Civil society organizations and disaster management a study of wayanad district Kerala

Abstract

Wayanad is the district most prone to natural disasters in Kerala. Being located entirely in the Western Ghats and an environmentally sensitive area, natural disasters such as floods and landslides are frequent here. The 2018 floods in Kerala were a revelation that natural disasters are not limited to the capacity of government systems. During the disaster, the interventions of social organizations, in addition to the government system, were also very noticeable. The government often collaborated with voluntary organizations in rural intervention and disaster mitigation. During the disaster, voluntary organizations actively came forward to provide relief to the victims along with the government. Since they work in rehabilitation activities, financial assistance, and in various forms of social needs, it was possible to assess that changes are taking place in their working methods and approaches. It is against this background that the research titled “Civil Society Organization and Disaster Management: A Study on Wayanad District” begins. The main purpose of the study is to examine in detail the activities carried out by voluntary organizations in post-flood rehabilitation. In particular, it focuses on how they mobilized resources, who was selected as beneficiaries, and how the projects were planned and implemented. In addition, the study also assesses how effective the cooperation between voluntary organizations and government agencies in disaster management was. Sometimes, there are different opinions and criticisms about the interventions of voluntary organizations; therefore, the aim is to understand both the merits and limitations of their interventions. The study puts forward four hypotheses. First, the experiences in Wayanad demonstrate the crucial role of voluntary organizations. Second, government-non- government cooperation further strengthens disaster management. Third, while government programs are usually linear and rigid, non-government interventions often show nonlinear and sometimes sectional tendencies. Fourth, the general observation is that voluntary organizations work more effectively than government agencies because of their close relationship with the people.The research adopted a qualitative method. Interviews and surveys with affected families, local leaders, government officials, representatives of voluntary organizations, and public representatives will be used as primary data. Government reports, policy documents, scientific books, etc. will be used as secondary data collection. The importance of this study lies in highlighting the need to think of disaster management not as a government-only area, but as a collaborative effort that also includes the role of civil society. While the government provides scope and financial support, voluntary organizations provide strengths such as close ties to the people, trust, and rapid intervention. The collaboration of the two can transform post- disaster operations from being a mere response to a crisis, to a process of building long-term resilience