SUMERNET partners contribute valuable insights and experiences on disaster risk management

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) together with its partners in the region held its Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Learning and Innovation Hub in Asia in Bangkok, 19–21 June 2013. The theme was “Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Management into Climate Compatible Development”. The event was attended by representatives of CDKN-supported projects in Asia. This event was an opportunity to consider what has been learnt, what is working and what is ready for scaling up on Disaster Risk Management and Climate Compatible Development. 

(cc) 2013 Photo by Agus Nugroho - Dr. Tom Mitchell from CDKN and ODI jointly opens the event together with Dr. Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, Regional Director CDKN Asia

 The CDKN’s DRM Learning and Innovation Hub in Asia was held in Bangkok, 19 – 21 June 2013, taking the focus theme of “Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Management into Climate Compatible Development”. The event was attended by representatives of CDKN-supported projects in Asia. CDKN hoped this event will be an opportunity to consider what has been learnt, what is working and what is ready for scaling up, by sharing the best practices and learning emerging from experiences to understand the ‘big picture’ and useful strategies moving ahead.

Sustainable Mekong Research Network (SUMERNET), as one of established research networks working on DRR in Asia, has also the same perspective towards the idea of establishing a platform where stakeholders can learn from each other and contributing to improved DRM strategies in respective countries. Therefore, SUMERNET was fully supportive of this CDKN event as local co-organiser.

SUMERNET was represented by Dr. Chayanis Krittasudthachewa (SUMERNET Programme Manager), Dr. Frank Thomalla (DRR Expert from SEI Asia), Dr. Louis Lebel (SUMERNET Advisor), Dr. Sinh Bac Tanh (SUMERNET SC), Ms. Yvette Clarke (AMDI), Dr. Tran Huu Tuan (Hue University), Ms. Pujan Shresta (AIT), Mr. Janto Hess (SEI Asia Intern) and Mr. Agus Nugroho (SUMERNET Programme Coordinator)

The event was organized and facilitated by Future Considerations, a global consultancy firm based in UK working on facilitating leadership, partnership and change management. The event’s main objective is actually to actively engage with the stakeholders for tapping relevant and important project experiences and lessons learnt for providing CDKN with innovative ideas in the area of DRM. At the same time, the event aims to initiate cross-learning among projects. In order to achieve these objectives, Future Considerations employed interactive tools in the facilitation process, such as using case study, visualization and world café methods.

(cc) 2013 Photo by Agus Nugroho - SUMERNET Team and other participants are working on visualizing DRM System in Thailand

The discussion during this event revolves around issues and ideas on mainstreaming DRM into CDD which are organized into 4 elements:

• Understanding and Evaluating Disaster Risks
• Planning and Investing with Disaster Risks in Mind
• Spreading the Innovation
• Leadership and Collaboration

In each of these elements, participants were asked to consider issues, ideas and additional questions relevant to the particular element. For example in understanding and evaluating risks, one of the main questions to consider was ‘What makes a risk evaluation framework effective?’. Participants actively contributed to the discussion sessions on these elements and generated rich ideas on DRM mainstreaming into CCD.

Beside these elements, the events included learning and sharing sessions on CDKN-sponsored projects through case study presentation sessions. The list of projects is shown below:

• Climate compatible reconstruction and village planning in Punjab (Lorna Davey, Mott McDonalds)
• Sheltering from a gathering storm (Dilip Singh, ISET);
• Addressing heat-health vulnerability in rapidly urbanizing regions of Western India (Dr Gulrez Azhar Shah, Indian Institute of Public Health)
• Disaster risk insurance for vulnerable communities in Pakistan (Premasis Mukherji, MicroSave)
• Mangrove protection in Indonesia (I Nyoman Ngurah Suryadiputra, Wetlands International)
• Loss and Damage in Vulnerable Countries Initiative (Anna Hasemann, ICCCAD)
• Climate Change Related Migration in Bangladesh (Tasneem Siddiqui, RMMRU)
• Getting Climate Smart - Integrating CC Adaptation in DRM (Sumana Bhattacharya, Inter Cooperation)
• Climate Risk Assessment Methodology Development (Dr. Yegor Volovik, UNDP)
• Communicating climate change risks (Ms. Yvette Clarke, Dr. Chayanis, Dr. Lebel, SUMERNET)

(cc) 2013 Photo by Agus Nugroho - Facilitator from SEI Asia, Mr. Hess, is facilitating the discussion on ‘Planning and Investing with Disaster Risks in Mind’ in one of breaking sessions

SUMERNET Partners in this event contribute significantly not only through presentation of research project results but also involve in facilitation. Dr. Frank Thomalla and Mr. Janto Hess actively facilitated the discussion on ‘Planning and Investing with Disaster Risks in Mind’, generating ideas for CDKN considerations of future projects. The inputs from this event will be documented in a proceeding to be synthesized by Future Considerations.

The participation of SUMERNET partners in The CDKN’s DRM Learning and Innovation Hub in Asia was made possible with the support of Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and Climate Development and Knowledge Network (CDKN).

SEI welcomes inquiries from the external parties and media on SUMERNET work and topics being discussed and presented in The CDKN’s DRM Learning and Innovation Hub in Asia. For inquiries, please contact Agus Nugroho (agus.nugroho@sei-international.org).