Local Resiliency Project Against Natural Hazards & Disasters - Business Plan Example

ID # or M40GED Funding Proposal Local Resilience Project Outline Section Proposed of Project Funding Proposal for a Local Resiliency Project Against Natural Hazards & Disasters: A Multi-Purpose Evacuation Centre Section 2. Executive Summary In times of unpredictable natural calamities like flooding due to heavy rainfall, sea level rise, strong winds especially along the coastal areas, or severe winter, UK communities must be prepared such that life can go on without much suffering. Studies concerning the past 20 years showed unpredictable bad weather leading to calamities resulting from lack of disaster preparedness. The frequency and intensity have been increasing. Sea levels have also been rising worldwide due to climate change, specifically heat melting icebergs in the Frigid Zone. For the coastal areas, it means erosion and evacuation of people living near the coastlines. According to Dorrell, R. and Wentworth, J. (2010, p.1) UK has roughly 16,000,000 people affected by floods as of September 2010, because 30% of England and Wales live near the coastal areas. Thousands lose their power supply during heavy rains, storm, or unusually cold winter. Some die. Based on the study of Kapucu, Naim PhD. (2009), Losses amounted to billions of Sterling Pounds in 1987 alone. An ideal Local Resiliency Project should be the orchestration of Local Authorities, Community Association members, and SMEs for the planning, management, and control of provisions that will meet the needs of all community members. There are those provisions that only the government can afford to prepare. These would be the well-trained Special Rescue Forces and major equipment for rescue and evacuation of people and properties, namely, heavy duty boats, diving supplies, army trucks, helicopters, ambulance, night vision devices. And there are infrastructures that Joint Ventures can construct on sturdy, higher grounds where people can be evacuated. Ideally, these infrastructures should consist of durable housing alternatives and the durable Storage Depot of basic needs for survival day and night. Eventually, the homeowners themselves can become shareholders of all these investments. It can start with a Grant for the organization, planning, and initial implementations. Eventually, the chosen location of the Storage Depot should accommodate alternative housing that people in lowlands can eventually own through financing schemes. Section 3. Objective of Projects & Project Outcomes (300 words ) Lancashire Coastline communities will be the immediate beneficiary of this Local Resiliency Project. This project proposal clarifies the critical needs of the community wherein a Local Resiliency Project will be launched. It will then develop a contingency plan whereby any simulated disaster or actual calamity can have an equivalent logical response that should negate the unwanted impact for most homeowners and businesses. Thus, the objectives include the following: a. To describe the community and specific location that will be involved in the creation of a Local Resiliency Project, in terms of the usual natural disturbance based on past months and years; b. To elaborate the reported consequences of those calamities in the past; c. To identify needs of the community so as to remain productive during and after the disasters; d. To describe the logical remedy along with the implications of providing a solution; e. To estimate cost of having such provisions; f. To summarize the benefits of investing on such a proposed Local Resiliency Project; g. To develop a plan of action with timetable for implementation and maintenance; h. To identify people and organizations who should be help accountable and responsible for the various stages of the project proposal; i. To prove how this project will result in a resilient community over many years to come; j. To specify limitations of such provisions for the community. Section 4. Statement of Needs, Characteristics of Beneficiaries ( 500 words ) Large towns make up the coastal settlements of Lancashire. According to North West Coastal Forum (2009, p. 39), these settlements are: Blackpool, Lytham & St. Annes, Morecambe, Cleveleys, Fleetwood, Heysham. Carnforth, Preesall, Silverdale, Glasson. The last completed census of was in 2001. Lancashire coastline settlements have the following population: (Source: 2001 National Statistics Office Census) People residing in those settlements are relatively older compared to the other coastal communities. In the age bracket of 60 to 75+ years, Lancashire has the biggest population. 11% of Morecambe population are over 75 years of age. But the growth rate of people has been the highest at 2.85% per year. The low income earners are clustered in Lancashire. (pp. 40-41) Compared to the County households, those in the coastal areas of Lancashire have less cars. The population of Lancashire have been “the second most deprived sub-region after Mayserside” according to North West Coastal Forum (2009, p. 44). “Home ownership is higher in Lancashire's coastal communities than in any other sub region.” (p. 49) In the Lancashire Evening Post dated Feb. 3, 2010 (LEP 2010), it is very common to see the coastal areas of Lancashire being hit by storms and waves of water. Shorelines have been eroding. And the “Chairman of North West England and North Wales Coastal Group” said that it “will become harder” to protect the people from floods and erosion in the future. (LEP 2010) A. Food, Clean Drinking Water, & Medical Supplies In every calamity, food supply, ongoing electrical supply, potable drinking water, medical supplies, communication and transportation services should be accessible. But how can these stores remain serviceable if they have