Involving Community in the Management of Flood Shelters and Other Disasters

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Query: Involving community in Construction and Maintenance of
Flood Shelters. - Advice
Compiled by G Padmanabhan and Nitya Jacob, Resource Persons and Nupur Gupta and
Sunetra Lala, Research Associates
Issue Date: 11 May 2010
From Shakeb Nabi, ActionAid International, Bangladesh
Posted 2 March 2010
I work for ActionAid International in Bangladesh as DIPECHO (Disaster Preparedness ECHO) Project
Manager. The objective of the project is to "Enhance Disaster Preparedness among Communities and
Institutions in Bangladesh". One of the major activities of the current project is construction of
Community Based Flood Shelters. The shelter would be built in one of the river islands where
thousands of residents are displaced due to flooding of the Yamuna River.
For this project we want incorporate learning from similar work that has already been done by different
agencies and incorporate the lessons. Also, this is an action research initiative and after the project we
will publish a strategy paper on construction of Flood Shelters. This will be relevant to other countries
especially India.
In view of the above, we request members of the Disaster Management and Water community to advice
on four very critical issues of:
• What are the criteria that must be kept in mind for site selection? (Like height of the site, type of soil,
infrastructure etc.).
• What are the concerns of vulnerable groups like children, disabled and women, especially for
drinking water and sanitation, and what steps that is to be taken to ensure that these are adequately
addressed?
• How can the Community participate in and contribute to the design and construction of
shelters? Also, what are the essential facilities needed to ensure proper care of the community?
• What Steps must be taken to maintain and use the shelters round the year? Is there a possibility to
work on a revenue model where the shelter generates some kind of revenue which can be used for
its maintenance and upkeep? (Please share any experiences of Post construction maintenance
practices)
Members are also requested to provide any reference documents on this issue.

We sincerely hope that the complete report of our study will be a good reference for humanitarian
agencies across countries. Contributions from the Solution Exchange Community will be acknowledged in
the strategy paper.
Thanks and best regards
Responses were received, with thanks, from
1. Rahul Banerjee, Khedut Mazdoor Chetna Sangath, Indore
2. Tapan Patel, Centre for Integrated Development, Ahmedabad
3. Satheesh KK Sridharan, Independent Consultant, Chennai
4. Rajeev R. Rana, ADRA India-DIPECHO Project, Begusarai, Bihar
5. Dipan Shah, Society for Environment protection (SEP), Ahmedabad
6. Ashok P.Ghule, Emergency Control Room, Collector Office, District –Thane, Maharashtra
7. Shakeb Nabi, ActionAid International, Bangladesh (Response 1, Response 2, Response 3)
8. Devyani Parameshwar, Intellecap, Hyderabad
9. Simanchal Pattnaik, Independent Consultant, Patna
10. Ashwani Wanganeo, Department of Environmental Science & Limnology, Barkatullah
University, Bhopal
11. Ramesha C, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Bangalore
12. Bhaskar Mittra, Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Allied Trust, Mumbai
13. Suneet Anand, knowledge Works, New Delhi
14. Kalika Mohapatra, Independent Consultant, Bhubaneswar
15. Balaka Dey, National Disaster Management Authority, Government of India, New Delhi
16. Aditi Umrao, Department of Relief, Uttar Pradesh
17. Rajeshwar, Helpage India, New Delhi
18. Dipankar Dasgupta, DISHA, Kolkota
19. Sarwat Hussain Naqvi, State Mainstreaming Unit- Chattisgarh State AIDS Contrpl
Society, Raipur
20. Rajeev Jha, Access Development Service, Jharkhand
21. Narendra Singh, International Federation of Redcross and Red crescent societies, Yangon
22. Gyana Ranjan Das, Independent Consultant, Orissa
23. S.C. Mohanty, Deptartment of Relief and Rehabilitation and Disaster Management,
Government of Maharashtra, Mumbai
24. Ajit Seshadri, The Vigyan Vijay Foundation, New Delhi
25. T. Prabu, Lutheran World Service India Trust, Cuddalore, Tamilnadu
26. Ashok Malhotra, United Nations Development Programme, New Delhi
27. Muhammad Mukhtar Alam , Center for Ecological Audit,Social Inclusion and
Governace, New Delhi
*Offline Contribution
Further contributions are welcome!
Summary of Responses
Comparative Experiences
Related Resources
Responses in Full

Summary of Responses
User communities play a critical role in designing, building and maintaining emergency shelters for use
during floods, cyclones and other natural disasters. The authorities can consider several factors during
site selection, equipment for the shelter, facilities, maintenance options and local institutions for
managing the shelter. These will add to the utility of the shelters and make it easy for local people to
take care of the facilities. They will also help integrate the shelters into the lives of the people.
An ideal site for a shelter must be located higher than the highest flood level recorded in the past. If
there is no suitable high ground, the authorities can consider building the shelter on stilts of concrete or
steel. This type of shelter has an additional advantage: People can use the space under the shelter to
keep their livestock during emergencies. In several floods, people have had to sell of their livestock for a
pittance because they were unable to look after them.
The user communities can help select the best site. Other factors that determine site selection are the
distance (it should be within 2 Km of the habitations it serves) and road access. There should be no
geographical barrier between the habitations and the shelter. In coastal Orissa, several of the flood
shelters have been built within the premises of schools; this eliminates the need for finding and acquiring
land and also ensures the shelter’s upkeep.
The site needs to be firm and rocky, not marshy. Soil analysis can help determine this, and also help to
select a site suitable for an earthquake resistant building.
The shelter building can ideally have a cement foundation, and a brick-and-mortar construction up to the
plinth level. The authorities can make a ramp to make the shelter disabled-friendly, as the Lutheran
World Service has done in Tamil Nadu. Members have suggested using local material to keep costs
down and facilitate maintenance by the user communities. For example, flood shelters in North Bihar
have a solid platform to the plinth level and walls of bamboo and bricks.
The shelter design should provide for separate halls for women and men in addition to the obvious need
for separate toilets and bathing areas. The authorities can also include some additional facilities for
women while equipping the shelter, such as sanitary napkins and adequate lighting in toilets, bath rooms
and the water source. Toilet designs for girls and women now include disposal facilities for used sanitary
napkins. A part of the shelter can function as an anganwadi (for children aged 3-6 years) and a school for
older children, as the Centre for Social Audit, Social Inclusion and Governance tried in Araria, Bihar.
Several responses emphasized the need to safeguard drinking water sources. Tanks for storing water
have to be above the flood water level, or sealed so flood water does not contaminate it. Rainwater
harvesting can provide drinking water where no other source is available. The survival kit in shelters can
include water disinfection facility such as chlorine or halogen tablets so the water is safe to drink.
Additionally, adequate sanitation is essential to reduce the risk of water borne diseases during floods.
The authorities can involve local people right from the stage of selecting the site. In Orissa, they
comprise the Community Based Cyclone Shelter Management and Maintenance Committees (CSMMCs).
The block development officer heads the committee that includes representatives from a local NGO and
self-help groups, as well as people from the SC and ST groups. Each committee has a corpus of funds for
maintenance. The Orissa State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) has trained 25 volunteers per
shelter with the help of the St John Ambulance Brigade. The Civil Defence Organisation has also trained
them on search and rescue techniques. The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, selected the sites
and designed the shelters. The shelters are equipped with a generator, radio, first-aid kits, inflatable
tower lights, power saw, rope, lifebuoys, life jackets, stretchers, kitchen sets and other emergency
equipment. The facilities can also include a grain and fodder bank.

