Community's Traditional Knowledge and Coping Mechanism Strategies

[Pardeep Sahni]

In keeping with required emphasis on Disaster Risk Reduction in general and Disaster Management in particular, the following points inferred on the basis of a Community Level Study conducted in Orissa by me, are listed below. Disaster Management professionals are requested to suggest additions/deletions for developing more suitable and relevant list of Community’s Traditional Knowledge and Coping Mechanism Strategies for dealing with Cyclones. Of course, these can hold true for Flood situations as well:
1. People wrap all available seeds, rice paddy and bury it under ground when they move for safer places.
2. Some families wrap all their important papers, documents and other valuables and bury it under ground before leaving their houses.
3. Houses are constructed on higher plinth whereby the water can not enter the house.
4. If the clouds move towards north, there is an indication that there will be floods in three or four days.
5. Some people while looking at the colour of the clouds and their formation can predict about floods.
6. People grow banana trees around the houses as the banana stems are used for floating. Something similar to a boat is made out of banana stems and is used as barge.
7. Banana leaves are used for fodder during cyclones and floods.
8. People identify nearby villages and inform them before hand for their temporary migration and shelter in those villages in case of floods.
9. People store foodstuff, dry food, coconut, pumpkins, etc. to be used immediately after the disaster.
10. Beating of drums for dissemination of warning.
11. The continuously blowing wind from east indicates that the cyclone is approaching more so if within two hours the wind starts becoming hot indication is that the intensity of cyclone will be more.
12. If the wind changes its direction from east to south and gets cooler, it indicates that the cyclone has changed its direction.
13. Barking of village dogs without any provocation during the daytime is indicative of an unusual event like cyclone approaching in the immediate future.
14. The dogs start scratching the ground.
15. Fishermen get substantive catch of a particular fish prior to the cyclone which normally they are unable to get.
16. The fishermen nets catch a particular small plantation which they never get otherwise. This also indicates that a cyclone is approaching.
17. A strange and rather thundering sound from sea for two three days indicate that a cyclone is about to strike.
18. If the clouds move from north to south speedily, then there is a likelihood of cyclone.
19. Birds, in large quantity, flock together and fly from north to south, give the indication to the community about an approaching cyclone.
20. People don’t plant big trees near their house so that these may not fall on them when the cyclone approaches.
21. They untie the animals so that those could be saved.
22. Animals are used to swim across.
23. Sharing of food after the disaster.
24. Community kitchening.
25. Maintenance of as much hygiene and sanitation as possible.
26. Distribution of food during relief first to children, then to elderly people and women and the remaining to the rest.
27. People, from other nearby villages not affected by the cyclone/flood get together to help the victims.