to close due to flooding? According to Council Cabinet Jon Barry in the Lancashire Evening Post (LEP, 2010), "We are not able to protect all coastal homes, businesses, land and wildlife habitats from coastal erosion and flooding.” Thus, there will be a need for accessible sources of food supply and potable water in sufficient quantities during the time of calamities. To make that possible, the community’s homeowners association will need a joint venture agreement with storeowners and drugstores in connection with having buffer stocks of these basic necessities good for at least one month. An ideal spot for the storage of buffer stocks would be a location that has never been flooded, definitely not on an earthquake prone area of land, and certainly not in danger of any landslide. It should be not too far from a connecting concrete road. Disaster Management has three major processes, namely, “mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery” based on the definition of disaster management by Rao, R., Eisenberg, J, and Schmitt, T., Eds. (2007, p. 1). The Committee on Disaster Research in the Social Sciences (2006, p.13) showed a diagram that is self explanatory, and it affirms such a definition. Source: Committee on Disaster Research in the Social Sciences (2006, p.13) Backup Power Sources For Business Continuity The location should also be preferably where there are back up power sources whenever needed. Eventually, almost all homes that enjoy some exposure to the sunlight, will be able to have their own Solar Panels. They can be made part of a grid. “The Renewable Energy Handbook” by Kemp. W.H. (2009) clarifies the role of a power grid. Section 5. Details of How the Project Will Build Resilience ( 750 words ) It should start with a Grant that will allow the pioneers to initiate and promote the importance of this project to the community, to facilitate coordination with major entities that will form part of the joint venture through their pledge for their share of investments, to show evidence of initial setup of facilities, and to show sample benefits for the first batch of people who support the project. All those threatened by calamities within the community may invest along with Store Owners to become part owners of the Multi-purpose Depot although at the start, it should be funded by a grant aimed at developing Local Resiliency Projects throughout the nation. The grant in itself will serve as an incentive for homeowners to participate in the development of the project because it should eventually form part of the value of the Owner’s Equity distributed equally to members of the community who will commit themselves to the completion of the project. A good model for green energy self-sufficiency using Solar Panels is Nayland of Suffolk County, East Anglia, England, UK. Each community member who joined the project called GEN (Green Energy Nayland) invested only ?250. They invested on 84 Solar Panels that could collect 15.54 kW. The power is said to be about 50% of what the Nayland Primary School needed for its electricity supply. In one day, the Solar Panels was able to generate 100 kWh. They estimate that there will be some power that will be sold to the grid can “repay these investors with interest” (Atom 14 Ltd 2011). It is supported by the Suffolk County Council. Although the savings was calculated to reach only ?600 a year, that was just a beginning or a first project. Furthermore, the project is able to utilize the government incentive for small investors, known as the EIS (Enterprise Investment Scheme). Under the EIS, 30% of the Investments under the scheme will be subject to income tax relief. 30% of the investment will be deducted from the Income Tax due to the government. (EIS 2011) UK has been experiencing its share of climate change natural disasters. An associate professor in the Department of Public Administration, University of Florida, studied the history of UK’s experiences with floods. In 2007, Naim Kapucu recalled (Kapucu, N. 2009, pp. 1-2): “The flood events of 2007 alone caused damage to 55,000 properties, took the lives of 13 people, left people without water supply, affected 7,300 businesses, and caused billions by central government…” He also mentioned how 5 million UK residents live in risky places within England and Wales. Aside from strong winds, the rise in sea level, and 6 hours of storm, UK experienced droughts, severe heat, and the accidents that came along with these problems. Two storms way back in 1987 were reported to have resulted in a total of ?2.6 billion worth of losses. Floods were identified to be the major cause of frequent disasters within 20 years partly because about 2 million properties were discovered prone to flooding and over 5 million are affected. Once the backup Storage Facilities are part of the normal course of daily operations, those who have become members will feel more secure about having a fallback in times of crisis. Each time there is a potential threat coming, the news will spread about its purpose. If people lose their normal source of electricity, they can get alternative means to generate their own electricity through generators. There will be no reason for losing business for those engaged in online transactions because business will continue as usual while waiting and allowing floods to naturally subside. People will not fear for loss of food supply and clean water supply because their membership assures them of delivery of these needs during those times of crisis. Eventually, when the project is fully developed, it can also build rooms and offices for members who have to temporarily relocate while their homes are being fixed after the disaster. Section 6. Profile of Partner Organizations, Credibility & Expertise; Evaluation of Project’s Links to Organizational Mission & Vision (500 words ) Catastrophic disasters can happen once every 20 years. If losses amount to about ? 