By Shyamji, Research Scholar in Disaster Management, Jamsetji Tata School of Disaster Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

The disasters caused by climate change are on the rise in the South Asian region, worsening the situation of marginalized societies that are highly vulnerable to these disasters, despite contributing the least to emissions. In its sixth report (2022), the IPCC recommends that localised adaptation and mitigation should be integrated as an essential element in achieving effective climate resilience, as global strategies often overlook the realities at regional, local, and community scales. Communities are not merely targets of climate extremes, but also sources of resilience, the adaptive knowledge and practices of which can be successfully applied in context-specific disaster risk reduction strategies.

During my work in the Health and Family Welfare Department in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh, I also witnessed how integrating climate considerations into local health planning increases local resilience. The frequent occurrence of landslides and flash floods disrupted rural healthcare delivery, isolated communities, and stretched resources. The department organised a participatory review of the indicators of vulnerability by aligning the district operations with the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR, 2015) and the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMA, 2019), which connected disease surveillance to the changing patterns of rainfall and temperature as a result of climate change. Institutional participation in collecting climate-sensitive information demonstrates how risk governance can be localised by training community health workers and local panchayats (WHO, 2021).

On the same note, during my field research at the Airoli node in Navi Mumbai, it was discovered that the locals, particularly women and informal workers, played an active role in designing flood control measures in collaboration with the municipality. Mangrove replantation, drain desilting, and waste segregation were the priority activities in the area aimed at minimising monsoon flooding. Such practices can be considered in line with the NITI Aayog (2023) focus on the concept of community-owned green infrastructure as a part of resilient urban planning. With the introduction of ecological literacy into local governance, communities were able to share in climate adaptation efforts and not rely solely on external help.

Climate resilience requires a change from top-down to co-produced practices to effectively implement climate resilience into local DRR (UNDP, 2022). This can be operationalised by District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), and through:

• Integrating community climate indicators at the local vulnerability assessment (NDMA, 2020).
• Community-led resilience initiatives allocation of micro-grants (World Bank, 2021),
• Including women and the youth in the disaster planning processes (UN Women, 2022).

Community-based DRR epitomises the notion of the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development of leaving no one behind. Financial autonomy, access to information, and institutional space that empower local actors will build up an anticipatory resilience rather than a reactive response. Successful disaster management policies adapt to the local socio-cultural and economic realities, drawing on community insights to refine communication and response strategies. In this light, stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and the private sector, need to invest in developing and implementing inclusive communication strategies.

References:

1. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2022). Sixth Assessment Report: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Geneva: IPCC.
2. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). (2019). National Disaster Management Plan. Government of India.
3. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). (2020). Guidelines on Community-Based Disaster Risk Management. Government of India.
4. NITI Aayog. (2023). Strategy for Urban Climate Resilience in India. New Delhi.
5. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2022). Localising Climate Resilience through Community Governance. New York.
6. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). (2015). Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. Geneva.
7. United Nations. (2015). Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. New York.
8. UN Women. (2022). Gender-Responsive Climate Action in Asia and the Pacific. Bangkok.
9. World Bank. (2021). Strengthening Local Resilience to Climate Extremes in South Asia. Washington, DC.
10. World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). Climate Resilient Health Systems: Policy Brief. Geneva.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of AIDMI.