GRRIPP South Asia's Raisa Imran Chowdhury and Abdullah Al Zubayer write about a recent webinar held to mark IDDRR day.
The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) is an annual event for promoting a global disaster risk reduction culture all over the globe. On October 12, 2023, the Gender Responsive Resilience and Intersectionality in Policy and Practice (GRRIPP) South Asia, organised a webinar on the thematic area to promote equality in every aspects of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) consisting academics, government stakeholders, development professionals and practitioners. Regional reflections as well as blending of diverse mindsets helped the participants to address the inequalities which all of us faces in their daily lives. "Fighting Inequality for a Resilient Future" underscores the interwoven relationship between disasters and inequality, highlighting how inequality can make communities more vulnerable to disasters and, conversely, how disasters can exacerbate existing inequalities. The aim of the event was to explore diverse reflections of eminent speakers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka for putting equity before equality for ensuring gender responsive and intersectional policy and practice.
The Panellists
The heart of the webinar was a series of panel discussions featuring distinguished experts and professionals from South Asian countries who shared their lived experiences and insights on different aspects of fighting inequality. The panelists were Professor Dr. Shaila Sultana, from the Department of English Language at the Institute of Modern Languages, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Dr. Chandra Lal Pandey, Head and Associate Professor at the Department of Development Studies, School of Arts, Kathmandu University, Nepal, Kazi Tasmin Ara Ajmery, Joint Secretary at the Health Services Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in Bangladesh, Ms. Anoja Seneviratne, Director of Mitigation Research & Development at the Disaster Management Centre in Sri Lanka, Dr. Mona Chhabra Anand, Technical Lead of Resilient Recovery Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), India, Vishal Pathak, Coordinator of All India Disaster Mitigation Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Professor Mahbuba Nasreen, in her welcome speech, provided an insightful overview of the GRRIPP initiative, its core objectives, and the outcomes of the commissioning projects. The awardees have worked on diverse thematic areas, including violence against women, gender and disability, reproductive health, employment, and more which is closely interlinked with thousands of inequalities.
"Fighting Inequality for a Resilient Future"
Ms. Anoja Seneviratne addressed the issue of inequality and multifaceted disaster risks in Sri Lanka by highlighting the importance of leveraging the unique strengths and weaknesses of marginalized groups, including people living under the poverty line, persons with disabilities, elderly population, and ethnic minorities. She pointed out disparities in gender roles, education, and economic opportunities; boost the prerequisite for attitudinal change, trust-building, and capacity enhancement. Ms. Seneviratne advocated for immediate disaster risk management and a long-term approach, incorporating a right-based perspective into education to build resilience and fight social stigma and challenges. She promoted the importance of self-resilience aligning Sri Lanka's disaster risk management approaches to set global best practices through education-centered pathways.
Vishal Pathak discussed the growing concern of heat waves in South Asian countries and their impact on vulnerable communities. He stressed the importance of public education and protecting informal businesses that contribute significantly to the economy. Mr. Pathak advocated for fair practices and projects to address heat wave, accentuating the need for taking an intersectional approach. He featured the lack of social safety nets and discussed the significance of pilot programs for women who are involved in informal businesses, data collection processes, and youth leadership initiatives. Mr. Pathak also pointed to successful initiatives, such as heat wave action plans for South Asian countries to adopt the importance of co-creating knowledge with vulnerable populations through addressing the unheard voices from the marginalized communities.
Dr. Mona Chhabra Ananddiscussed the importance of gender-sensitive infrastructure and involving key stakeholders when designing the blueprint has been discussed by under "Managing Inequality - Promoting Disaster Resilience from Inside Out" theme. She highlighted how traditional planning often neglects the unique needs of women and marginalised communities. Case studies from different parts of South Asia illustrated how communities adapt to disasters through raised house plinths and risk-informed designs (size and length of ramp size for persons with disabilities). Dr. Anand advocated for sharing knowledge upon disaster risks by giving accessibility of data to the end-users of certain infrastructures during the planning phase to ensure transparency and accountability in disaster risk reduction. She also encouraged youth collaboration for nurturing the next generation in ensuring disaster risk governance at rural level.
