From Chennai: Ashoka-Lemelson Fellow Ravindranath on technology and his model for saving communities from floods

This post contributed by Ashoka' Robin Bose.

In the morning session of the Chennai gathering, we asked Ashoka-Lemelson Fellow Ravindranath how technology has impacted his work. Here is his answer:

"I work with flood-affected communities in the Northeast of India. To understand my work, you need to understand a little bit about the topography and geography of the region. We share a 1080km border with China. The flood waters that descend from the mountains don’t  have the characteristics of river water; it is more like a moving ocean, which descends upon the place where I work, and becomes a huge body of water heading for Bangladesh.

"I come from a village that lies in the flood-affected area. As I was growing up, floods became more frequent, and now have become perennial, which is disastrous for the local population. Each time the flood ravages the river basin, the local economies are pushed backwards by a factor of six. If the floods come constantly, it is almost impossible to move forward.

"One of the main reasons why the floods damage human communities so badly is the series of engineering errors and faulty structures that people in my profession (I am an engineer by training) have wrought upon the communities living in the river basin – everything from poor earthen riverbank construction to roads and rail tracks that raise the river plane, disturbing the prior drainage patterns of the water.
My primary work is in disaster management. We reduce the risk to communities from floods by constructing hand-pump extensions that preserve the availability of potable drinking water during emergencies – the most dangerous threat to life during floods; shelters on stilts that rise above the flood plane; latrines – because disposal of human excreta is also critical during this time; a community seed bank for when the first seeds planted are washed away; and large raised earthen platforms to save the lives of people and cattle. The low cost shelter housing we provide is constructed of bamboo and tarps; through these, we can preserve the lives of 10,000 people at a time.

"We also have created an early warning system using regular river measurements, emails and mobile SMS messaging (at cost of INR 1 per message), and a network of CSOs called “River Basin Friends Network”. It takes 6.5 days for the water to reach Bangladesh once the waters hit our place. Through our warning system, we can give village leaders critical days to evacuate their people from the flood path.

"We have also created alternative livelihoods for people who have traditionally depended on the river for survival. For example, we have created a five step method to help women open bazaars [markets] and trade. It begins with owning a market; then watching a trader from outside engage in trading in the market to understand how to do it (this builds confidence in buying and selling); then vending (to first understand inventory principles); then engage in production (as makers of what is sold); and finally to buy, sell and trade.  There are now 60 such bazaars we have started. Another livelihoods activity is to find alternative crops for farmers -- We call it “Live Better With Flood.”

"Additionally, we provide a host of other services through our disaster task forces, our childrens’ disaster task forces, our 150-strong full-time volunteer center, as well as barefoot doctors, barefoot engineers, and barefoot veterinarians. We also have formed many networks, [including partnerships] with Chinese organizations on the other side of the China-India border, to coordinate during transboundary water discharge.

"A critical step forward for adoption of our technology by other communities who seek to replicate is standards. For example, we have achieved SPHERE standards for disaster management for 8 of our 15 technologies (out of 30 total accepted technologies in India). This is important because in a disaster, relief agencies should all adhere to certain standards to maximize cooperation and minimize costs of materials due to the intense time pressure.

"My interest in coming to this technology event series is to find adaptable technology for the poor in inaccessible areas. My experience tells me that if there is an acute need, people will adopt the technology very quickly. However, if the acute need is not seen, then the technology will not click. Furthermore, adoption of technology requires some preconditions, such as committed, locally-accepted volunteers, and a healthy debate with the community members about adopting the technology. In our area, only the simplest and most easily-adopted technology has worked. More complicated, expensive technology becomes difficult for the poorest of the poor to handle."

In the next post we will be exploring what other Ashoka Fellows from the region say about reaching rural populations.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mckaysavage/ / CC BY 2.0