Improving Disaster Resilience Among Tribal Communities Through the Tribal Disaster Management Plan, Wayanad

Improving Disaster Resilience Among Tribal Communities Through the Tribal Disaster Management Plan, Wayanad

Problem

Most of the tribal hamlets in Wayanad district are situated either in a landslide or flood-prone areas.
Inclusiveness of tribal communities in Disaster Management Activities was not mainstreamed
These communities are unable to understand early warnings issued by authorities
Due to high variation in rainfall pattern local level rain monitoring was never done

Solution

Volunteers were given trainings on Basic Disaster Management, Fire Safety, Basic Life Support and life-saving swimming techniques
DDMA Wayanad motto was to ‘Leave No One Behind’
IEC materials were developed in native tribal language
The medium of early warning was done through radio matoli, the local radio station to disseminate early warning

Outcomes

27 vulnerable tribal communities trained in CPR, basic survival skills for disaster risk reduction
Formed 10 tribal rapid response team (RRT)
Developed 10 colony level Tribal Disaster Management Plan
45 manual rain gauges were delivered in highly vulnerable areas and these communities were trained to measure the rainfall in real times

Project Details

Category: Tribal Development
Project Title: Tribal Disaster Management Plan – Wayanad
Department or District: District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Wayanad
State: Kerala
Start Date of the Project: 12th February 2021
Website: https://cdn.s3waas.gov.in/s3b73ce398c39f506af761d2277d853a92/uploads/2019/08/2019081721.pdf

Tribe(s) that the Project Covers: The project specifically covered the following tribal communities: Cholanaiykka, Paniya, Kurma, Kattunayikka, Adiya

Keywords: Disaster Management, Tribal Communities, Capacity Building, Rainfall Monitoring, Community-Led Disaster Response, Inclusive Governance, Flood Preparedness, Manual Rain Gauges, Early Warning Systems

The Tribal Disaster Management Plan initiated by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Wayanad, Kerala, is a groundbreaking project aimed at building disaster resilience within vulnerable tribal communities. Wayanad, recognized as one of the 115 Aspirational Districts by NITI Aayog, is home to a significant tribal population, accounting for 19% of its residents. The district is highly prone to natural disasters such as landslides and floods, and these risks are exacerbated by the geographical and social isolation of its tribal hamlets. The project set a national precedent by actively mainstreaming tribal participation in disaster management processes, reflecting the core principle of “Leave No One Behind.”

The Project

The Tribal Disaster Management Plan is a multi-phased capacity-building initiative launched to integrate tribal communities into disaster management activities. It provided basic and advanced training in disaster preparedness, life-saving techniques, and community-level monitoring through rain gauges. The project empowered tribal volunteers to directly contribute to disaster risk reduction (DRR) in their regions and strengthened community-level disaster response mechanisms.

Problems that it Intends to Solve

The project was designed to address several pressing challenges:

Variability in local rainfall patterns required granular, community-led rainfall monitoring systems.
Many tribal hamlets in Wayanad are situated in landslide- and flood-prone areas.
Tribal communities historically lacked inclusion in formal disaster management processes.
Due to linguistic and cultural barriers, tribal residents struggled to understand early warning messages.

What was the Need

Given the district’s vulnerability and the high proportion of tribal residents, there was an urgent need to incorporate these communities into the disaster management framework. Prior to the project, there was a significant gap in outreach, training, and disaster preparedness among tribal groups, leaving them disproportionately affected by calamities. The project aimed to empower tribal communities with knowledge and tools to mitigate these risks effectively.

What Hindered its Introduction

The key barriers to initiating the project included:

Language barriers, as the tribal languages spoken in the region were not commonly understood by disaster management trainers and government officials.
The secluded nature of tribal communities who were traditionally wary of external interventions.

Process Followed for Implementation

Government
- The project was spearheaded by the District Disaster Management Authority, with direct leadership from the District Collector. Coordination involved disaster management officials, emergency operation center staff, health professionals, fire force personnel, and tribal development officers. All these stakeholders were initially trained to become master trainers.
Involvement of Community
- Tribal communities were extensively involved in the project:
  - 27 tribal hamlets from 10 vulnerable local self-government areas (LSGIs) were selected.
  - 758 tribal volunteers received basic disaster management, fire safety, and CPR training.
  - 126 tribal volunteers were provided advanced life-saving swimming training.
  - 45 community-managed rain gauges were distributed, and tribal volunteers were trained to collect rainfall data and communicate with the District Emergency Operation Centre (DEOC).