Another example of community participation in constructing and maintaining flood shelters include the
Mising tribe who live in the flood plains of the Brahmaputra in the Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts of
Assam. They build houses on stilts and tie their boats to their houses. In neighbouring West Bengal,
people living in the Nadia and Murshidabad districts
The second example is from the Nadia and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal. After floods in 2000
that destroyed most of the houses, people rebuilt their dwellings on plinths raised above the highest
flood level. They have also used new material for construction that is more resistant to floods. Families
have also prepared their own survival kits that can sustain them for 7-10 days without any external relief.
Members suggested local self-help groups can look after the shelters. Alternately, a committee
comprising people from the community and local administration can maintain the shelter. The authorities
can provide a core grant and the committee can raise additional resources by letting out the shelter for
social functions. Other sources of revenue can include using the shelter as an anganwadi, school or camp
for medical treatment, on payment of a fee. These measures will also ensure the shelter is in continuous
use and ready to serve its primary function during an emergency. The committee or SHG is also
responsible for ensuring the state of readiness of the equipment in the shelter.
Comparative Experiences
Tamilnadu
Making shelter disabled-friendly, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts (from T. Prabu,
Lutheran World Service India Trust, Cuddalore, Tamilnadu)
In Tamilnadu during the Tsunami Response Programme, an organization constructed several emergency
shelters for the affected community. They constructed high level tube well platforms to protect them
from flood water contamination. Ramps were provided for the physically challenged population. They also
provided battery charged minimum lighting system to ensure safety of the vulnerable group.
From Dipankar Dasgupta, DISHA, Kolkota
Assam
Tribals prepare for annual floods, Lakhimpur & Dhemaji Districts
To prepare against annual floods, the tribes living in the flood plains have raised their houses built on
stilts at a level higher than the flood level, have kept boats tied to their houses and have switched over to
fishing during floods and to agriculture during Rabi season. They have built large raised earthen mounds
to build markets and other community structures which are also used as flood shelters. The construction
and maintenance of the shelters is done completely through community participation.
West Bengal
Community builds innovative shelters, Nadia and Murshidabad Districts
After a devastating flood in 2004, through a community-centred process, all houses destroyed and other
common shelters were rebuilt on raised plinths above the highest flood level. Using local material houses
were especially designed so that on receipt of early warning they can be dismantled and put it on top of
very tall, strong trees on bamboo platforms and families then can proceed to their respective identified
shelters or live during the floods in raised scaffolds (locally called 'machans').
Orissa
Community supervising construction (from Gyana Ranjan Das, Independent Consultant, Orissa)

In Orrisa, as preparedness to cyclones two storey multi-purpose buildings were constructed for
community use. During normal period it was used for various activities. It helped keeping in usable
condition during a disaster. The technical designs were assessed through field survey taking into account
parameters like floor space available, population of the villages etc. Community participated in site
selection also supervised the construction. These buildings have all basic facilities for shelter of women,
children and others
Bihar
Community Groups support running relief camps. Araria district (from Muhammad Mukhtar
Alam, Center for Ecological Audit, Social Inclusion and Governance, New Delhi)
After the floods in 2008 the Government supported Relief Camps for pro essential supplies and private
relief camps were managed by the social, religious and cultural organizations. Various faith based and
other community groups were the first to reach and rescue people from the heavy flow of the waters
with the help of other community members.
Related Resources
Recommended Documentation
Guidelines on Management of Floods (from Ashok P.Ghule, Emergency Control Room, Collector
Office, District –Thane, Maharashtra)
Guidelines; National Disaster Management Authority; New Delhi
Available at: http://ndma.gov.in/ndma/guidelines/Book.pdf (Pdf 5.75 MB)
The guidelines suggest criteria that must be kept in mind for site selection for shelter.
Linking Poverty Reduction and Environmental Management – Policy Challenges and
Opportunities (from Ashok Malhotra, United Nations Development Programme, New Delhi)
Paper; DFID, EC, UNDP and the World Bank; 2002
Available at: http://www.sarpn.org.za/wssd/protagonists/pr_em/WSSD_Paper_Final_Version.pdf (Pdf 134
KB)
Paper was produced in the process leading up to the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD) talks about constructing flood shelters.
Recommended Contacts and Experts
Mr. Manish Agrawal, Oxfam Bangladesh (from Tapan Patel, Centre for Integrated Development,
Ahmedabad)
Oxfam Supporter Relations, Oxfam House, John Smith Drive, Cowley, Oxford, OX4 2JY
Then with UNICEF, Manish supported the preparation of the flood Manual on Flood Shelters in
Bihar; can be referred for more information.
Recommended Organizations and Programmes
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), New Delhi (from Ashok P.Ghule, Emergency
Control Room, Collector Office, District –Thane, Maharashtra)
NDMA Bhawan, A-1, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029; Tel: 26701700; www.ndma.gov.in
Institution envisages empowerment of all stakeholders for improving the effectiveness of Disaster
Management; has prepared Guidelines for flood management in the country

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), New Delhi (from Tapan Patel, Centre for Integrated
Development, Ahmedabad)
Pataliputra Colony, Patna 800 013, Bihar; Tel: +91 0612 2275-722, 2261-621, 2261-728, 2275-720 ;
Fax: 0612 2262-620; patna@unicef.org; http://www.unicef.org/wes/index_emergency.html
UNICEF Bihar prepared a Manual on Flood Shelters in Bihar, which can be referred to for issues
related to flood shelter and community participation
Indian Red Cross Society, New Delh (from Satheesh KK Sridharan, Independent Consultant,
Chennai)
Red Cross Bhawan, Golf Links, New Delhi 110003; Tel: +91-11-24618915; 24611756; Fax: +91-11-
24617531; indcrossbr@vsnl.net; http://www.indianredcross.org/program.htm
Indian Red cross has constructed a quite a few shelters and they are using it as anganvadi in
peace time hence maintenance of the shelters is not a problem
Society for Environment Protection (SEP), Ahmedabad (Dipan Shah)
D-2, Keshav Apartment, Memnagar, Ahmedabad - 380 052; http://sepindia.org/
Works in the field of Emergency Response and Disaster Preparedness (Habitat Development) ;
prepared Cyclone shelter designs in Gujarat
Orissa State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), Bhubneswar (from Simanchal Pattnaik,
Independent Consultant, Patna and Kalika Mohapatra, Independent Consultant, Bhubaneswar)
Rajiv Bhawan, Unit-5, Bhubaneswar, Orissa 751001; Tel: 0674-2395398/79; Fax: 0674-2391871/6681;
http://v3.osdma.org/ViewDetails.aspx?vchglinkid=GL000&vchplinkid=PL000&vchslinkid=SL000
The authority adopted strategies for involving communities & other stakeholders in maintenance
of shelters in the state
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (from Kalika Mohapatra, Independent Consultant,
Bhubaneswar)
Kharagpur 721 302; 91-3222-255221; +91-3222-255303; http://www.iitkgp.ac.in/
Conducted research and suggested locations for Cyclone Shelters in 370 locations and ideas on
construction of Cyclone Shelters in Orissa
Indian Federation for Red Cross and Crescent Societies (IFRC), New Delhi (from Narendra
Singh, International Federation of Redcross and Red crescent societies, Yangon)
Red Cross Building Red Cross Road, New Delhi 110001; Tel: 91-112-371-64-24; indcross@vsnl.com
http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/response/tsunamis/index.asp
IFRC has developed Shelter maintenance guidelines based on traditional knowledge and
availability of local material for constructing shelter
Lutheran World Service India (LWSI), Kolkata (From T. Prabu)
84, Dr. Suresh Sarkar Road, Kolkata 700014 West Bengal; Tel: 91-33-22849200; Fax: 91-33-22443062;
lwsi@vsnl.com ; http://www.lwsi.org/html/proj-costal_orisa-tamil.html
Have have constructed several emergency shelters for the Tsuanmi affected and also flood
affected community in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts of Tamilandu State
Related Consolidated Replies
Improving Preparedness and Community Participation, from N. C. Vij, National Disaster
Management Authority, Government of India, New Delhi. - (Experiences). Disaster
Management Community,