Dr. Chandra Lal Pandey brought another perspective to the discussion by introducing an urban lens through talking about “Intersectional Climate Urbanism towards Inclusive Urban Development". He highlighted pivotal role of cities in climate change and the challenges city dwellers face, containing waste management, carbon emissions, inequalities regarding climate impacts. Dr. Pandey emphasized the need to focus on marginalized urban populations, who are most affected and often lack resources for climate change adaptation. He called for rethinking adaptation strategies, climate-friendly governance, and addressing social and economic inequalities as the top-priority of DRR. Intergovernmental cooperation and involvement of marginalized groups in decision-making process is vital to ensure effective urban resilience. Climate-friendly education and low-carbon economies were quoted as important steps toward mitigating urban climate challenges.
Professor Dr. Shaila Sultana led a discussion around "Why Language Matters in Fighting Gender Inequality for a Resilient Future?". She emphasised how language influences perception of gender disparities and how unequal treatment in language and educational materials perpetuates bias in different segments of daily lives. Professor Sultana stressed the need of linguistic norms to foster an inclusive, gender-equal society. Inclusive language practices can be a source of early warning dissemination, she added. She also emphasized the role of gender-sensitive teachers, innovative teaching methods, and male allyship in promoting gender equality and social justice. To highlight the impact of language and misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, the presenter played a video that showcased the significance of accessible language and information for all.
Kazi Tasmin Ara Ajmery shared her experiences regarding women empowerment and disaster management in Bangladesh. With four years of experience working for the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Ajmery brought valuable insights to the discussion. She discussed the significant achievement of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, which won the United Nations Public Service Award in 2021 for the contributions of Women Empowerment in Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP). The program aimed to engage more women in community-based disaster management activities, providing early warnings and life-saving services, thereby reducing female mortalities during cyclones. The enlarged involvement of female volunteers in CPP played a crucial role in promoting gender equality, alleviating poverty, and building more resilient and adaptive rural communities. By empowering women for taking an active role in disaster management, the program demonstrated how gender-inclusive disaster risk management can contribute to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the same time.
Closing the Event
During the Q&A session and open discussion, the panelists and participants shared several key points and insights, providing a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in disaster risk reduction and resilience-building. The discussion emphasized the importance of language in the context of development and disaster risk reduction, particularly in multilingual regions like South Asia. The panelists highlighted the need for customizing early warning messages to engage with local communities commendably. This is crucial for ensuring that warnings and information are accessible and actionable for all residents, including those with different linguistic backgrounds or levels of education. The panelists also deliberated the challenges of urban development in the face of climate change and the importance of adopting intersectional approaches. In many urban areas, rapid growth and economic development are accompanied by increased vulnerabilities to climate-related events. An inclusive and intersectional approach to urban planning is essential for addressing the complex challenges of urbanization and climate change.
In the concluding remarks, Professor Mahbuba Nasreen expressed gratitude to all the panelists and participants for their valuable contributions. The importance of decolonizing practices in disaster risk reduction was highlighted in the closing statements. The event concluded with a sense of collaboration and shared commitment to address the challenges of inequality and resilience in diverse regions. The ultimate goal is to foster sustainable, equitable, and inclusive development in the face of the complex and interconnected challenges of disasters and inequalities. As the world faces increasingly complex challenges related to disasters and inequalities, events like observing IDDRR 2023 by GRRIPP South Asia provided valuable insights and opportunities for co-creating knowledge and expanding networks all over the globe.
Raisa Imran Chowdhury is the M&E Lead for GRRIPP South Asia and is based at Dhaka University, Bangladesh.
Abdullah Al Zubayer is the Project Assistant for GRRIPP South Asia and is also based at Dhaka University, Bangladesh.