Online training course on comprehensive disaster risk management framework
The National Institute of Disaster Management, New Delhi and World Bank Institute, Washington are offering the following on-line training courses on comprehensive disaster management framework to development practitioners, central, state and local government officials, NGO representatives, community leaders and others interested in the challenges and issues related to disaster risk reduction and management.
Course Overview
This course addresses basic questions such as “why are disasters a development issue?” and “what are the components of comprehensive disaster risk management?” The course reviews the institutional arrangements and financing mechanisms of disaster management systems, and identifies the role of national and local actors in the processes related to risk assessment, mitigation and financing.
Module 1: Introduction to Natural Disaster Risk Management
It is increasingly recognized worldwide that the devastating effects of natural disasters can be linked to shortcomings of development policies. First, because certain natural phenomena tend to have greater effects in developing countries than in developed ones. Second, because several structural factors associated with a low level of development exacerbate disasters’ effects. Third, because the negative impact of natural phenomena on the prospects for long-term development is considerably greater in less developed countries. Thus, confronting disaster issues in a systematic and coherent fashion must be an explicit objective of development strategies. This introductory module reviews worldwide trends in disaster occurrence, regional distribution, and links to global trends such as persistent poverty, environmental degradation and growing urban density.
Module 2: National Disaster Risk Management Systems
Poorly planned development turns recurring natural phenomena into human and economic disaster. Allowing dense population on a floodplain or permitting poor or non-enforced building codes in earthquake zones increases not only the vulnerability of the exposed population, but also makes increased losse s due to natural hazards more likely. In recent years, the traditional approach to disaster management – which focused almost exclusively on actions taken immediately before, during and shortly after a disaster in order to avoid loss of life and reduce economic damage – has evolved toward a broader concept of disaster risk management. Instead of diverting financing through budget reallocation from ongoing projects in order to finance recovery and reconstruction efforts, pro-active mechanisms are sought to reduce the economic costs and impacts of disasters, improve countries’ response capacity, decrease vulnerability and improve communities’ re silience to disasters. This module reviews different approaches countries take to creating national disaster management.systems; diverse methods of transferring disaster risks; options available to governments in financing disaster recovery through risk-sharing tools; costs and benefits of policy options; methods of determining the financing needs for recovery, using damage and reconstruction needs assessment etc.
Module 3: The Role of Local Actors
Democratization and decentralization are global trends that are causing policymakers to rethink the institutional setup of governments, and the roles and responsibilities of different levels of government in achieving developmental objectives. Disaster risk management is not exempt from these global trends, and actors such as local governments, municipal authorities and local communities play an increasingly important role in emerging national disaster risk management systems. This role deserves not only recognition, but it should be viewed as an integral part of the national systems. This means that the central government must provide appropriate resources to localities, coordinate national efforts and create an enabling environment for local initiatives. This module examines the evolving role of local actors in the context of city management and community-based disaster mitigation.
End of Course Project
To meet the course completion requirement the participants are required to submit an end-of course case study/project. The objective of the course project is to enable the participants to apply the newly acquired knowledge to specific conditions in their towns, districts, villages or work situations. In the course project the participants should provide a critical assessment of the disaster risk management system in a specific situation. The evaluation should be presented in the context of a recent natural disaster event. The case study should draw upon information from the course materials, data specific to the case study and the selected disaster event.
Presenters
The course materials have been prepared by a resource team drawn from academics and practitioners involved in various facets of disaster risk management from different parts of the globe. These include Margaret Arnold, Joanne Bayer, Reinhard Mechler, Fouad Bendimerad, Ricardo Zapata, Krishna Vatsa, Katalin Demeter, Katherine Kelman and others.
Instructors
During the course instructors and facilitators from National Institute of Disaster Management and the World Bank Institute will guide the participants and evaluate the project work.
Course Format
The course consists of self-paced modules, discussion forums, exercises, readings, case studies, tests and learning via interaction with program faculty and peers. Moreover, for each module there are 2 to 3 audio sessions of expert lectures for 40–45 minutes each. The course materials shall be provided in a CD to each participant.