Issued 29 May 2007. Available at ftp://ftp.solutionexchange.net.in/public/drm/cr/cr-se-drm-
29050701.pdf (PDF,311 KB)
Shares experiences for improving preparedness and community participation levels for efficient
management of disasters
Uniform Response Strategy for Shelter Interventions- Advice, Examples, from Vikrant
Mahajan, Sphere-URS, New Delhi.
Issue Date: 12 October 2007
Brings out experiences and suggestions for making a multi-hazard shelter strategy for Assam and
explores various construction and architectural designs
Available at: ftp://ftp.solutionexchange.net.in/public/drm/cr/cr-se-drm-13090701.pdf (Size: 114 KB)
Responses in Full
Rahul Banerjee, Khedut Mazdoor Chetna Sangath, Indore
I am not an expert in these matters (having spent all of my adult life working in dry land areas) but
would nevertheless like to make a commonsense suggestion based on what my grandfather, who was a
both a civil engineer and a partition refugee from Bangladesh, had to say about flood protection systems
there.
In most parts of flood prone Bangladesh it is difficult to find naturally elevated areas. In times of severe
floods the whole area becomes like a massive lake stretching miles on end. Even if elevated areas may
be found they may be too far away from habitations to make it feasible for people to reach shelters built
on them. So houses used to be built on stilts to provide flood protection. I think this is the most sensible
approach. Shelters should be built in central locations in habitations so that they are easily accessible
even to the disabled, very young and very old, on strong reinforced concrete or steel stilts whichever
material is cheaper and more resilient to water erosion. The actual architectural and structural design will
depend on the people's preferences, local conditions and the budget available. Some good quality solid
and liquid waste recycling systems, regardless of the expense involved, should also be installed in these
shelters as disposal of waste and sourcing of potable water becomes a serious health issue at times of
floods.
Tapan Patel, Centre for Integrated Development, Ahmedabad
India I was involved in preparing Manual on Flood Shelters in Bihar for UNICEF Patna (Bihar) office last
year, which covered many of the issues you have mentioned.
You can contact UNICEF Patna office: Mr. S N Singh or Mr. Manish Agrawal (Now with Oxfam
Bangladesh) for more details.
Satheesh KK Sridharan, Independent Consultant, Chennai
In India there are many such shelters constructed in flood prone and cyclone prone areas. Most of the
shelters are useful during disasters and people are accommodated during the evacuation and relief
phase. The shelters are constructed in a elevated areas safe from flooding and cyclones. Indian Red
cross has constructed a quite a few shelters and they are using it as anganvadi in peace time hence
maintenance of the shelters is not a problem. For more information on design and dimensions you can
contact the Indian Redcross society head quarters. http://www.indianredcross.org/
Rajeev R. Rana, ADRA India-DIPECHO Project, Begusarai, Bihar
My Comments:
House type which is prone to damage or destruction during floods:

• Mud and Unburnt Brick walls when inundated under water become soft losing their dry strength
by even as much as 85% of the dry value and therefore, start collapsing when inundated for
longer duration of time.
• Burnt Brick and Stone houses usually constructed using mud mortar in the rural areas. The mud
mortar also becomes soft under continuous wetting under water.
• The houses made from light weight materials like GI or other Metal sheets or Grass, Leaves,
Reeds, Bamboo etc. easily float away as soon as their holding down posts are uprooted by the
flowing water.
Floods occurring in the alluvial plains of the rivers or the costal deltas give rise to the
following types of problems during floods:-

• The bearing capacity of the soil gets reduced and buildings of heavy materials may sink and get
damaged by differential settlements.
• The soil can be eroded under the action of flowing water and scouring can take place around
and under the foundations resulting in the uprooting of the lighter posts or sinking and tilting of
the heavier foundations.
• Siltation can take place around the buildings when the flood water recedes away from the site.
• The phenomena of soil liquefaction can take place during an earthquake of medium to high
intensity. It actually happened in large areas of north Bihar during August 1988 earthquake when
the area was already under floods.
Some above causes which affect houses. So please try structural techniques to avoid the
above issues during construction work. Also requesting members to give valuable suggestion
Dipan Shah, Society for Environment protection (SEP), Ahmedabad
Greetings from Society for Environment Protection (SEP)
Below are few of the points which are based on our experience with Cyclone shelter designs. Hope they
are useful.
What are the criteria that must be kept in mind for site selection? (Like height of the site,
type of soil, infrastructure etc.).
• Site selection criteria will be divided into two parts one is technical which you have listed in terms
of height of site, location, connectivity i.e. the criteria which will govern the use and safety of the
flood shelter at the time of actual emergency.
• Another set of criteria that shall be looked in to is the “need of the community” and location such
that they are able to used the shelter on regular basis. Now this regular use can vary depend on
the community many times flood shelters are build as ICDS or multi-purpose community hall or
what ever.. .which can be developed in partnership with the community. Now for such project
the location also has to be decided in negotiations with the community.
• One important pointer which I would like to flag is the tendency to select a low lying area and
then going for land filling/raising… such practice should be avoided since it can either lead to
flooding in some other unknown parts of the village since that will change the topography of the
land and secondly if the natural flow of the land mass is in that direction, then any amount of
filling will ask for recurring attention.
• As far as construction is concern, it will be always good to use the local material and skill this will
be helpful in many ways. A) it will be more sustainable and green approach B) will be easy for
community to maintain it C) will help build communities confidence in the local technology and
also help in demonstrating disaster resistant features in the local technology which can go a long
way.
• It is must to do a soil test and get the structure design correctly with necessary provision and
factor of safety.

What are the concerns of vulnerable groups like children, disabled and women, especially for
drinking water and sanitation, and what steps that is to be taken to ensure that these are
adequately addressed?
• Adding of disable friendly and child friendly features in the building are must. There are tons of
information available on design guidelines for the same on net. Please refer the same and do
necessary customization.
• Apart from regular arrangement on drinking water and sanitation, when ever they are detailed do
detail them for the worst case scenario. That is if post disaster there are no lights, difficult to
pump water, and entire design population of the community is staying in cyclone shelter.
• Also, ensure that underground water tank top is higher then the highest flood line or are made
water tight so there is no contamination even if it is fully submerged in flood water. Also
arrangements are made so that using hand pump water can be taken for use without opening
the tank and even if there is no light.
How can the Community participate in and contribute to the design and construction of
shelters? Also, what are the essential facilities needed to ensure proper care of the
community?
• Various guidelines and reports are already suggested by the members for the same but important
will be to identify the need of the structure which is such that community will use it on regular
basis. Once it is articulated that for eg. They need ICDS then the challenge will be to evolve a
design which is both sensitive to routine needs of the structure and also flexible to take care of
the emergency extremities and needs.
• The revenue models can be worked out based on the kind of structures. In many cases in Tamil
Nadu, when we were doing various monitoring exercise we many multi-purpose cyclone shelter
where used as marriage hall and the revenue was hence collected. Similarly when we designed
ICDS in pulicut region (of Tamil Nadu), they were linked to regular school and hence the
maintenance was taken care of.
It is utmost important that cyclone shelter are integrated with Community based Disaster preparedness
plan and exercises. If the remaining follow up loop is not done creating merely a structure will not help in
Disaster preparedness. It is must to integrate it with a larger program of disaster preparedness.
Ashok P.Ghule, Emergency Control Room, Collector Office, District –Thane, Maharashtra
Regarding what are the criteria that must be kept in mind for site selection I will suggest referring to
National Disaster Management Authority’ flood guidelines. To refer to the guidelines click
http://ndma.gov.in/ndma/guidelines/Book.pdf
For the second question on how can the Community participate in and contribute to the design and
construction of shelters; I think we should take the beneficiaries point of view for the construction issues.
What type of construction they required? what kind of need they have? etc.
Community participation should be kept in construction monitoring also.
Shakeb Nabi, ActionAid International, Bangladesh (Response 1)
Many thanks for the response. One of the interesting things that you mentioned is earth raising. During
the initial phase of the design process we were struggling to know to what extent the ground has to be
raised. We consulted the community and some of the INGOs which has already done similar kind of work.

