Planning and Cross Cutting Division, in his address emphasizes the economic aspects of Ecosystem approach and their multiple benefits towards sustainable development and called for a multifarious effort to promote the environment based disaster management at all levels. Prof V.K. Sharma, Coordinator of Climate-change and Drought Centre at the Indian Institute of Public Administration, also addressed the session and reiterated the importance of establishing linkages between Environment, Disaster Risk Reduction and development at various levels.

Participants Feedback
A total of 19 participants attended the National Training, coming from 8 states, specialist agricultural research institutions (with sub-national offices), and 2 national NGOs. Representatives from the region (ICIMOD, Nepal & Bhutan) also joined as observers to appreciate the value of replicating the training in their countries. Overall, the training was regarded to be very successful based on participants feedback, with much appreciation extended to PEDRR partners and NIDM. Several state level officials and Disaster Management faculty members of Administrative Training Institutes (ATI) expressed interest to conduct similar trainings in their states in collaboration with PEDRR and NIDM. Overall, participants appreciated the Training and many showed interest to replicate and utilize the Training Course materials in their own work and training programmes. The interactive discussions, especially group work and field visit, were extremely valuable to participants learning. The training methodologies (e.g. open sessions/tutorials, games, energizers) used to keep energy levels high, were also appreciated. Participants suggested the following to further improve the Training: - use of more case studies to illustrate and learn concepts - allow more time for group discussions and group work - focus on other hazards for group work, aside from floods - allow more time and space for participants to share amongst themselves their own knowledge and experiences on Eco-DRR related topics; utilize participants as resource persons and get them to present their projects, case studies - better focus in invited guest speakers presentations All of the suggested improvements were welcomed by PEDRR partners and NIDM. PEDRR urged participants and NIDM to collect Indian experiences and make case studies that can be shared in global forums and incorporated into the training materials. PEDRR agreed to provide necessary technical support for the same. During the Closing Session, Dr Muralee Thummarukudy outlined three ways to move this initiative forward in India, based on the training outputs, which received endorsement from the NDMA High-Level dignitary present in the session:
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(i)

(ii) (iii)

Publication of case studies on ecosystem-based DRR initiatives from across the country to pull together the experiences and the knowledge base in India and to facilitate networking amongst Indian practitioners; Delivery of Training of Trainers package to bring the Training Course down to the state-level, for accelerated take-up and implementation; Development of National Guidelines on Ecosystem-based DRR tailored for India, which can provide policy guidance for national and sub-national implementation.

Given the multiple demands on PEDRR to undertake national-level trainings and to maximize multiplier effects in disseminating the Training Course materials, it was imperative for PEDRR to develop a Training of Trainers (ToT) package which could be delivered at a regional level and would target National Disaster Management Institutions, their Training Divisions/Units as well as collaborating national institutions (which include universities) that provide DRR-related trainings incountry. A ToT course was successfully piloted in Bangkok on 06-08 December 2011, attended by national government representatives from 7 countries and 2 regional organizations from the AsiaPacific Region. This ToT can be customized for India and could be replicated for state level as well. *****************