Floods in Kerala (Southern State of India) in August 2018 caused extensive loss of life and damage to infrastructure and livelihoods. This evaluation study contributes to a new model of disaster management plan with active involvement of citizens which could be institutionalised into the local government enabling systematic establishment of competent relief centres. The project research areas can be divided into two areas of Ernakulam district: Ernakulam City and North Paravur.
What is the need?
The unprecedented Kerala (Southern State of India) floods of August 2018 brought to surface along with the deluge hitherto unaddressed weaknesses and strengths in the socio-political dynamics of the state. The catastrophe resulted in loss of more than 300 hundred lives along with massive destruction of infrastructure and livelihood assessed at 385 million USD by the United Nations’ PDNA Report (Post Disaster Needs Assessment). The state was able to overcome the calamity with effectual people participation enabling impromptu relief camps being established through crowd funding and provisioning along with the use of social media platforms for instantaneous communication. Relief centres function as the immediate and primary space for action in disaster management for the affected, managed by local citizens with the help of local government officials. Ensuing discussion related to effective rescue missions and management of relief camps as part of disaster management action plan.
What are we doing?
The objectives of the primary research and survey are as follows:
• To identify the stages through which camps were established
• To assess the management processes within the camp including the roles performed by civic groups, government and use of appropriate technology.
• To evaluate the gender sensitivity of the camps in relation to practical and survival needs
• To evaluate the state of demand and supply of facilities and provisions within the camps
In order to accomplish the stated objectives the study has to employ multiple research tools of questionnaire, personal interview (with special emphasis on women narratives) and analysis of data and reports collected by government and camp managements.
Project downloads
- Lessons from Kerala Flood Relief 2018 POLICY_BRIEF_LESSONS_FROM_KERALA_FLOODS_2018.pdf
Who are we working with?
Dr Shoba Arun of PERU is working with: Dr Nirmala Padmanabhan, St Teresa’s College, Ernakulam, Kerala Dr Keiko Hirao, Department of Sociology, Sophia University, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies (GENV), Japan. Professor Thankom Arun, Essex Business School, The University of Essex, UK.
PERU Projects
Nothing found.