Through this process we came to the conclusion that we take into consideration the highest flood water
level in the last two years and do the earthraising two feet above that.
Sometimes we feel that this is more based on the trends of the flood in the past but how can we be
futuristic keeping the impact of climate change (read water level rise) in mind? Can we have a flood
shelter which has the flexibility to be raised in future if there is more water than what was forecasted? It
would be nice to hear the views of the solution exchange members on these points also.
I also quite like that idea of having a waste disposal area attached with the flood shelter.
The technicality can be worked out during the discussion.
Devyani Parameshwar, Intellecap, Hyderabad
I work for Intellecap, an advisory firm that works to catalyse the growth of social enterprises. We are
working on a project to engage the private sector in building the urban poor's resilience to the impacts
(direct and indirect) of climate change - such as flooding, cyclones, related health issues, solid waste and
water management, etc.
To this end, like Mr Nabi, we are very interested in understanding if there are successful examples of
revenue models to sustain shelters and other facilities that help in disaster preparedness. Can alternative
uses (anganvadis, etc.) make it a sustainable venture, or are these facilities bound to require government
or NGO funding?
Simanchal Pattnaik, Independent Consultant, Patna
I would like to share the experience of Flood/ Cyclone shelter those are constructed in Orissa by different
agencies and even by OSDMA (Orissa State Disaster Mitigation Authority). Especially OSDMA adopted
some processes/ strategies for involving the peripheral communities & other stakeholders in maintenance
of shelters, though community have not directly involved in designing & construction of the shelters.
Each shelter has a shelter management committee, involving all stakeholders. You can get detail
information from the link:
http://www.osdma.org/ViewDetails.aspx?vchglinkid=GL007&vchplinkid=PL040&vchslinkid=SL014
Regrinding the use of shelter round the year and generate some revenue for maintenance by
the community, the same strategy adopted by the Shelter Management Committee in each shelter can be
adopted.
• The shelter can be used by the villagers during normal time as community center, for organizing
any social functions like marriage ceremonies/ thread ceremonies/ birth day ceremonies etc and
can collect a user fee, accepted by the community and approved by the committee and that can
be kept in a saving bank account in the name of the respective committee for future
maintenance.
• Utensils, water vessels, solar lights can also be provided, if possible, which can also be used
during these type of functions for generating more revenue and will be some times essential for
the period flood for making free kitchen facility.
• During normal period the community center can also be used for the health camps, Anganwadi
Centers, Non formal schools etc, if no building available for this purpose and certain amount can
also are collected for this purpose, if Govt. has the provision.
• Similarly training programs of different agencies and local government can also be conducted to
generate revenue during normal period.

Lastly, targeting community to participate in designing and construction, I would suggest for
organizing a masons training in each community, where Community Based Flood Shelter will be
constructed by adopting a technology to sustain the shelter even in high flood. The shelter will also be
used as the demonstration unit for replication of the technology and strategy to other targeted
communities. This will not only involve the respective rural artisans/ villagers in the shelter construction
and designing, even upgrade their technical skill as well.
Ashwani Wanganeo, Department of Environmental Science & Limnology, Barkatullah
University, Bhopal
The problem of rise in flood water level and the subsequent impact of global warming need to be
addressed on permanent basis. We have similar problem in Srinagar, Kashmir. The problem has been
solved by generating floating residential shelters (Donga boats sophisticated version of which are House
boats) which take care of both receding and rising flood water levels.
For further discussion I am available.
Ramesha C, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Bangalore
Please visit emergency shelters constructed at tsunami hit area. Some of them are locked to avoid
misuse. One will get first hand information about practical difficulties in constructing and maintaining
them.
Don't restrict your discussion to government officials alone. Speak to both the ruling party and opposition
party in such villages.
Bhaskar Mittra, Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Allied Trust, Mumbai
A large number of organizations have been working in the flood prone areas of eastern Uttar Pradesh and
North Bihar. Lessons from the same would be of great use to you.
Suneet Anand, knowledge Works, New Delhi
Sharing some reflections on the design of flood shelters:
• What are the criteria that must be kept in mind for site selection? (Like height of the
site, type of soil, infrastructure etc.).
Site finalisation is a critical activity and due diligence must be exercised. Whether the site is
common/government lands, or donated private land, all necessary paper work needs to be in place as
per the law of the land before commencing work.
The site should not be low-lying. Access routes should be preferably be raised above 50 year high flood
level and connected to the nearest high road/path. site should be hard/rocky and should not be marshy
or landfill site- local people are the best source and cane be guides to possible good sites, however
triangulation of information must be done.
Soil tests can be undertaken if needed.
The site should be within walkable distance from all the communities it seeks to serve, so that people can
walk to safety on receiving flood/cyclone warning.
Overall geographical vulnerability of the area should be known to assess the liquefaction potential.
Foundation design and design of structure should address this.
• What are the concerns of vulnerable groups like children, disabled and
women, especially for drinking water and sanitation, and what steps that is to be
taken to ensure that these are adequately addressed?

Drinking water is definitely a concern in times of floods. Rainwater is one friendly source of water in
these times when one presumes that most water sources will be submerged/ or access difficult.
Therefore, certain amount of rain water storage structures should be incorporated into the design of
these structures. Gender segregated toilets and bathing rooms should be provided with water supply in
place.
• How can the Community participate in and contribute to the design and construction
of shelters? Also, what are the essential facilities needed to ensure proper care of the
community?
The community should be involved in the design of the structure, their aspirations and preferences
addressed. Considering that the community are the users of these structures, their views must be taken
into developing a brief for the structure and subsequent designs shared for their merits. Involving an
architect/ civil engineer early on into the process helps a great deal. Even in a tender procedure where an
outside party is to do the construction, members of the community with interest/knowledge of
construction can serve as the eyes and ears to the process.
During the time that construction of the shelter is being carried out, is a good time to initiate
dissemination of safe construction practices.
• What Steps must be taken to maintain and use the shelters round the year? Is there a
possibility to work on a revenue model where the shelter generates some kind of
revenue which can be used for its maintenance and upkeep? (Please share any
experiences of Post construction maintenance practices)
This has been done with a certain measure of success by IRCS in Orissa. Even the shaded plinth serves
as a day school. The covered lockable space is used for marriages, functions etc, used for community
meetings, schools, etc
Every family should contribute every month based on their paying capacity. These go into not only the
running of the structure but also maintainance of warning equipment, S&R equipment etc. However, in
the long run, these structures should be linked with panchayat/local government/local chapter of Red
Cross.
Before the onset of disaster season, the community should be mobilised and the entire structure serviced
from the roof downwards including water inlets and outlets, making sure sanitation facilities are working,
warning equipment are in good condition, door and window latches are in order etc.
Many thanks for giving your input.
One of the issues that you have mentioned is Soil Testing. Could you please share your wisdom on the
same. Like testing for what? Is it for the strength and compaction?
From its appearance it looks like the soil is sandy. There is a very high probability that it will be eroded
very fast in the event of a flood and might pose danger to the shelter. How do we ensure that soil is not
eroded. Some of the ideas that I have come across is putting the sand bags on the periphery, planting of
trees and grass. I would request the community members to enlighten us on this also.
Kalika Mohapatra, Independent Consultant, Bhubaneswar
In Orissa, Orissa State Disaster Management Authority(OSDMA) has constructed 97 Multipurpose
Cyclone/Flood Shelters in 6 coastal districts 41 more are under construction out of Prime Minister’s
National Relief Fund. Indian Red Cross Society, Orissa Branch has also constructed 65 Multipurpose
Cyclone Shelters.

