From relief to resilience

Vast fields of rice paddy and maize stretch as far as the eye can see, submerged under water. Makeshift tents on the roads are the only refuge. Families huddle together, mothers rationing what little food they have to ensure their children’s stomachs are filled. The men look for safe paths through the waters in case of emergencies.

Every monsoon, this is the story of the villages along the banks of River Kosi in Bihar, north India. After each flood it takes a long time for people to recover from the devastating loss of homes, crops and livelihoods, particularly if they are already living in poverty. Often they are not able to recover fully before they are affected by yet another flood, making it very difficult for them to improve their situation.

Integrated approach

Since 1967, EFICOR (The Evangelical Fellowship of India Commission on Relief) has been supporting people affected by disasters to rebuild their lives. We have helped thousands of people to restore land for cultivation, rebuild their livelihoods and reconstruct houses. 

But over the last few years, our work has shifted from an emphasis on relief to an integrated approach that prioritises disaster prevention and resilience. We support communities to organise themselves, analyse their situation and then plan and implement activities to reduce the risk of disaster. As a result, they are becoming more able to cope with hazards such as flooding, resulting in fewer losses.

Key elements

There are several key elements that are crucial for the success of our approach.

1. Participation

When working with communities it is important to spend time getting to know them. This starts with listening, asking questions and learning about their challenges, resources and opportunities. 

Once a community has decided to work with us, we try to ensure that everyone is involved in the discussions and decision-making processes including women and men of all ages, children and people with disabilities. 

The Footsteps edition on Participatory communication suggests various ways to help ensure that everyone is included.

2. Analysis 

The next step is for the community to analyse the hazards that they face (eg flooding), and the opportunities they have to reduce the impact of these hazards (eg by creating evacuation routes and storing food on higher ground). They can then begin to plan ahead and put things in place to reduce the risk of disaster.

We use an approach called Participatory Assessment of Disaster Risk, which is explained in detail in Reducing risk of disaster in our communities – a Roots guide.

3. Organisation

Communities that are well organised are more likely to be able to make and implement effective plans. We encourage each community to establish a disaster management committee and a task force.

• Disaster management committee: eight to ten members including local government representatives, people with disabilities and equal numbers of women and men. The purpose of the committee is to provide effective leadership and planning before, during and after disasters.
• Task force: young people between the ages of 18 and 35, selected by the disaster management committee. Members are trained in safety and rescue techniques and given survival equipment such as megaphones, torches, ropes and life jackets. The task force is divided into small groups, and each group has a particular role: early warning; search and rescue; safe place/shelter management; first aid. The groups provide opportunities for community members to practise what to do in different emergency situations.

4. Action

Led by the disaster management committee and task force, the community takes action to reduce the risk of disaster. In flood‑prone areas actions often include the following:

• raising tube wells, community toilets and roads above flood level to help ensure continued access to safe water, reduce the risk of disease and provide escape routes from flooded areas
• removing solid waste, particularly plastic to prevent it from blocking rivers (making flooding more likely) or contaminating flood water
• maintaining ditches and drains used to channel water away from key buildings, homes and farming areas
• installing early warning systems along riverbanks to help monitor rising water levels, such as bamboo poles with three coloured strips – green, yellow and red
• establishing a disaster risk reduction fund where the community saves a small amount of money each month. This fund is used to prepare for floods. For example: boat repairs; maintenance of wells and toilets; purchase and safe storage of dry food; purchase of materials to make tents.

5. Livelihoods

In flood-prone areas, farmers cultivate after the monsoon. If the rains are late, or flooding is more severe than usual, this can affect planting dates and reduce the length of the growing season.

Through farmer groups, EFICOR helps families to try different farming practices that are less sensitive to changes in the climate. This includes growing various types of vegetables and trees in combination with traditional crops. In flood plains, trees help to absorb water, stabilise soil and reduce the speed of water flow during flooding.

We encourage farmers to start small non-farm businesses as well, such as grocery shops or fast-food stalls on push carts. This means that if crop production is affected by flooding or drought, they have access to other sources of income.

6. Advocacy and networking

By networking with other organisations working in the same area, we are able to share skills, training and technical inputs. This includes working with schools to teach children how to stay safe in an emergency.

Alongside communities frequently affected by flooding and other hazards, we advocate for greater government support including the provision of better infrastructure and social security schemes. EFICOR is also working with communities and local leaders to develop contextualised disaster management plans that are then adopted and implemented by the Government.