Call for papers- South Asia regional workshop “Fencing Floods in South
Asia: Disaster Preparedness through Risk Communication”  16-19 December
2002, Islamabad, Pakistan

A Regional Media and Policy Workshop under the theme of “Fencing Floods in
South Asia: Disaster Preparedness through Risk Communication” is scheduled
to be held from 16-19th December 2002 in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Workshop
is designed to bring into the limelight perspectives and experiences on
flood preparedness in South Asia. It aims at sharing, discussing and
debating issues, exploring options for planning effective flood management
through a process of risk communication in the region. The participants of
the workshop will include: representatives of the media, governments of
South Asian countries, international donors, universities and research
institutes, and organizations working on disasters across the region.
Abstracts for papers are invited on the themes outlined below:


THEME 1:
Geo Physical Profile of South Asia: Connections & Contradictions

CATEGORY:
University/Research institute from a South Asian country (Preferably from
Geology/Hazards Dept.)

EXPLANATIONS:
There would be one presentation for this session and it will include issues
such as geological locations, hydro meteorological processes and hazards,
biophysical diversity, risks & resources, threats and potential in relation
to disasters in South Asia.

OBJECTIVES:
The session will explore the geological inter relationships within South
Asian countries and the contradictions therein. Shared resources of rivers
and mountain ranges; relationship of the ecologies between the up-lands and
plains, would be identified and analyzed. Explore the meeting points for SA
countries for joint ecological management.

THEME 2
Floods in South Asia: Country Profiles

SUB THEME:
Causal factors and processes of vulnerability; Flood control measures; land-
use regulations; building regulations; forecasting, monitoring and warning
systems; relocations of population; evacuation plans and arrangements;
emergency equipment, facilities and material, damages; government response;
major flood events; gaps in implementation and suggestions for improvement.

CATEGORY:
One Government Rep from: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

EXPLANATION:
Country specific papers on existing flood management would provide
background information to the participants. Institutional gaps would be
identified and options discussed.

OBJECTIVES:
The session will share information and experiences at the state level.

THEME 3:
Common Threat, Common Response

SUBTHEME (3-A)
Intra-government and inter-government level sharing of flood-related
information in South Asia

CATEGORY:
One Government Rep from: Bangladesh India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

EXPLANATIONS:
Discussion on existing arrangements and how to improve them.

SUBTHEME (3-B)
People-to-people experience sharing.

CATEGORY:
Open.  One presenter from any country of South Asia

EXPLANATIONS:
This session would question the worth and relevance of community-based
flood management models and ways to replicate them, methodology and
institutional arrangements in South Asia to facilitate people-to-people
interaction on flood hazard, and how NGOs and affected communities can
learn from each other.

SUBTHEME: (3-C)
Media, government and communities at risk:

CATEGORY:
One journalist from each of the following countries: Bangladesh, India,
Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

EXPLANATIONS:
This session will analyze disaster reporting in five South Asian countries,
the approaches and processes applied in disaster coverage, the gaps in
communication and ways of addressing them at national and regional level.

OBJECTIVES:
The session will explore: What could be the cycle of information generation
and dissemination within the media community of the region to help
communities at risk builds their resilience against floods? How to inform
the public and influence policy towards flood preparedness systems? What
kinds of media networks are needed in the region to share information and
experience on hazards and disasters?

DEADLINE for sending abstracts is September 15, 2002.  A three-member
committee would select abstracts and the senders of the selected abstracts
will be requested to submit the full papers by October 31, 2002. Abstract
should not be more than 700 words. Presenters of papers would be provided
with travel to the workshop, board and lodging and $ 150 (US Dollars) as
honorarium.

Send your abstracts to:

Iftikhar Haider
Conference Coordinator,
Rural Development Policy Institute
#270, St# 37, G-9/1, Islamabad
Phone: 0092-51-2853616, 0092-573-50180
Fax: 0092-051-2854576
Email: [log in to unmask]

Note: The workshop is jointly organized by the Rural Development Policy
Institute, Journalists Resource Center, ITDG South Asia, Meteorology
Department of Pakistan and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)
Bangkok. The workshop is part of the ‘Disaster preparedness ECHO (Dip ECHO)
South Asia flood preparedness program.