This project was based on the premise that policy actions happen not just because of the existence of a linear relationship between problems and their solutions but comes about in  ‘windows of opportunity’ settings that occur when problems and solutions come together in a particular political environment that is not necessarily defined by the problems or  solution.

Taking the examples of flash floods in Leh (2010) and Bramer (2006) districts in India, the project examined the policy positions adopted by district planners post disaster, and assessed the extent to which these integrate disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation concerns into long term recovery and development planning. A simple bi-variate tool was created to measure the ‘extent’ of this integration. By examining the process and outcomes of disaster policy districts, the research identified a district level agenda that strengthens the integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in planning.

A visual documentation of the research that was carried out in a village in Leh can be found in a photo essay.

The study tested the effectiveness of local multi-stakeholder action as an enabling factor for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in post disaster programmes. This included the use of communication in Bramer with local community reporters being trained to communicate the climate and disaster risks facing communities. (Listen online to the radio programmes produced). In addition community weather forecasting in Leh proved to be an important enabling factor for better preparedness. (Watch a short film about the Leh experience)

The project then identified standards for promoting multi-stakeholder influence in long term response planning, and consolidated the existing innovations and experiences in this area.

Part of this process involved looking at how to incorporate traditional knowledge into post disaster recovery, as part of an effort to integrate disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation- the results of which were written up in a book chapter on the subject.

The experiences and voices of local people in Leh and Bramer which tell of some of the challenges and opportunities of integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation can be found in a project report on Catalysts of Change

The district level experiment was intended for state and national level replication by demonstrating a model for integrating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in State Climate Change Action Plans and national strategies.

For wider sharing, learning and tools from project has feed into an online training course offered by SEEDS and Kyoto University to policy makers and practitioners.

You can find more information on the central research questions and activities in a project flyer.

All the project and activities and results have been consolidated in the Final Project Report and all the outputs from the project have been documented in a project micro-site. 

In a CDKN Inside Story publication, authored by the project team, the learning from this project has been documented.

Principal Investigator: Anshu Sharma, SEEDS, India.

Co-investigators: Rajib Shaw, Kyoto University, Japan,  Sahba Chauhan, Indian Institute of Technology, India.

CDKN funding: £67,130

Pictures courtesy of SEEDS, www.seedsindia.org/Sarika Gulati