CARE India organises national conference on shelter in emergencies

CARE India launched a detailed study on post-disaster shelters in India, as a part of the 'National Conference on Shelter in Emergencies - Challenges and Possibilities' in the Capital today.

The conference, organised in partnership with Christian Aid and Sphere India deliberated critical approaches and future solutions to the growing threat of natural disasters in the country.

The study, titled 'Post-disaster shelter in India' reviewed 13 post disaster shelter projects built over last 15 years, to evaluate their effectiveness in the long run.

Releasing the study, Rajeev Sadanandan, Joint Secretary, Rural Housing, Ministry of Rural Development said, "The threat of natural disasters is real, especially with the recent climate change. It is important for us to consider all the SAARC countries as we plan ahead. The Government of India is in the process of identifying housing typologies for appropriate different housing regions of the country. This design will incorporate features that make the housing resilient to natural disasters common to the region such as cyclone and earthquakes. These are being developed in consultation with local communities."

Rajan Bahadur, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, CARE India said, "This event on shelter in emergencies is being organized to share findings and recommendations of the post- disaster Shelter Evaluation undertaken by CARE India. Deliberations at the forum addressed issues around improvement of current approaches to shelter construction, and innovations in shelter in emergencies. Moving forward, it is important to establish an effective governance mechanism through strong co-ordination amidst NGOs, government and communities, promote participatory approach by involving entire communities, develop new approaches and establish linkages with global sector and focus on knowledge-sharing in order to improve the relevance and effectiveness of shelter response in the country."

The sessions at the conference deliberated on various topics, including improvisation of approaches to shelter construction, shelter in sustainable settlements, innovations in shelter in emergencies and how settlements and communities should be supported to recover and flourish, beyond household shelters. The conference focused on reviewing approaches to emergency shelter in past emergencies, understanding the good practices in shelter in emergencies, approaches to improve coordination in future responses and recommended strategies for future shelter programs in India, to most effectively address the complex and interconnected needs of disaster affected women, girls, men and boys.

The conference witnessed participation from key industry leaders Prof. V.K. Sharma from IIPA, Mr N M Prusty, Mentor cum Director, CDDMASS, Sarabjit Singh Sahota, Disaster Risk Reduction Specialist, UNICEF, Vikrant Mahajan, CEO SPHERE India and Dr Mr Ajit Chaudhuri, General Manager, Tata Sons, among others.