Strengthening Local Capacity for Reducing the Risk of Disaster and the impact of Climate Change implemented in six VDCs of Kapilvastu District

Project Introduction

The study is about the project entitled “Strengthening Local Capacity for Reducing the Risk of Disaster and the impact of Climate Change” implemented in six VDCs of Kapilvastu District. The project with five months duration was held to strengthen the ability of river basin dwellers to respond resiliently to the risks of disaster and impacts of climate change.

Case study 1(Broadening the Scope of School Curricula Extracurricular activities and drills increase children’s confidence regarding DRR and CCA)

The project arranged for capacity building trainings, helped establish meteorological stations in schools, and introduced extracurricular activities to sensitize teachers and students (2200 school children, 44% of them were girls) on the issues of disaster and climate change. Involving children in Disaster Management Committee (DMCs) brings to DRR creativity, sense of ownership and enthusiasm not generally seen among adults.

Case study 2(Conserving Local Resources DMC bans extraction of riverbed materials from Banganga River)

The project arranged for the variety of interaction programmes organized for DMCs, CFUGs and VDC and District level stakeholders to discuss the indiscriminate mining of riverbed materials, to increase their awareness of DRR and CCA, and to provide training in community-based disaster preparedness. In November 2012 the Supreme Court issued a writ, prohibiting the extraction of materials from sensitive areas. Now, riverbed materials are allowed to be extracted for local use only.

Case study 3(Forewarned is forearmed A community-managed early warning system boosted the confidence of people living along the riverbank)

The project trained DMCs to build a strong EWS and provided essential equipment, which both upstream and downstream DMCs have gladly agrees to manage. The project organizes the formal and informal trainings for DMCs on how the EWS works and the videos of models in other countries. The EWS has allowed the people living downstream to know about the floods and make the necessary preparations and thereby considerably minimize the possibility of damage, including the once common sweeping away of shepherds and livestock by flash floods.

Case study 4(Putting learning into action Disaster management committees leverage internal and external resources strategically)

During the project, DMC were established and capacitated through training and PVA used to identify the nature, frequency and impact of key hazards. District DMC network were reformed to expand membership. The project formed seven community level and seven school level DMCs including representatives of local governments, women and backward groups, and members of clubs, community forest users’ groups and mothers’ groups. This has increased the enthusiasm for DRR and CCA activities.

Case Study 5(Pre- and Post-construction activity is as important as construction itself Bamboo spurs promise to conserve farmland along river banks)

During the project two bamboo spurs were constructed in erosion-prone zones of Sagrahawa. Ninety people, almost 70% of whom were female, worked for five days to build the spur. It has directly benefited 102 households of Sagrahawa VDC and indirectly, another 180 household in the neighborhoods. This spur fostered social solidarity and brought harmony among people.