Government and Humanitarian Partners
2013 Flood Lessons Learned Workshop
Grand Holiday Villa
April 7, 2014
Khartoum
Summary Report
1: Background:
Flood hazards in Sudan caused by heavy rains (flash floods) or Nile river and its tributaries. The rainy season usually lasts for about three months from July to September. In 2013 continuous and heavy rains in much of Sudan, started in early August 2013.The heavy rains resulted in flood damage to varying degrees in all 18 States estimated 500,000 people affected throughout the country.78 killed, 84 injured Over 36,000 homes completely destroyed, 49,000 homes partially damaged, 480 schools and 51 health centers damaged, Khartoum State was the most affected area, followed by El Gezeira and Blue Nile
2: Workshop objectives:
The Workshop aimed at achieving the following objectives:
1: to draw lessons from 2013 flood preparedness and responses.
2: to formulate action plan/recommendations to guide future flood
preparedness and responses in Sudan.
3: Workshop participants:
Due to the importance of the issue, and the sizable number of those involved in providing assistance for the affected population last year, the workshop attracted 101 participants representing Federal and State Government ministries,UN agencies, INGOs, NGOs and many other interested parties including press, national TV and radio channels.
4: Workshop methodology/ proceedings:
Group discussions embarked on 4 thematic areas.Focusing on what went well and what needs to be improved?
- Disaster riskreduction and mitigation.
- Early warning and information management
- Sectors preparedness and response.
- Coordination, joint need assessment,unified figures and facilitated procedures
5. What went well in 2013? Institutions in place
5.1. National Council for Civil Defence (NCCD):
- Provides an inter-ministerial response to floods. The Civil Defence present throughout the country with more than 76 stations in different States.
- Civil Defence has seven hazard-specific plans that are all integrated into a National Plan.
5.2. Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC):
- takes the role of overall national coordination for actions with regard to disasters and disaster risk management with defined responsibilities in early warning, emergency response, hazard analysis, vulnerability analysis and needs assessment.
- Flood Task Force (FTF) is a multi-stakeholders, the taskforce is a good collective and effective mechanism for inter-agency coordination and emergency response.
5.3. Sudan meteorological Authorities (SMA):
- Provide seasonal rainfall prediction and update the prediction on monthly basis.
- Provide rainfall data on regular basis ( 5 and 10 days)
- SMA provide remote sensed data to monitor and estimate rainfall amounts over the entire country on dekadal basis.
5.4. Ministry of water resources (MOWR):
- Has the mandate to mange the river , dams and wadies . it maintains a network of 50 stations to monitor river flood up and down stream.
5.5. Remote sensing Authorities(RSA)
role with regard to Disaster and Risk management
- RSA is involved actively in the awareness activities related to space technologies and their applications, such as:
- Use of space technology for natural resources management, environmental monitoring and disaster management.
- In 2011 Sudan received a UN – SPIDER Technical Support (TAS) through its TechnicalAdvisory Mission from 22 – 26 May 2011.
- RSA hosted the event which was organized jointly by RSA and UN- SPIDER. The Technical Advisory mission team had in-depth discussions with all agencies involved in disaster management and identified the need to upgrade the capacity on using space technology for improving the disaster management capacity.
6. What need to be improved? Groups’ workoutcomes/Analysis:
6.1: Disaster riskreduction and mitigation.
6.1.1: weak involvement of technical departments in disaster risk reduction and mitigation activities.
1.2: engineering mistakes in towns planning "roads, bridges and drainage systems".
1-3: In adequatepreventive and mitigation measures undertaken in flood prone states.
1-4: lack of community mobilization in disaster risk reduction and mitigation activities.
1-5: unclear roles and responsibilities among those involved in disaster risk reduction and mitigation.
1-6: lack of effective community awarenessraising related to disasters.
6.2: Early warning and information management:
6.2.1: Absence of efficient early warning systems.
2-2: Weak coordination among and between early warning mechanisms.
2-3: Weak early warning information management system, disseminationand sharing of information.
2-4: Inactive monitoring system.
2-5: Absence offlood risk maps.
2-6: weak funds allocated to early warning systems.
2-8: poor utilization of modern technologies in early warning.
2-9: limited number of trained cadre.
6.3: Sectors preparedness and response:
6.3.1.Lack of contingency plans.
Lack of national disaster plan
3-2.Insufficincyof the "Strategic reserveStock".
3-3.weak community involvement in the disaster preparedness and response.
3-4. Inadequate of resources, supplies and funding.
3-5.Lack of multi-sectoral funding proposal
3.6. Poor inter-sector coordination, particularly due to lack of coordinated assessments and integrated approach
3-7. lack of timely and accurate determination of needs, coverage and gaps
6.4.Coordination, joint need assessment,unified figures and facilitated procedures:
6.4.1.Late activation of flood task force forums
4-2.Poor linkages and harmonized working relationship between and among various floods forums/state level emergency committees and national flood task force.
