Emergency Response Support Team (ERST)… When Service Comes First

India is frequently experiencing disasters in the recent past. The geographical location of India is prone to many disasters, whether it is seismic activities like earthquake, coastal cyclones, floods etc. These disasters not only cost loss of lives but huge damage to livelihood and infrastructure. These repeated disasters disrupt the regular activities of life. Disasters cannot be avoided as we don’t have much control over them but the effects can be mitigated.

We must take every step to cope with natural or human induced hazards and to prevent them from turning into disasters. Therefore, it is important to understand the nature of disasters like:

1. Types of hazards the country is generally exposed to and the risks associated with it:
2. The need for risk management in project planning and implementation;
3. Recognize the main issues that must be understood and addressed when carrying out risk reduction or disaster mitigation -preparedness initiatives
4. To comprehend how to address these issues in practice within the project framework.

Hence Caritas India envisions to capacitate partners to efficiently manage disaster response programs across the country, by having in place an emergency response plan and an operational framework at the national, regional and diocesan level for effective interventions.

To realize this, Caritas India will work for the next 3 years in

1. Building up a pool of competent, potential members for ERST at National, Zonal and State level
2. Updating the knowledge of ERST members on disaster management and the processes involved.
3. Disseminating Caritas India Disaster Management Policy among staff members, partners and to facilitate partners to develop their own Disaster response policy.
4. Improvising the systems of reporting and overall coordination on specific programs for effective implementation.

Through this process, Caritas India shall accomplish

1. In making available adequately trained and equipped personnel (Response Teams) at the National, zonal and State level to respond to any emergencies.
2. In generating sufficient clear understanding of the humanitarian charter , sphere standards and the policy on emergency response of Caritas India
3. In generating clear understanding of cause-effect-impact relationship of hazard-vulnerability-risk-disaster sequence.
4. The staff and partners have clear understanding of Caritas India's policy on emergency response as well as its structures, strategy and operational guidelines.
5. In providing hands on experience in conducting assessments, program planning, proposal development and budget preparation.
6. In providing technical know how on key sectors such as water and sanitation, food security, shelter and livelihood.  
7. In addressing cross cutting themes like gender/marginalized groups and vulnerability.
8. In developing broader monitoring and evaluation systems within the operational framework.

METHODOLOGY
Caritas India envisages in strengthening the systems of operation at the national as well as at the zonal level, to be able to deliver timely and qualitative services and help communities manage disasters during emergency. It also aims at developing a unified approach/working operational plan, with an objective towards sustainable development.

CONCLUSION
Caritas India through the above series of workshops, envisages in developing a unified approach/working operational plan at all levels to respond and manage disasters effectively, with an objective towards sustainable development, based not upon top down perspectives, but based upon local needs, perceptions, capacity, culture, etc. through community participation.