This course is joint offering of National Institute of Disaster Management, New Delhi and World Bank Institute, Washington.

The human causes of natural disasters find greater recognition today in the theory and practice of disaster management, and there is a discernible shift in the nature of disaster preparedness and mitigation activities. While governments, supported by other actors—international agencies, academia, and non-governmental organizations—play a key role in organizing and funding disaster management programs, the content and implementation of these initiatives now include communities as prime actors. This approach has evolved in the last two decades. It is based on the recognition that the socio-economic vulnerability of communities, rather than physical hazard, explains the impact of disasters and that interventions must therefore aim at reducing vulnerability at the community level.
 
Successive disasters in different parts of the world have demonstrated time and again that the impact of a disaster in terms of life, assets, and potential for recovery is borne disproportionately by developing countries, and within them by the poorest segments. A community-based approach aims to reduce their socially constructed vulnerability by involving communities as active participants in a disaster program. There is also a broadening consensus that it is cost-effective to train and educate communities about risks they face, provide them access to resources and knowledge, and to develop community-based preparedness and mitigation programs. This approach has emerged as a complement to structural mitigation (dams, dykes, levees, etc.) and even certain types of non-structural mitigation programs (land use, building codes, development regulations, etc.).
 
A community-based disaster risk management program does not follow a standard course of action or a master plan. Instead, it is a series of action plans that allow methods to be less normative, procedures less standardized, and intervention mechanisms more innovative and improvised. The key issues are creating access to resources for protecting shelter and livelihoods, greater knowledge and choices for hazard mitigation, and reducing socio-economic vulnerability.
 
Community-based Disaster Risk Management course is part of the comprehensive Natural Disaster Risk Management Program developed by the World Bank Institute with support of WB Hazard Management Unit and ProVention Consortium

Language
The language of the course is English.
 
Course Format
The course consists of self-paced modules, discussion forums, exercises, readings, case studies, tests and learning via interaction with program faculty and peers. Moreover, for each module there are 2 to 3 audio sessions of expert lectures for 40–45 minutes each. The Course materials shall be provided in a CD to each participant.
 
Course Expectations
Participants are expected to commit 8–10 hours per week (per module) in order to gain the most out of this course in addition to:

• Complete the required reading assignments
• Participate in all online activities. Participation involves posting a minimum of two messages  per week that are substantive in nature. The message can be either a new topic or a reply to someone else's message. Participants are encouraged to post more often than twice a week in order to be involved more deeply into topics.
• Participate in videoconferencing and asynchronous chat sessions (if applicable)
• Complete assignments and end of course project
• Complete course evaluation at the end of the course 

Certificate
Joint certificate from NIDM and WBI shall be issued to all successful participants of the course.

System Requirements of the Course
Participants must have access to computers with the following specifications:   
• Hardware: Pentium 166 or faster, 64Mb Memory, CD-ROM, Sound Card
• Software: Windows 95,98,ME,NT 4,2000 or XP Internet Explorer 4 or higher, Netscape 4 or higher Microsoft Office 2000 (Word, Powerpoint) Acrobat Reader 5

Fees:
Rs.1000 to be paid by Demand Draft to the National Institute of Disaster Management payable at New Delhi.

The objective of this course is to introduce the concepts, tools, and mechanisms, which help design and implement community-based disaster risk management programs. The course highlights the flexibility and innovation required for these community-based initiatives. Further, it underscores the need for greater engagement with people and a better understanding of their risks and resources.

This specialization course targets local government policymakers, NGOs, community leaders and disaster management professionals. 

The course consists of presentations, case studies, readings and an end of course exercise. During the course, instructors and facilitators from National Institute of Disaster Management and the World Bank Institute will guide the participants and evaluate the project work.

• Session 1: Community-level Vulnerability Assessment and Disaster Preparedness

The presentation discusses vulnerability assessment (VA), a most critical exercise in disaster preparedness. VA provides the basis for disaster preparedness at the community level by identifying important community concerns such as livelihood and consumption, housing and social infrastructure, and gender and intra-household relations. Though different methods of carrying out VA have evolved, it is critical that they adapt to local conditions, and include all the relevant socioeconomic indicators of well being. In addition, systems of early warning, family and community preparedness, and volunteer-based response can be developed for specific hazards. However, the community preparedness presupposes a certain level of social organization and an institutional framework. 

•  Session 2: Access to Resources for Community-based Mitigation

The presentation focuses on resources that communities need to reduce their vulnerability and adopt mitigation measures. Access to resources can be secured through financial mechanisms and incentives, as well as economic programs. These include credit, savings, and insurance which are provided by banks and microfinance institutions, and public support by the government in the form of social funds, social security schemes, and relief and rehabilitation works. An appropriate mitigation strategy be based on a balance between market-based instruments and public-funded programs.  An ideal community-based mitigation program has no standard prescription; it takes into account the vulnerability of a community and the feasibility of different mitigation strategies and instruments.

•  Session 3: Planning and Implementing a Disaster Management Program at Community - level

The presentation discusses the basic approach to designing and implementing community-based disaster management programs. It reviews the process and the tools of participatory risk assessment, methods of analyzing hazards, hazard exposure and community vulnerabilities. It then derives the main ingredients of a community response plan and mitigation program from the assessment and an analysis of available resources.  

•  End of Course Project
  

To meet the course completion requirement the participants are required to submit an end-of course case study/project. The objective of the course project is to enable the participants to apply the newly acquired knowledge to specific conditions in their towns, districts, villages or work situations. In the course project the participants should provide a critical assessment of the disaster risk management system in a specific situation. The evaluation should be presented in the context of a recent natural disaster event. The case study should draw upon information from the course materials, data specific to the case study and the selected disaster event. 

National Institute of Disaster Management

This course is offered to local government officials, policymakers, consultants, researchers and professors of training institutions worldwide, who are interested in development challenges and issues related to natural disaster risk management. Once the course has ended, participants from training institutions are welcome to replicate this training for their staff, for central and local government officials. Donors working in hazard and disaster related projects could also apply to attend the course. Only applicants who attended the Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Framework course will be accepted.

Best End of Course Projects:
Best End of Course Project by Amit Tuteja (word document, 112K)
Best End of Course Project by Chaitali Dave (word document, 162K)
Best End of Course Project by Manjil Das (word document, 96 K)
Best End of Course Project by Satish Kumar Gupta (word document, 163 K)
Best End of Course Project by Umang Handoo (word document, 429 K)