4.3. Difficulties in conducting coordinated needs assessments
4.4. Discrepancies in the numbers of affected people
4.5.Difficulties in accessing flood affected area and peoples by INGOs
7. Recommendations/Action Points by thematic groups
Action point / Time frame / Responsibility7.1: Disaster riskreduction and mitigation:
1-1: strengthen and activateHigher Disaster Response council. / On going / HAC and Higher Council of Civil Defense.
1-2: build and manage emergency strategic stock of Non Food Items (NFIs) / On going / Government and partners
1-3: build staff capacities in disaster response at the Local, State and Federal levels. / On going / Government and partners
1-4: Provide Supportive Supervision for staff working in emergency situation. / As needed / HAC and Higher Council of Civil Defense.
1-5: relocate aid agencies according to the need / When needed / HAC
1-6: correct planning and engineering mistakes / On going / Ministry of Civil Planning
1-7: formulate national disaster response plan. / April – May 014 / HAC
1-8: activate media role in disaster awareness raising. / On going / Higher Disaster Response council, HAC and Higher Council of Civil Defense.
1-9: utilize available technologies and disseminate reports. / As needed / Higher Disaster Response council, HAC and partners.
7.2: Early warning and information management:
2-1: establish and manage early warning mechanism / On going / HAC and Higher Council of Civil Defenseو،
2-2: unify and support early warning data base / May 014 / HAC and Remote Sensing Council, SMA,MOWR .
2-4: improve emergency plan for Khartoum and Al Gazeera State as example to be replicated in other States. / April – July 014 / HAC, Higher Council of Civil Defense, and Remote Sensing authority (SRA), UN agencies, and partners.
2-5: conduct trend analysis of rainfall / On going / SMA, HAC, Remote Sensing Authority, and partners.
2-6: conduct risk mapping at Local, State and Federal levels. / Ongoing / HAC, Higher Council of Civil Defense, UN and partners.
2-7: conduct vulnerability Analysis at Local, State and Federal levels. / ongoing / HAC, Higher Council of Civil Defense, SRA, UN partners and PLAN.
2-8: conduct mapping of existing local bodies in selected vulnerable areas and build their disaster response and mitigation capacities. / HAC, Higher Council of Civil Defense and PLAN.
2-8: conduct fund raising campaign for early warning and information manageent / On going / Ministry of Finance, Private sector and Partners.
7.3: Sectors preparedness and response:
3-1: formulate disaster response plan / April – May 014 / HAC and Partners
3-2: continuation of education services / As needed / HAC, respective departments, and partners
3-3: schools rehabilitation.
3-4: provision of health services.
3-5: distribute food and NFIs
3-6: Provision of psychosocial support.
3-7: support children and elderly.
3-8: support evacuation of people at risk.
3-9: provide security for disaster areas
7.4: Coordination, joint need assessment,unified figures and facilitated procedures:
4-1: Activate and strengthen coordination mechanisms at Local, State and Federal levels. / April – December 014 / NFTF, HAC, Higher Council of Civil Defense, and Remote Sensing Council and partners.
4-2: Activate multi sector initial rapid assessment mechanism/tool / On going / HACand partners.
4-3: Receive and distribute emergency assistance through unified channels and sectors’ approach / On going / Sectors
Coordinate response based on needs identification, prioritization and monitoring approach / On going / Sectors/H. partners
4-4: unify public and media relation mechanism / As needed / HAC and NFTF.
Avail access to flood affected needy peoples, by H. actors on grounds to assess, response and monitor implementation / As needed / HAC and NFTF
Ministry of Welfare and Social Security
Humanitarian Aid Commission
National Flood Task Force Forum
Lessons Learned Workshop on 2013 Flood
Grand Holiday Villa, 7th April 2014
Workshop Itinerary
Time / Activity / Remarks09:00 – 9:30 / Opening Remarks /
- Mr. Beder El Din Mohamed Abdalla (Chairman National Flood Task Force Forum)
- Mr. Manoj Kumar (CountyDirector, Plan International, Sudan)
- Mr Ali Al-Za’tari
- H.E. Dr. Suleiman Abdel Rahman Suleiman (Commissioner General
09:30 – 10:00 / Workshop objectives, process and expected outcomes / Facilitator
10:00 – 10:30 / Overview 2013 Flood Response / HAC
10:30 -10: 45 / Tea/Coffee Break
10:45 – 12:30 / Learning from 2013 Flood Response (What went well and what needs to be improved?) / Group discussion and presentation of findings
12:30 – 01:30 / Lunch Break
01:30 – 03:30 / Preparation of Action Plan for Effective Response to 2014 floods / Group discussion and presentation of findings
03:30 – 04:00 / Tea/Coffee Break
04:00 – 04:30 / Summary of Action Plan / Facilitator
04:30 – 05:00 / Closing Remarks /
- H.E. Dr. Suleiman Abdel Rahman Suleiman Commissioner General, Humanitarian Aid Commission)
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Report on2013 Flood Lessons Learned Workshop – Khartoum - April 7, 2014 – By A'amir Ali A/Rhman