Red Cross calls for Community Participation in Disaster Managemen

New Delhi, June 16 (UNI) Adding a new dimension to disaster management, the Indian Red Cross Society (ICRS) will launch a major initiative to involve local communities to minimise the impact of calamities -- both man-made and natural.

The strategy in this regard will be unveiled at a two-day national level meeting, which got underway here today, organised by IRCS National Headquarters here in which 11 State Red Cross branches are participating to review the ongoing Disaster Management activities.

In the meeting officials propose to consider and finalise Community Based Disaster Preparedness (CBDP) model for training of future trainers of the model. In the proposed manual, inputs have been obtained from similar manuals practiced in many of the disaster-prone countries such as Japan, Philippines, Sudan and Vietnam.

Inaugurating the meeting today, Chief Guest P Jyoti Rao, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member said, ''Communities can play a leading and proactive role in Disaster Management as they are the first ones dealing with the situation.'' ''Along with the modern technologies it is necessary to utilise the traditional social norms and the age-old wisdom of the local communities to deal with disasters in a better way,'' she added.

Calling for an 'integrated approach' to deal with natural and man-made disasters, Ms Rao said, there was a need for an ''intersecting coordination'' across all stakeholders, including the national and the international NGOs, local communities and the government and ''carrying the capacity, computing it and building it into our plans of dealing more effectively with the calamities''.

Stressing on the need for incorporating disaster management in the curriculum from the school level in view of an alarming change in environmental conditions, Ms Rao said education, both at primary and secondary level, has a great potential in creating awareness on the issue.

The meeting also aims at reviewing the (IRCS) disaster preparedness and response activities for flood, earthquakes, cyclones and other natural and man-made disasters in 2007 and to decide the steps needed to provide better response in affected states.

Besides, it will appraise the Disaster Management Programme currently under various stages of implementation in eight most disaster prone states -- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar and Asom -- since 2003 and consider measures to be taken for extending the programme to three new states namely Tripura, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

With 700 branches and a strength of 12 million members, IRCS is gradually emerging as a leading Disaster Management Agency.

It is equipped with the best of Disaster Response tools and has a back up of national, state , district Disaster Response team members who immediately reach the disaster affected areas and start their rescue and relief operations with the support of the local volunteers.

IRCS Secretary General S P Agarwal and South Asia Regional Delegation Acting HOD Ms Nobel were among others present on the occasion.

UNI