Community based Flood Risk Management
With my firm analysis, I would like to say that Big Dam can not be a solution for Flood in Bihar. There are lots of arguments in this issue some are in favour and some are in against.
Flood Risk Management can not be implemented by money, press conferences, mass meetings, critics in media, funds, grants, civil engineers, policy makers, bureaucrats and politics.
Above things can be helpful in third or fourth or lower priorities, but they should not put in first and second priorities.
If we accept that Big Dam can not be solution, then we will have to accept few things as supplementary acceptances.
Out of Big Dam, flood risk can be managed only by local community orientation for Flood Risk Management.
For community based flood risk management- we need two layers efforts as basics.
1. To Motivate community for CbFRM. (It can not be done by media interviews, press conferences and writing articles in English media/ internet media, because majority of suffered community do not use these media systems). We will have to generate Community based Media.
2. To add people from India and abroad those are experts or have understanding of Ground Water, Soils, Behaviours of Rivers, Traditional Systems of Flood Risk Managements, Local Community Behaviour, Local Community Trust & Motivation and other related things.
3. After above two things, we will need financial support to implement CbFRM in some villages as models. And here after our models we will need to use other things in third or fourth or lower priorities.
I do not think that government civil engineers or scientists can be very helpful in first two basic priorities. Because they are biased, conditioned and less accountable for community based efforts. In the name developments civil engineers, architectures and government scientists did not think for the behaviours of rivers in the region. North Bihar area is region, where rivers change their behaviours before their merges in ocean. We will need to learn from the communities of different regions of the world, where they have done works on CbFRM.
I would like to be with all sincere efforts for Community based Flood Risk Management with all of our strength and networks.
We need to work on these efforts by keeping us above than our individual/ organizational egos and identities.
I am working on some drafts on CbFRM with the supports of some international scientists of River, Ground Water, Hydrology and Flood Behaviours.
I have been working and moving for CbFRM and making efforts with my own resources but with sincerity.
I would like to give all types of supports as I can to the sincere efforts for Community based Flood Risk Management.
I would like to support or am ready to get support by any organization/ individual/ group which would like to support for Community based Flood Risk Management.
Last year, I requested to make some sincere efforts above than critics, media-interviews, press-conferences etc. Still requesting and will continue to request.
If one accepts that Big Dam is not a solution then there is no reason to not go to the community ground, there is no reason to work initially in media publicity, critics and press conferences or other related things. We need to work on basic priorities; some allied people can work in media etc.
No one can work for Flood Risk Management by keeping common community away from the scene even millions of dollars will be spent as various types of funds/ grants/ awards.
I am writing this to offer my all types of supports for sincere efforts for Community based Flood Risk Management.
Please forward this email, if you know sincere organizations and individual that can understand CbFRM.
I will try to send profiles of organizations in coming weeks who have been working in ground and surface water, river recharge, and community motivation for water works in India. These organizations are interested in sincere efforts for CbFRM in constructive manner.
Thanks,
Love,
Vivek Umrao Glendenning
(+91-9311102122)
coordinator@localgovernance.org