India has approved the National Policy on Disaster Management

Sri-Lanka... Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been introduced in Sri Lanka since1980; to ensure that the development options under consideration are environmentally sound, sustainable and contributes in reducing the potential risks to environment and thereby reducing the vulnerabilities of the communities on development induced disasters.

Nevertheless, when the recent disaster situations are reviewed, it is increasingly obvious that the existing EIA process have to be strengthened to identify and assess the disaster risks of development interventions. It is also noted that the development projects which do not require EIA would also induce disasters. Hence there is a need to consider disaster risk for  any development project in disaster prone areas irrespective of its size and magnitude. Disaster Management Center of Sri Lanka and Practical Action initiated a dialog on Disaster Impact Assessment(DIA) system to be developed in addressing these issues and mainstreaming disaster risk reduction (DRR) into development process.

The proposed DIA system argues that the potential disaster risk of any development intervention should be assessed in the planning/designing stage and necessary mitigation measures need to be incorporated into the design to minimize future risk. This in turn will benefit the investor too. A workshop was planned on the 17th February at Mount Lavinia hotel to discuss the Disaster Impact Assessment (DIA) process. 

Some of the highlights are as follows:

High profile government officers, NGO, INGO and Private sector officers attended the workshop.

Some of the distinguished guests were:

• Prof. Rajiv Wijesinghe, The Secretary - Ministry of Disaster Management & Human Rights
• Mr. U.W.L. Chandradasa, Director – Technology & Mitigation, DMC
• Ms. Ramani Ellepola, Deputy  Director General – Environment Management & Assessment  Division, Central Environment Authority
• Mr. Anil Premarathne, Additional Director (Planning), Coast Conservation Department
• Mr. Saman Senanayake, Director , Provincial Environment Authority (North Western)
• Dr. Vishaka Hidellage, Regional Director - Practical Action
• Dr. Ananda Mallawatantri, Assistant Resident Representative, UNDP
• Prof. Ananda Jayawardene. Dean/Engineering University of Moratuwa

Strong suggestions were made to consider Strategic Environmental Assessment(SEA)as an option to mainstreaming DRR into development planning.

Quotes:

"Development could induce disasters and at the same time natural hazards of the area could negatively affect projects"

A question was raised as- "in mainstreaming DRR whether to focus on Project induced disaster risk or the risk of the hazards on the project?"

"It is important to look at both sides of the coin. Project induced disaster risk and the risk of the hazards on the project in itself"

"It is important to incorporate DRR into the planning tools which are being used by different agencies; such as land use planning etc.’’

Suggestion - "An Action Impact Matrix (AIM) - will provide a check list for the local development planners to identify the impact on the environment, human lives and properties based on the actions one would take"

"Mainstreaming DRR should not limit only to development planning; it should look at the entire development process"

"EIA is only for planning".

"SEA is a dynamic process which will preliminary start at policy level and continues to other levels"

"It is important to integrate the departments and incorporate all concerned government departments; especially the planning cells"

"Where should we need to pitch DRR in the process - At the Strategic level? or at the Mitigation level?"

"SEA is a living process and should not stop at the beginning"

"Do not to use the probability to measure disasters but vulnerability"

"Project induced disaster risk and the risk of the hazards on the project need to be looked into separately"

"I warn you all of the practical side of the implementation, higher development investment and the expected slow process as opposed to the existing process (EIA)"

"Can we compromise disaster risk reduction to slower growth and increased development investments"

All agreed that Mainstreaming DRR into development process is a must and need more wider and continued discussions to build awareness and agreement among all.

Overallall participants agreed EIA has loopholes. Since EIA is project specific; the cumulative impacts due to many projects will not be addressed from the existing EIA.

Participants committed to continue the discussion.  DMC will take the lead role in Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into the Development Process and Practical Action will facilitate the process.

Reported by : Dilhani Thiruchelvarajah, Practical Action

Be it CBSE centres across the country or the Council of the Boards of School Education, imparting formal training in disaster management to students of at least senior classes has now become the norm. Lectures on risk assessment and practical on mock drills are in the syllabus in Ahmadabad schools under the Gujarat School Safety Initiative (GSSI)programme. Students learn first aid, fire safety, search and rescue operations too. In Chandigarh, basic lessons for junior classes, such as ducking for cover during a terror attack, not picking up any unidentified object and moving in a group in an emergency has been taken up. Going a step further, some schools even teach students to be tolerant towards all religions and have feelings of national pride.

Several public schools, as well as government-aided and municipal schools in Mumbai are realizing the need of being equipped for emergencies,especially after the 2005 deluge. Adds Deputy Municipal Commissioner(Education), Mumbai, C B Rokde, "We are approaching Senior Police Inspectors to conduct mock evacuation drills in 1, 350 Mumbai schools for over four lakh (four hundred thousand) students.

Headmasters,teachers and other staff members will be trained for different emergencies, such as flooding and bomb hoaxes. We are also installing public address systems across schools in the coming week. Even disaster management workshops are planned from January 2009 onwards.