A survey was conducted through IIT, Kharagpur in 6 coastal districts and adjoining areas of Chilika
lagoon to identify the locations for Cyclone Shelters. IIT, Kharagpur has suggested 370 locations (286 in
6 coastal districts + 84 around Chilika lake) with capacity for construction of Cyclone Shelters. The basic
features in deciding the location and capacity are:
• To provide minimum 1 sft. Safe shelter space per person to take shelter during disaster.
• No person should move a maximum distance of 2.25 K.M. to approach a shelter.
• There should not be any geographical barrier to reach a safe shelter.
• All the shelter buildings should be put to use for different community activities including schools
during normal times.
The basic design features of the shelter buildings are: -
• Fixation of plinth level above the HFL.
• Designed to withstand wind velocity of 300 K.M. per hour and roof live load of 500 Kg. per square
metre as per IS: 875.
• Design is earthquake resistant.
• Stilted floor.
• Separate halls & toilets for men and women.
• Shelter equipment like generator, free power radio, first-aid box, free kitchen utensils, inflatable
tower light, power saw, rope, lifebuoy, lifejacket, folding stretcher and other search & rescue
equipment.
Community Based Cyclone Shelter Management and Maintenance Committees (CSMMCs) includes local
administration and representatives from NGO and Women SHG and few members from SC & ST
communities and takes the charge of day-to-day management and maintenance of the building. Most of
the buildings have been constructed in School premises so that the buildings could be used for School
purposes during normal time. The CSMMC has also been authorized to put the building for economic /
community uses like community house/ hall , kaliyan mandap, used for any type of community function
etc. and earn user fees. The amount so earned is kept in a joint account and as and when necessary
spent for the purpose of maintenance of the building.
As these places are used for safe shelter government of Orissa has decided to equip them with the
following equipments , which will be useful during or post disaster time:
• Shelter equipment like generator,
• free power radio,
• first-aid box,
• inflatable tower light,
• power saw,
• rope, lifebuoy,
• lifejacket,
• folding stretcher
• Kitchen sets
• other search & rescue equipment
The CSMMC members and Village Disaster Management Teams like DMT on first-aid and DMT on search
& rescue have been trained to operate the equipments under DRM Programme. 25 volunteers per shelter
have been trained on first-aid techniques by the trainers from St. John Ambulance. Similarly 25
volunteers per shelter have been imparted training on search & rescue techniques by the trainers from
Civil Defence organization. The shelters have also been given a linkage with the Village, Gram Panchayat
and Block level DM plans prepared under the DRM Programme.
I hope the information will be useful.

Balaka Dey, National Disaster Management Authority, Government of India, New Delhi
Greetings from India!
In India after the Orissa Super Cyclone (29th October, 1999) a large number of cyclone shelters were
constructed in the coastal districts (administrative division). These districts apart from being prone to
cyclone are also prone to severe floods every year. The cyclone shelters constructed with the support of
various organisations are now used as multi purpose cyclone shelters. In some places that are used as
schools and also community centers
The type of construction that we see of these shelters too vary. Some shelters are on raised lands and
have stilts. This helps the community to have their livestock secured in the basement and the community
can stay on the first floor and some are circular/hexagonal in shape so that it can resist strong wind. The
maintenance of these shelters is now done by the community.
The same approach may be used in Bangladesh by Oxfam also.
Aditi Umrao, Department of Relief, Uttar Pradesh
Panchayat Bhawan can be used as shelters during disasters and in the remaining time these can be used
as a community centers as in case of city we organise functions etc in the convention centers. These
shelters should be maintained by the panchayat of that village. To make these panchayat bhawan self
sustainable, there shall be a charge for using this premises for any ceremony or function.
The construction of these shelters cum community centers has to be done in caution as these have to
adequate for both the purposes. layout & construction shall be done in full consultation with the
community.
In many village, Panchayat Bhawan are constructed by the Mukhiya (Gram Pradhan) and are being used
for all kind of purposes.
Rajeshwar, Helpage India, New Delhi
One learns by failures and we have learnt from one. Since one is talking about Bangladesh (Floods,
Hurricanes) like to highlight what you may like to consider adopting and not adopting. One assumption is
that you are talking of Rural Bangladesh, akin to Indian villages.
The design of the structure itself is the key for its maintenance and regular use. Cement concrete
structures are often found (especially in flood and hurricane areas) to have low acceptability (?) despite
the highest order of protection they provide. Essentiality being it is a “community” asset and we have
often romanticised the concept of community.
In a CC structure, by the very design the community can participate only in the “where” part of the
decision (if any) since the “What” has already been decided by us and the “How” and “How much”
decide the “when”, all external to the communities.
Therefore, what we have done is:
• Select the most elevated place in the immediate neighbourhood, giving credence to the fact that
there are going to be women, children, differently abled and the aged. If the flood is more than 15
feet, just ignore what is presented below. The people have to move to high ground only.
• have a solid platform with a ramp till the plinth level , which again is dependent on the level of
flooding that happens. Here we went down the historical transect (max flood level in known local
history).

