To mitigate, develop and improve the lives of those vulnerable to intense natural disasters, climate change and food insecurity, many agencies are funding and implementing diverse activities from reconstruction to rehabilitation. In particular, mid-to long-term interventions, strategies, and practical approaches are being designed and adopted to build the resilience of the poor. This book presents the lessons and impacts from a collection of these projects, describing concepts, strategies, processes, and tools in such a way that they can be easily replicated and shared with a wider audience. It describes valuable practical experiences and lessons from the field, capturing a range of diverse interventions from implementing agencies involved in post-disaster rehabilitation.

Part 1 presents an overview of the coastal threats and post-tsunami issues faced by the coastal communities of South Asia. Part 2 examines the concept of risk reduction and, in doing so, brings together the focal elements of resilience, mitigation and adaptation. Part 3 describes the pathways for building the capacity of vulnerable communities to withstand and rebuild from natural disasters. Part 4 presents real-life stories of how post-disaster rehabilitation and resilience-building projects have led to positive change at the community level.

Julian Gonsalves has 35 years of experience in the design, management and evaluation of international rural and agricultural research and development programmes. From 1984 to 2000, he worked for the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction. Since then, he has focussed his energies on providing short-term assistance as an external reviewer and evaluator to various international development agencies.

Priyanka Mohan is formerly a Research Officer at IDRC’s Regional Office for South Asia and China in New Delhi. Before joining IDRC, she worked for the Centre for Environment Education, on issues related to waste management and environment impact in Southern India.

Foreword

Acknowledgement

Introduction

Acronyms

Part 1
Coastal Threats and Challenges

1. Rehabilitating Livelihoods in Tsunami-Affected Coastal Communities in Asia 

2. Ecosystem Threats and Impacts in Coastal Areas

3. Coastal Erosion and its Management

4. Tsunami Impacts and Coastal Land Use Issues

5. Coastal Planning and Regulatory Issues: Post-Tsunami

6. Trends in Land and Resource Use and Land Tenure

7. Management Challenges and Approaches for Sustainable ICM

8. Integrated Coastal Zone Planning

9. Establishing Resilient Coastal Ecosystems for Sustainable Livelihoods

Part 2
Disaster Risk Reduction: Key to Adaptation

10. Reducing Disaster Risk: A Challenge for Development

11. Linking Poverty, Vulnerability, and Disaster Risk

12. The Impact of Climate Change on the Vulnerable

13. Understanding Adaptation and Mitigation

14. Demistifying Terminologies and Definitions: Same Terms, Different
Meanings?

15. A Framework on Addressing Climate Change Adaptation and Vulnerabilities

16. Framework for Disaster-Resistant Sustainable Livelihoods

17. Adaptation: The Context for Change

18. Looking at Climate Change Adaptation from Various Realms

19. Assessing Resilience and Vulnerability: Principles, Strategies and Actions

20. Analytical and Assessment Tools and Methods

21. Participatory Community Risk Assessment

22. Integrating Ecosystems Management with DRR

23. Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction

24. Indicators for Use in Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction

25. Healthy Ecosystems and their Role in Disaster Risk Reduction

26. Adaptation to Climate Change

27. Capitalising on Similarities: Bridging Differences between CCA and DRR

28. Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Framework: The Cordaid Lens

29. Enhancing Coping Mechanisms in Resilience Building

30. Supporting Local Capacities: From Jargon to Impact

Part 3
Building Capacities: The Path to Community Resilience

31. Emergence of Resilience

32. Understanding Resilience in Coastal Areas

33. Towards Creating a Resilient Community

34. Learning to Respond to Disasters: Community Empowerment

35. Community Resilience: A Social Justice Perspective

36. Boosting Community Resilience

37. Community Resilience and Community-based Management

38. Information and Communications Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction

39. Management of Coastal Resources through Village Level Planning

40. Development Planning using Spatial Data

41. Towards a Better Assessment Framework: The Case of Wanduruppa

42. Building Resilient Communities: Lessons from Cordaid

43. Community Disaster Resilience Fund: Early Insights and Recommendations

44. Capacity Building Interventions: Drawing Lessons from the Field

45. A Role for Customised Financial Mechanisms

46. Village Information Centres: Harnessing the Potential of Technology

47. Considerations for a Village Resource Centre

48. Transforming the Value Chains through Business Development Approach

49. Planning Coastal Revegetation Programmes

50. Role of Coastal Bioshield in Strengthening the Coastal Resilience

51. Non-Mangrove Bioshields in Coastal Areas

Part 4
Risk Reduction Experiences from the Field

52. An Introduction to the SRTAC Project

53. Networking and Partnerships in Rural Sri Lanka

54. Village Development Planning Processes in Sri Lanka

55. Local Participation in Mangrove Management

56. Unleashing Women Power in Tamil Nadu

57. Exposure Visits: A Tool for Gender Mainstreaming

58. Community Disaster Resilience Fund: Learning from a Pilot Initiative

59. Building Bonds, Breaking Bondages in the Gulf of Mannar

60. Insurance: Investment towards Security and Resilience in Palakayatippa

61. Community-Managed Microfinance: The Case of Danavaipeta,
Andhra Pradesh

62. Community Participation: The Case of the Andaragasyaya Canal

63. Revival of Agriculture in Sorlagondi Village, Andhra Pradesh

64. Transfering Ownership to Communities: Flood Mitigation in Ambalantota

65. The Importance of Providing Solutions that Really Work

66. Collective Management of Resources in Village Development

67. Reviving Traditional Paddy Farming in Andaragasayaya

68. Collective Action for Eco-Shrimp Farming in Sorlagondi

69. Facilitation makes a World of Difference in Danavaipeta

70. Weaving in Technology to the Coir Industry: The Thalalla Experience

71. Applying Market-Systems Approaches in Wanduruppa

72. Integrated Mangrove and Fishery Farming: A Model for Saline Transformed
Lands

73. Raising Mangrove Nurseries in Muthuregunathapuram Village

74. Viability of Bioshield Development in Sri Lanka

75. Participatory GIS for Village Development

76. Village Resource Centres: The Spokes of the Information Village

77. Village Resource and Knowledge Centre as Hubs for Disaster Preparedness

78. Livelihood Avenues: Reducing Economic Vulnerabilities

79. Customised Process-Oriented Facilitation of Project Monitoring

Information Resources