Solutions Implemented

Key solutions introduced under the project included:

Basic disaster management and survival skills training for tribal volunteers.
Formation of tribal rapid response teams (RRTs).
Creation of 10 colony-level Tribal Disaster Management Plans.
Development of communication strategies in local tribal languages, including the use of community radio (Radio Mattoli) for disseminating early warnings.
Provision of manual rain gauges to enable real-time, community-led rainfall monitoring.

Details of the Coverage

The project involved 1,300 tribal participants across 27 hamlets from 10 LSGIs, including Muttil, Vellamunda, Thondernadu, Panamaram, Noolpuzha, Meppadi, Thirunelly, Edavakka, Pulpally, and Poothadi. The beneficiaries spanned youth, elders (moopens or tribal heads), and children from the Paniya, Kurma, Kattunayikka, Adiya, and Cholanaiykka communities.

Innovation and Unique Features

New Approaches: Tech integration, capacity building, culturally sensitive methods
- Introduction of decentralized rain monitoring through 45 manual rain gauges managed directly by tribal volunteers.
- Dissemination of early warnings via radio in tribal dialects, significantly enhancing reach and comprehension.
- Capacity building in life-saving techniques and flood preparedness tailored to the geographical and cultural context of the communities.
Co-creation: How tribal knowledge or leadership shaped the solution
- Tribal leaders and community members actively participated in developing disaster management plans specific to their localities, ensuring that traditional knowledge and indigenous leadership were integrated into the solutions.
- The project evolved by incorporating native languages into IEC materials and radio broadcasts to overcome initial communication barriers.

Challenges Faced Before Implementation

Internal Challenges
- Institutional gaps in engaging tribal communities within the disaster management framework.
- Limited availability of trainers proficient in tribal languages.
External Challenges
- Cultural seclusion and skepticism among tribal communities toward external interventions.
- Lack of prior disaster management outreach in these hamlets.
Mitigation Efforts
- Development of communication materials in tribal languages.
- Engagement of local community leaders to build trust.
- Leveraging community radio to reach remote areas.

Challenges Faced During Implementation

Internal Challenges
- Training resource limitations for extensive, remote, and dispersed tribal settlements.
External Challenges
- Sustaining tribal participation in the long term.
- Bridging cultural gaps between disaster management teams and tribal communities.
Mitigation Efforts
- Continuous involvement of tribal promoters and extension officers to ensure follow-up and trust-building.
- Use of locally respected figures to promote the program.

Outcomes

Quantitative
- 1,300 tribal individuals trained in basic and advanced disaster management techniques.
- 758 tribal volunteers trained in Phase I.
- 126 advanced-level volunteers trained in Phase II.
- 45 manual rain gauges installed and operational in vulnerable areas.
- Formation of 10 tribal rapid response teams.
- The project directly benefited the Paniya, Kurma, Kattunayikka, Adiya, and Cholanaiykka tribal communities in Wayanad. Beneficiaries included youths, elders, community leaders, and children across 27 hamlets.
Qualitative
- Enhanced disaster resilience and community ownership of disaster management activities.
- Establishment of direct communication links between tribal communities and district authorities.
- Improved ability to understand and respond to early warnings.
- Rainfall data collected by the tribal volunteers was directly reported to the DEOC via a dedicated web portal and mobile application. This data served as a critical input for early warning dissemination and emergency response planning.

Replicability / Scalability / Sustainability

The project aligned with the National Disaster Management Policy’s emphasis on preparedness over response and reflected the objectives of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The project’s future expansion is supported by a budget of Rs. 25 lakhs, which will fund the scaling of training to additional tribal hamlets and the distribution of more rain gauges.

The project’s structure and approach are readily adaptable to other regions with tribal populations. Its success in Wayanad has already been cited in the NITI Aayog Best Practices Report 2023, highlighting its potential as a national model.