• After the basic protection to the structure with the foundation has been established, the
superstructure essentially could be made of local material that the people themselves use (For
instance, bamboo where it is available. In North Bihar it was plenty, cheap and had little market
value. So we made use of the same). We did however provide additional protection to the shelter
by bringing up pillars at technically required van
• The ground floor (?) with cement concrete walls/ bamboo walls was meant for protecting cattle and
live stock (people’s desire and design), the first floor with the floor being a combination of bamboo
poles and bamboo mat supported again below by concrete beams. There are two entry/exit points,
step ladders from within the structure and from outside to the first floor.
• The roof again is a sloping roof (like that of a cottage again) taking into consideration the wind
direction.
• Depending on the size of the community and therefore the size of the shelter required, we may need
to look at more than one shelter. Accordingly the number of toilets and hand pumps to be erected
and at what height (given the flood level) are to be calculated.
• Our failure was to understand who maintains the toilets and we learnt from here again. If you’d
ensure that it is the families that are in the neighbourhood that would use shelter and the facilities,
half the battle is won on the Watsan front. It is their “Local” resource than a village resource.
• Based on the location universe and cattle population and calculating for the maximum period of flood
we have put in place a grain bank and a fodder bank (for the cattle) both operating on the principle
of SHGs (use when required, replace with interest). The hay procured immediately after harvest of
wheat is stacked in a neighbouring bamboo machan (platform) which is at a height of 10-12 feet
from the ground level with a tarpaulin cover, while the grain itself is stocked in containers on the first
floor of the shelter.
• All the three inputs, the shelter+Grain Bank+fodder bank have a custodian in the form of the local
group, say an SHG (we are calling them Disaster Preparedness and Management Committees)
• We explained the concept and the design and the people found it useful for:
o They found market for their bamboo (economics)
o They found that they could protect their cattle with their own produce
o The load on the shelter was their own immediate neighbourhood and not the 500 Households
of the entire village.
o A new meeting space, place to celebrate was found. They would find many more uses.
Regarding the revenue model, I have not considered this as a revenue earning model than a revenue
saving model. Reasons being (a)the prices of the Grain and the Hay at the time of harvest and in the
time of need having a variance of 3-5 times, local income generation for artisans, providing a market to
local resources and saving of livestock. In North Bihar, people sold away their cattle not because they
did not want them but because there was no fodder available. They originally bought them between 8-
10 thousand rupees each, sold away at a maximum of 2500-3000 to the butcher, and are now facing a
shortage of milk and therefore cattle and so are to invest another eight thousand. Cumulative loss being
in the range of 13-15 thousand rupees!!
You may like to attempt it with one prototype and even in unlikely event of the entire concept failing, the
loss is about 5,00,000 taka all inclusive for a neighbourhood of about 20-25 families. This structure of
the shelter may not be appropriate for a Storm Surge.
Dipankar Dasgupta, DISHA, Kolkota
There are two excellent examples of community participation in construction and maintenance of flood
shelters. They are:
• In the Brahmaputra Basin in Upper Assam, especially in Lakhimpur & Dhemaji districts, reside
the Mising Tribe who live in the flood plains. They all have raised houses built on stilts at a level
higher than the flood level. They have boats tied to their houses and switch over to fishing during
floods (which is an annual feature) and to agriculture during Rabi season. They also have large raised

earthen mounds on which there are markets or other community structures. During years of heavy
floods, they first send the elders, children and women to these shelters and, in some exceptionally
bad flood years, the men also take shelters in these raised shelters. The construction and
maintenance of the shelters is done completely through community participation.
The second example is in Nadia and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal. Majority of the houses, which
were made of mud, were washed away by a devastating flood in 2000. Through a community-centred
process in which the communities took the lead, all houses destroyed were rebuilt. All the houses and
other common shelters were rebuilt on raised plinths above the highest flood level. Since the area is
extremely low-lying with high probability of even more severe floods, the design and materials used for
housing have also been changed. The walls are made of tins, 'darma' (a local weed used for walls in the
regions), interwoven jute sticks or bricks in accordance to the economic status of each family. The
materials used are cut into small square or rectangular pieces and nailed on bamboo and screwed
together. This has been done so that on receipt of early warning ( have an excellent early warning
system in place ), they can dismantle the house in a few hours, tie them up and put it on top of very tall,
strong trees on bamboo platforms (the bamboos are stored from before) and the families then proceed
to their respective identified shelters or live during the floods in raised scaffolds (locally called 'machans').
It was a conscious decision of the community of not being dependent on external aid for rebuilding
houses after each disaster. Each family also prepare family emergency kits which give them enough
ration and other essentials to survive for 7 - 10 days without any external relief. The women members
also know how to raise tubewells (which help the tubewells not be damaged) and have source of clean
drinking water during floods when families live on scaffolds. This is also a totally community based
initiative
Sarwat Hussain Naqvi, State Mainstreaming Unit- Chattisgarh State AIDS Contrpl Society,
Raipur
I really appreciate your efforts for raising such an important issue before the community of practice the
discussion will enhance and straighten community response here are few links which contents very useful
information on the topic.
www.internationalfloodnetwork.org/04/2ndGM/4_Dr.Ahmad.pdf.
How women's concerns are shaped in community-based disaster risk management in Bangladesh this
documents basically elaborates on how concerns regarding gender in community-based disaster risk
management are shaped through interaction between local agents of development and communities in
Bangladesh. As women and men have different experiences in disaster, gender concerns should be fully
addressed by the community and integrated in the action they take up to reduce disaster risks. The term
'local agents of development' refers to individuals engaged in implementation of development policy in
their own community. Recent trends in community-based disaster risk management policy seek what is
called a 'whole community approach' engaging various stakeholders such as traditional village elite, 'local
civil society' and leaders of community-based organizations - mostly poor villagers supported by non-
governmental organizations. Within the context of the historical evolution of community development
approaches in Bangladesh, this is quite new in terms of bringing together traditional leaders and poor
target groups including women's groups. By drawing from the experience of women and focusing on the
functioning of local agents of development during the flood of 2004, the author aims to assess the gaps
between the primary concerns of women and those taken up in the risk-reduction action, to see whether,
why, and when they have widened or been bridged hope this will be useful for you and your team.
Rajeev Jha, Access Development Service, Jharkhand
You have raised a very interesting debate on construction of shelters , their maintenance by revenue
model adoption and many more. There are many agencies working in this area and contributing in this

direction. Similarly while working for Care India at Patna Bihar I have also come across some of these
issues and tried to resolve it.
First comes, that which type of shelter an agency want to construct and what is the target population. A
lot depends upon the project design and cost estimate of project and availability of raw materials. You
are aware that cost of construction for shelters can start from 10,000 to 100000 and based upon that
appropriate design can be selected . While working in the flood prone area apart from flood, generally
one should take consideration of earth quake zone of the particular area .
The local community can be involve in the site selection and purchasing of building material to maintain
the transparency of work. They can also be useful to obtain the land patta from the government officials.
Authentication of piece of land from the government site will also be important task to do. Use of local
materials in shelter construction should taken be encouraged. We have used lots of bamboos in shelter
construction and get a good result. While selecting the beneficiaries gender, disability factor can also be
counted . Installation of hand pumps based around shelters and provision of toilet along with small
kitchen would serve the community better. But the most important after the construction the target
beneficiaries should have an orientation of how to use the facilities given during peace time and during
an emergency, along with some do's and don'ts. For firsthand experience I suggest to visit the site
where these works have already been completed .
Narendra Singh, International Federation of Redcross and Red crescent societies, Yangon
When we design shelter for flood affected areas, now days the house constructed on stilt and mostly the
structure is made by wood, timber or by steel. This we adopted in Delta area of Myanmar, affected by
Cyclone Nargis area. The structure is bamboo and wooden type and required less maintenance. we
(IFRC)also develop maintenance guidelines based on traditional knowledge and availability of local
material for these shelter.
Gyana Ranjan Das, Independent Consultant, Orissa
Thanks for raising an important matter like this for discussion. Let me share the experience of Orissa so
far as construction of Cyclone Shelters in the aftermath of the Super Cyclone (1999) is concerned.
Around 120 such shelter buildings have been constructed with participation of communities in the stages
of site selection, construction, handing over, management and maintenance, and actual use during
disaster period.
The buildings are normally two storey buildings with stilted structure. The technical designs and
specifications were finalised by IIT Kharagpur. The requirement was assessed through field survey taking
into account two story safe buildings (both government and private) available, floor space available,
population of the villages, gap etc through a grid analysis. These were constructed on government/public
land where normally schools were functioning prior to cyclone and later on were damaged. The strategy
was to construct multi-purpose building for use by community members in normal period for other
activities so that these available in usable condition during a disaster period. The exact site/location
is selected through community level meetings. The community supervises construction taken up by
Orissa Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA). These buildings have all basic facilities for shelter of
women, children, PwDs and others. It has separate hall for men and women. It has a ramp for use by
elderly people and PwDs.
UNDP facilitated accessibility audit of a few shelter buildings with help of Handicap International. This
had led to a few more suggestions to provide barrier free access.

