UNIT 3

1. Capacity Building: Concept - Structural

2. Nonstructural Measures
3. Capacity Assessment;
4. Strengthening Capacity for Reducing Risk,
5. Counter-Disaster Resources and their utility in Disaster Management –
6. Legislative Support at the state
7. Legislative Support at the state national levels

 Capacity Building: Capacity Building: Concept - Structural And Nonstructural Measures

Capacity

Introduction
Capacity building is an ongoing process that equips officials, stakeholders and the community
to perform their functions in a better manner during a crisis/disaster. In the process of capacity
building, we must include elements of human resource development, i.e., individual training,
organizational development such as improving the functioning of groups and organizations and
institutional development. At the national level, The National Institute of Disaster Management
(NIDM) is the capacity building arm and the States have disaster management cells in the State
Administrative Training Institutes performs the function of capacity building for effective and
efficient disaster management. There are a number of other training institutes which are
engaged in training and capacity building in the area of disaster management.

Role and Responsibilities

 To develop parameters/guidelines under which NIDM has to function and correspondence
relating thereto. Preparation of NIDM guidelines Matters relating to Capacity Building Grant
under Finance Commissions.
 International Co-operation including preparation/finalization of MoUs in the field of DM with
various countries, and its implementation, visit of foreign delegation for bilateral meetings, etc.
 To coordinate with International Organization such as UNDRR, UNDP, UNICEF, UNOCHA,
UNFPA, AHA Centre, IORA, BRICS, SCO, BIMSTEC, ADPC, ADRC, G20, World Bank, SAARC, ASEAN,
etc.
 Nomination of officers of NDMA as guest lecturer or participant for attending International and
National Workshops / Seminars / Training / Meetings, Forums / etc.
 Implementation of various projects of Capacity Building on Disaster Management (DM), DRR,
Disaster Response in collaboration with State Govts/UTs and CDM, LBSNAA, Mussoorie.
 Monitoring of implementation of the National Disaster Management Guidelines on School
Safety Policy – 2016 in all schools of India
 Monitoring of DM Exhibition & Mock Drills in all Schools of AMRUT Cities (500).
 Processing of proposals of partial financial support for organizing events on disaster related
subjects receives various Departments of GoI/State Govts. and Institutions such as IITs, JNU,
FICCI, CII, TIFAC and NGOs etc
 Processing of proposals for extending NDMA logo for organizing events on disaster related
subjects support
 Parliament Questions/RTI Matters/VIP references/reports & returns, budget,
 Training part of NDRF

Capacity Development for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and Disaster Risk Reduction
(DRR):
There are a number of definitions of capacity building/development, disaster risk management
(DRM) and disaster risk reduction (DRR), including the following proposed by UNISDR:

*Capacity development – “The process through which individuals, organizations and societies
obtain, strengthen and maintain the capabilities to set and achieve their own development objectives
over time.”
Disaster risk management (DRM) – “The systematic process of using administrative directives,
organizations, and operational skills and capacities to implement strategies, policies and improved
coping capacities in order to lessen the adverse impacts of hazards and the possibility of disaster.”
Disaster risk reduction (DRR) – “The concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through
systematic efforts to analyse and manage the causal factors of disasters, including through reduced
exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the
environment, and improved preparedness for adverse events.”
Consequently, building DRM capacity can be defined as “efforts to strengthen the competencies and
skills of a target organisation, group or community so that the target could drive DRR efforts, or in a
broader sense development, in a sustainable way in the future” (Walker et al. 2011). 

*[While some organizations differentiate between capacity building and capacity development,
Information here is drawn together from both concepts and uses the two interchangeably]
Click here to view the Strategic Research into National and Local Capacity Building for Disaster
Risk Management
The concept of capacity building for managing and reducing disaster risk is highlighted extensively
in the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015. The framework calls for accelerated efforts to build
community- and national-level capacities to manage and reduce risk, and links these efforts to all five
priority areas of action. For example:
1. Ensuring that disaster risk reduction is a national and local priority with a strong institutional
basis for implementation requires building institutional capacity through the development of
policy, legislative and institutional frameworks;
2. Identifying, assessing and monitoring disaster risks and enhancing early warning requires
developing scientific, technological and technical capacities to observe, analyse and forecast
 disasters, and institutional capacities to integrate early warning systems into local- and
national-level processes and systems;
3. Using knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all
levels requires supporting and building technical capacity to assess impact and vulnerability,
improve monitoring and evaluation, and promote community-based education.
4. Reducing underlying risk factors requires integrating DRR planning and capacity building
into multiple sectors including the health sector (e.g. so that health care remains functional
during disasters), and housing and construction sectors (e.g. to ensure structures are resistant
to disasters through new building codes, standards and practices);
5. Strengthening disaster preparedness for effective response at all levels requires equipping
institutions, individuals and communities in disaster-prone areas with the necessary
knowledge, skills and capacities to manage and reduce disaster risk.
A recent literature review on capacity building for DRM highlights a number of key enablers of and
barriers to effective capacity building (CB) interventions:
  CB programmes must be locally ‘owned’ and are most effective when they are led by
national actors, with a limited role for external actors;
  CB should relate to the local context, be rooted in a strong understanding of the country’s
formal and informal institutional environment ,and should build on resident capacities;
  CB is not just a technical exercise – the wider political and governance environment
critically affects CB success;
  CB requires a multi-stakeholder, multi-dimensional approach involving different levels of
government, different actors and different sectors;
  High staff turnover impedes sustainability of CB;
  Donor practices can create perverse incentives for CB, particularly through the imposition of
short timescales for projects and pressure to spend money quickly; 
  Long-time horizons are ideal for DRM CB interventions, although there is typically a key
window of opportunity and momentum immediately after a disaster;
  Careful design is required to ensure effectiveness, including the use of needs assessments,
defined objectives, Theories of Change, a comprehensive plan, and an exit strategy;  
  Be aware of barriers to participation in CB activities to ensure that vulnerable communities
are able to participate in programme design;
  CB interventions should be based on equality where all the actors are on a shared learning
journey.  For this reason many national governments prefer South-South approaches and
triangular cooperation.
Click here to view the Strategic Research into National and Local Capacity Building for Disaster
Risk Management
*Capacity development – “The process through which individuals, organizations and societies
obtain, strengthen and maintain the capabilities to set and achieve their own development objectives
over time.”
*[While some organizations differentiate between capacity building and capacity development,
Information here is drawn together from both concepts and uses the two interchangeably]

Disaster risk management (DRM) – “The systematic process of using administrative directives,
organizations, and operational skills and capacities to implement strategies, policies and improved
coping capacities in order to lessen the adverse impacts of hazards and the possibility of disaster.”
Disaster risk reduction (DRR) – “The concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through
systematic efforts to analyse and manage the causal factors of disasters, including through reduced
exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the
environment, and imp