After these building constructed, these are handed over to User Communities through a Cyclone Shelter
Management and Maintenance Committee (CSMMC). The CSMMC is headed by the local Block
Development officer where as all operational / management / maintenance activities are coordinated by
the Secretary-a community volunteer.
Funds are placed with this committee for maintenance of the Shelter. The CSMMC can use put the shelter
to various activities during normal period and collect user fees as per the guidelines of the Government.
The user fees are used for maintenance activities.
The CSMMC undertook training of volunteers n search an rescue and first aid with the support of UNDP
under the GoI-UDP Disaster Risk Management Programme UNDP has also supplied some basic SAR
equipment like lifebuoys and life jackets etc as well as jackets to volunteers (for better visibility). UNDP
and OSDMA facilitated organisation of community level mock drills in these shelters. Now mock drills are
being conducted every year on 19th June.
UNDP further facilitated creation of a Corpus Fund at the shelter level so that interest accrued could be
utilised towards, capacity building programme, preparation and updating of shelter level disaster
management plans and similar activities.
These Shelters form an important aspect of Panchayat /Block/District level Disaster Management Plans.
At the state level, OSDMA coordinates with these shelters for their strengthening and sustainability.
S.C. Mohanty, Deptartment of Relief and Rehabilitation and Disaster Management,
Government of Maharashtra, Mumbai
Greetings from Mumbai !
At present I am working as the State Project Officer of the ongoing GoI-UNDP DRR Programme in
Maharashtra, India. Before the present assignment, for the period 1999-2003, I had the opportunity of
working as the Camp Officer for the Orissa Super Cyclone Rehabilitation Project of the Government of
Maharashtra. You might be aware that in the aftermath of killer super cyclone in 1999 (naming of Indian
Ocean cyclones had not started by then) , Government of Maharashtra had adopted the worst affected
district of Jagatsinghpur and constructed, inter alia, 101 numbers of Multi Purpose Cyclone shelters.In
response to your query, I would like to suggest the following few points from my experience, for your
consideration.
• Shelters should to be constructed keeping an eye on the multi-disaster proneness of the area and
also for multi purpose uses. The shelter should be useful for flood, tsunami, landslide or any other
type of natural disasters as well.
• Besides locating the site at a high elevated place, it must be ensured that the site is not falling within
the red zone or blue zone. Also, the seismic fault line, if any must be avoided.
• The Plinth and stilt may be so designed that it may provide shelter to bovine population (during the
disaster period only) of the affected people. Similarly, there should invariably be a staircase to the
terrace for, in the event of an emergency situation, the terrace would be used as the place for
dropping of food packets from the helicopters.
• The shelter need to have all sanitation and safe drinking water supply arrangements. I would like to
underscore the requirement of having an exclusive enclosure inside the shelter for lactating mothers.
• Basic civil aspects such as soil testing, anchorage, bracing, wind speed, suction effect etc will
definitely be considered by the engineers. It may be ensured that the approach road and connecting
road constitute an integral part of the shelter.
• Shelter ideally be so located that the villagers may not have to walk more than two KMs to reach the
shelter. Proximity of the shelter to an existing or potential helipad will be an added advantage.

• It must be ensured that the shelter is invariably fitted with a lightning arrestor. Fire fighting
equipment, first aid box, proper earthing of the electrification wiring, alternate evacuation route may
be paid due attention.
• If possible, the shelter may have emergency communication equipment. At least an antenna may be
installed before hand so that HAM connectivity could be quickly established.
• Shelter should have a Shelter Operation Manual with all the necessary telephone details written in
vernacular language. Important telephone numbers, major Do’s and Don’t’s and coordinates (Lat-
Long) of the nearest helipad(s) may be painted on the inside wall of the shelter.
• Local people must be trained in the use of equipment and gadgets kept in the shelter.
Community participation must be ensured from the very beginning. Safe location, suitable site need to be
decided based on their experience and prudence. Type of material to be used the design, location of
sanitation block, water source, height of the plinth, material to be used and best suited for the location,
may be finalized in consultation with the community. The villagers may be encouraged for Shramdaan
which will inculcate a sense of belongingness in their mind, For instance, in Orissa, we persuaded the
villagers to work at least for the curing work of the shelter during their leisure time.
The peace time use and mode of use of shelters may also be decided as per their suggestions. As already
described by Ms Kalika, one of the alternatives could be collection of user fees. For example, Government
of Maharashtra constituted a committee of villagers for the upkeep and maintenance of the shelters. The
building and premises could be rented to any one for holding cultural or social events, after depositing a
security amount and payment of certain amount.
As a poor substitute , the cost of construction may include the cost of constituting a corpus.
Hope, this will be useful for you.
Greetings and many thanks for sharing your ideas on flood shelter. It is becoming a very enriching
discussion with views coming from very diverse set of people.
There are three types of flood shelters that I have come across.
1. Individual household; which is modified in such a way that it is flood resilient,
2. Upgraded existing structure like a school, college, community centre etc into a flood shelter
through earth raising and proving adequate WASH facilities and
3. Totally new flood shelters
It will be good to hear the views of the members on the advantages/disadvantages cost-
benefit analysis on these three types of flood shelters.
Ajit Seshadri, The Vigyan Vijay Foundation, New Delhi
We are a Ngo implementing environmental upgradation projects since 2001, in the field of Water-shed,
waste- management, greening and providing Eco-Literacy in communities, in order that the community
partakes in the project and easily and takes-over the operation and maintainance of each inititiative
beyond the project funding phase.
In the last 10 years or so, we have implemented varied environmental projects, viz. decentralised
management of storm/ rain water management using rainwater harvesting - recharging the ground -
water or storing and re-using rain water. Waste water is remedied using natural methods and the
recycled water is used for lower- end uses. for irrigation, flushing toilets, and others. Bio- waste is

convertred into compost/ manure and used for organic- farming herbs, medicinal plants etc..Eco- san
toilets have also been done. Also Waterless Urinals with use of urine for fertigation of farms etc.. ELP-
Eco-Literacy Programs are practiced in communities, to bring about awareness and protecting nature- in
natural mode.
In all these, we have observed that community awareness and participation right from the start till end
and also in all the phases of the project is important. All initiatives to be assessed, is it community centric
and friendly, hand- holding at difficult times, and provide rewards - appreciation when the success is
reached, are important.
At no time should the community feel that they are left in the lurch, also benefits should acrue and
translate into enhancing the quality of life- living, livelihood, uplift economic and educational levels,
Appropriate training for all levels, to be ensured.
Specifics of solid and liquid waste management can be offered, and also with re-use of produces, etc.
Now comimg to the priciples and practices, Flood- shelters and accessories to be traditional, and easy to
build and maintain, using native- knowledge and artisinal literacy available in communities. Our Ngo is for
small, decentralised units, which individuals can manage, We have also pilotted - a controlled open
defecation models, and human solid waste co-composted with dairy waste and used in farm
fertigation..for small farm- holdings, vegetables, fruits etc..All wastes should in some form be used as a
resource- wealth generating.
Certain adaptable principles and practices can be introduced which have been well- proven in similar site
conditions. Fish culture techniques, hardy rice- cultivation can be introduced.Training of trainers to be
practiced. Literacy levels to be up-graded.Some business practices which have flourished viz. local
tourism, hand-crafts, special farm- and fish produces whch have been traditional to be sustained. SHGs
to be formed with local Govt. Administration and FIs support, some passionate corporates should offer
timely assistance, as a Corporate Social Responsibility- CSR etc..
In nearby district towns to these flood affected areas, if there are UG- colleges, youth volunteers to be
chosen, and given work as interns to work along with the communities, they would gain by work-
experience and some stipends etc..
HR- assets in communities to be up-graded. We have a concept termed as Community Asset
Management: which calls for over-all growth in communities, and its strengths.Ideally holistic growth to
be ensured, the Traditional arrt and culture to be encouraged.
Our Members who have had similar experiences in Kosi-Flood affected areas,may be encouraged to offer
their experiences, which can be adapted to suit the areas being addressed in this discussion.
We have to come together and offer our help, in whatever way one can.
T. Prabu, Lutheran World Service India Trust, Cuddalore, Tamilnadu
I am from Lutheran world service India trust, Tamilnadu ,Tsunami Response Programme. In our Tsunami
response programme we have constructed several emergency shelters for the Tsuanmi affected and also
flood affected community in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam Districts of Tamilandu State. From our
experience I would like to response your query
Site selection is one of the important aspect. In below some of the criteria given for site selection for your
reference.
Selection Criteria for Site selection
• Need to know magnitude and type of vulnerability, which poses danger to the community.

• No of house Holds and population in this Village.
• HFL [ High flood level] of that location to decide the requirement of basement height. The propose
construction site elevation needs to be checked.
• Condition of Foundation Soil & ground water table. Soil to be tested in the lab and get a
recommendation for reinforcement.
• Availability of quality of water for construction.
• Availability of sufficient area with Legal documents.
• People’s Willingness to get a shelter and their interest to take part of it.
• Accessibility to men and Materials.
• Secured storage place.
• people’s readiness for contribution.
Concerns of vulnerable Groups
• High level Tube well platforms to protect them from flood water contamination.
• Staircase to terrace will be helpful for all peoples to easily approach in case of heavy food.
• Provide ramps for the physically challenged population.
• Providing battery charged minimum lighting system providing safety to the vulnerable group.
Community Participation and contribution
• Participation of the community is very much useful at every stage of the construction like site
selection and to collect details like floods and other vulnerable factors according to the Local context.
• With the help of community participation, hurdles like material shifting in case there is no approach,
fetching potable water required for construction if not available,
• Local based problems will be addressed and necessary solution will be incorporated.
• Community peoples will be closely associated with the construction activities, which gives very good
knowledge about important construction techniques adapted to maintain quality and enable them to
maintain themselves in future.
Maintenance and Use
• For the sustainability of the shelter, we have designed the shelter called Multi purpose community
shelter, which can be used to organize small functions and get steady income for maintenance
purpose.
• Forming a sustaniable Village development committee to take care the construction after our
withdrawal. Because every construction need to maintain in frequent intervals. Village development
committee can be motivated enough to collect funds from the community to take care the
maintenance.
Hope this will be helpful to your project.
Ashok Malhotra, United Nations Development Programme, New Delhi
With reference to the four critical issues which are the subject of your query, you may wish to refer to
several papers which were produced in the process leading up to the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD), one specific paper which I find relevant to these issues, can be accessed through
the link that is produced below entitled: Linking Poverty Reduction and Environmental Management –
Policy Challenges and Opportunities prepared jointly by DFID, EC, UNDP and the World Bank:
http://www.sarpn.org.za/wssd/protagonists/pr_em/WSSD_Paper_Final_Version.pdf

Muhammad Mukhtar Alam , Center for Ecological Audit, Social Inclusion and
Governance, New Delhi
I would like to share my learnings and experience of distributing shelter and food materials in Bela,
Babuan and Basmatia block of the Araria district of Bihar that is close to the borders of the Bangladesh,
though the context of the flood in terms of reason are different for the year 2008 when Bihar and Nepal
saw the devastation. Not sure , how much impact it had in Bangladesh.Grassroots India Trust ,a new
Delhi based organization coordinated the relief with the support of Islamic Relief the shelters that I saw
were the local Shelters in the village created locally for time being ( generally pucca houses in the rural
areas are the first choice for shelter during flood as people use roof for staying there for some time till
they are rescued , large and small Government supported Relief Camps will the essential supplies and
Private Releif Camps managed by the social, religious and cultural organizations. In the district of Araria,
I learnt that Imarat Sharia Bihar and its district unit there were the first to reach and rescue people from
the heavy flow of the waters with the help of people who could swim and boats. Massive destruction of
crops along with loss of lives were reported. In one of the village near Sursar, an entire embankment
collapsed that was relatively higher than the other places.
I need to relate more on the stories of horror from Bihar more as this is quite well known. Responding to
the queries , I would like to share my responses below the questions.
• What are the criteria that must be kept in mind for site selection? (Like height of the site, type of
soil, infrastructure etc.).
Both height of the place and type of soil should be kept in mind while choosing the location of the centre
along with other logistic support for location such as distance from the the submerged zone, railway
station, bus stand and markets. In case the shelter is for a long time then facilities for child
protection,education etc also needs to be considered. Permanent oustees need a special package and for
them total habitation support is needed with place of residence etc. In 2008, I had seen Government of
Bihar constructing such places as permanent shelters.
• What are the concerns of vulnerable groups like children, disabled and women, especially for
drinking water and sanitation, and what steps that is to be taken to ensure that these are adequately
addressed?
Children ,disabled and women need all the support that they would got in normal days. Anganwadi
support for children in the age group of 3-6 and primary education support for children in the age group
of 6-14 should be given along with support for children in age group of 14-18. Children and youths in
case of permanant oustees need special packages for ensuring that their prospects for education and
career advancement does not get harmed.
• How can the Community participate in and contribute to the design and construction of shelters?
Also, what are the essential facilities needed to ensure proper care of the community?
Community participation is critical for ensuring sustainability of the shelter .Without support of the
community, shelters may not get the attention that it deserves and ownership would be built. Community
participation can be ensured through discussing the design and structure with the involvement of
community leaders reprsenting the various social and religious groups ensuring inclusive justice.
Stakeholder analysis at the community level need to be inclusive in order to ensure that no social group
feels excluded. Genger justice should be the cross cutting concern and in case there are communities
sensitivity to purdah, women led community processes should be ensured. Responding to the second part
of the question, I would like to share that facilities created should include food storage, community
shelter, water, sanitation and education facilities along with ECCE centres.

• What Steps must be taken to maintain and use the shelters round the year? Is there a possibility
to work on a revenue model where the shelter generates some kind of revenue which can be used for its
maintenance and upkeep? (Please share any experiences of Post construction maintenance practices)
Considering the special situation of the community, I would suggest public support for the these shelters
Endeavoring for ecological safety ,social inclusion and distributive justice for the renewable resource
based livelihoods and habitats, Centre For Ecological Audit, Social Inclusion and Governance (CEASIG) ,
an initiative of Labour League Foundation, Sewa and Sufi Trust , Delhi aims for socially inclusive and
ecologically safe future for all through organizing and communicating carbon neutral neighborhood
discussions/ consultations, building capacities in ecological audit, ecologically safe networking ,advocacy,
interfaith dialogue & other related domains for multiplying personal, community , governmental and
corporate actions for ecologically safe education, ecological audit ,and, ecologically safe and socially
inclusive governance.
Contact Details: 58-C,DDA Flats, Ashok Vihar-III, Delhi-110052
Phones: 0968345380
Many thanks to all who contributed to this query!
If you have further information to share on this topic, please send it to Solution Exchange for the Disaster
Management Community in India at se-drm@solutionexchange-un.net.in with the subject heading “Re:
[se-drm] Query: Query Subject - Query Type. Additional Reply.”
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