2.6 billion (similar to what happened in 1987 and 2007) in those 20 years, the average loss per year would be over ?100 million per year (excluding disruptions to businesses and loss of lives). The entities to unite for the common goal of preparedness and eventual resiliency should be composed of the following: a. Pioneer Project Proponents b. Community Association Homeowners Within Lancashire c. SME Store Owners within Lancashire d. Lancashire Local Council Members to represent the government e. Creditors / Suppliers of Food, Mineral Water, Storage Batteries, Generators f. Gasoline Company g. Master Builders / Architects Because the project proponents provided the initial vision for this local resiliency project, credit should be given to the originator(s). They will also be the first to act until the action plans are being implemented. Community homeowners and business owners will be the immediate beneficiaries. Without their participation preferably as a whole, the project might be seen as a limited to serve a favoured few rather than the general public within the community. Their willingness to evacuate as part of the plan to avoid disasters may not be ignored. The human side must not be overlooked again. (Samwinga, V., Proverbs, D.G. and Homan, J. 2004, Abstract) SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) store owners will be the lead when it comes to Inventory Management for the needs of the community. Initial investments will be in favour of increasing the buffer stocks to be located where they cannot be destroyed by floods, storms, and other major disruptions. They have to order their stocks from the Storage Location at their usual purchase prices so that the goods will move on the basis of FIFO (First In First Out) and replenishments will keep the Buffer Stocks far from expiration dates. Cost of deliveries from the Storage Location to the SME stores should be compensation by the volume discounts on purchases of good for all the stores that will order. There should always be a running balance equivalent to one month of all the Food Supplies and Mineral or Purified Water Supply. During the floods, SMEs located within the flooded areas cannot properly serve homeowners. See pages 10-12 for the many reasons why. Local Authority Council members must commit themselves to the provision of transportation vehicles during the crisis, along with the volunteers. It is the Local Authority Council who will find the government-owned location suitable for the building of a durable Storage Area. The Lancashire City Council or LCC(2010), according to it Flood Risk Regulations 2009 and the Flood and Water Management Act of DEFRA in 2010, is responsible for identification of flood risk areas and the development of strategies to manage floods and the impact of floods. Creditors/Suppliers will be needed to allow the Storage Locations to always have one month buffer stocks. There should be a gasoline company willing to setup a depot good for one month supply of gasoline that can make generators operate while community members have no access to normal electrical facilities. This is subject to survey and decisions of the homeowners themselves. Master Builders will be the contractors of that durable storage building. They have to design it in such a way that over the long term, the location can accommodate more construction of durable rooms that will serve as places of refuge for homeowners and businesses. There are many Master Builders and many towns with Master Builders in Lancashire. As soon as the Joint Venture is organized, and as soon as there will be funding for the main phase of the Local Reciliency Project, it will be up to the officers of the Joint Venture to give every Master Builder a subcontract of the master plan. Section 7. Overview of Project Activities & Phases / Activity Timeline (Table/Gantt Chart) Using a Gantt Chart to show how long it might take to eventually give the go signal for the creation of such a Storage Facility, an improvised picture can be presented as follows: From June 2011 to November 2011, the ideas found within this project should be subjected to a series of information dissemination and gathering of feedback from all the various sectors concerned. Another Gantt Chart from construction to completion of Storage Facilities should be generated after the approval of all parties concerned. Section 8. Table of Indicative Inputs & Resources Required (in specific $ / ? values not required) Based on the Red Cross study (Red Cross 2007, p.6), “disasters most often experienced in the UK fall under the category of natural events, the most recent being a road salt shortage in early 2010 due to unusually severe winter weather.” Another study which looked into 20 years of lessons from flood disaster was performed by Khurshid Alam. In his presentation of facts (Alam, K. 2011, p.1), he pointed to an increasing risk of floods based on statistics, saying “Over the past decades, the pattern of floods across all continents has been changing, becoming more frequent, intense and unpredictable for local communities…”. He referred to McCluskey, J. (2001) description of the different types of floods shown in Box 1 that follows. As can be seen in that Box 1, the impact of floods can last from a few days to a few months. This is happening to all continents, more frequently, with increasing intensity, and in an unpredictable pattern. The Maldive Islands were reported to have experienced a rise in sea level and are in danger of disappearing or becoming uninhabitable within a century, according to The Economist (2011) in a very recent May 26, 2011 report. Another report by Rachel Cemansky of PlanetGreen.com (2010) clarified how “20 million people are expected to be displaced because of rising seas caused by climate change” in Bangladesh and how other nations are experiencing the serious threat. In Papua New Guinea, the people of Carteret Islands were already displaced. Islands in the Philippines, Indonesia, Barbados, Kiribati in the Pacific, coastal lands in Egypt where important infrastructures were built are presently threatened by the rise in sea level. As a matter of fact, as early as 1989, Tuvalu was predicted to disappear within 30 to 50 years. Isn’t that only 8 to 28 years from now? In the UK, the POST (Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology) had reported the effects of rising sea level. Dorrell, R. and Wentworth, J. (2010, p.1) cited “coastal flooding and erosion” and the projected increase in the global sea levels. Eastern and Southern England lower areas. As of the time of their evaluation,“30% of the population of England and Wales live within 10 km of the coast” (p.1). That means over 16,000,000 people will be affected by the rise in sea level and floods. These two authors, Dorrell and Wentworth, estimated a potential loss of ?120 billion worth of infrastructures and other resources on top of ?10 billion loss due to erosion. They also reported (p. 4) that “UK does not have a current policy of compensating those at risk of losing their properties. Adaptation to coastal change in the UK is being generated through local authority and community-led pathfinder programmes”. To have an idea of what will be needed during floods in UK without actually asking the victims in the past, a survey of events reported should be considered. The most recent November 19-20, 2009 floods that struck UK was reported by BBC News (2009). Helicopters had to be utilized to rescue the people in Cumbria. Most had to destroy the rooftops out of panic due to 8 feet 2 inches floods. Those living in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland experienced 30 of their roads closed. The train stopped serving. 2,000 households lost their power supply. It looked like there was no escape in case floods continued to rise. 1,200 Cockermouth households also lost power. In Keswick, 349 also lost their power source. In Anglesey, 2,000 homes lost power. In 2010, flash floods killed a 53-year old woman while in her Freelander that got stuck under Muffles Bridge. Wainwright, M. (2010) said that “the Environment Agency has around 100 flood watches in place, with three flood warnings – two on the Ouse and Derwent, near York, and one on the Nene, east of Peterborough.” On the same day, 45,000 homes “in Perthshire and Aberdeenshire” lost power. 100 households were evacuated. The 2007 floods that affected “central and southern England” resulted in even worse conditions. Aside from “tens of thousands of homes without power”, according to the news (Wintour, P. and McVeigh, K. 2007) there was also a problem with the availability of drinking water. 350,000 homes had problems with potable water supply “in Gloucester, Tewkesbury, and Cheltenham as a result of flooding of the Mythe treatment plant…” That year, the Environment Agency estimated a need for ? 1 billion to correct flood problems. But the agency was given only ?200 million. As of March 2011, the action taken by government has been to exercise the people to practice responding to emergencies. (Defra, 2011) But the right way should consider the viewpoint of homeowners. Past in-depth interviews of homeowners showed that even those whose properties were insured experienced “economic aspects, emotional aspects, service-related aspects, social aspects, and physical characteristics” according to Samwinga,V., Proverbs, D. and Homan, J. (2004, Abstract). They say the human side had been overlooked. What will be needed are more than just practices. Provisions have to be made ready anytime because the coming of a disaster due to floods or severe winter is said to be unpredictable. To make it resilient, those provisions should be gradually supported by more permanent relocation or evacuation sites. There should also be early warning alarm systems that will tell people it is time to evacuate to those safe places of refuge. Per 1,000 households, the breakdown of needs can be subdivided into needs of adults, children, and the volunteers. The following Table 1.0 – Table of Needs of People & Pets Who Will Need Them During Disasters will give an idea of those needs and some estimate of quantity or volume per classification of those people. Notice that perishables like bread, fresh fruits, vegetables were excluded. Maintaining them in the Storage Depot will only lead to a lot of spoiled food supply. Table 1.0 – Table of Needs of People & Pets Who Will Need Them During Disasters Food Supply per week Clothing Emergency Light Generators and Storage Batteries Emergency Cellphones Water Adults Rice, Noodles, Oatmeal, Meat, Fish, Canned Fruits, salt (SET A) Life Jackets, Thick Dry blankets, Small/Medium/Large standard clothes Rechargeable flashlights; rechargeable lamps Gasoline operated generators One per adult One (1) gallon per day per adult Children Milk, Ready to Eat cereals Children’s wear Rechargeable flashlights Not applicable Not applicable One (1) liter per day per child. Common Pets Cooking Devices Dog Pellets, Bird Feeds Volunteers Same SET A Life Jackets, Thick Dry blankets, Small/Medium/Large standard clothes One (1) rechargeable flashlight Not Applicable One (1) each One (1) gallon each per day Table 2.0 – Other Major Equipment To Be Made Readily Accessible by the Local Community Council For The Community Members Affected By Floods Rescue Boats Diving Equipment Helicopters Medical Equipment Ambulance Loaded Fire Trucks Cargo Barge Army Trucks for Hauling of Evacuee Necessities Night Vision Devices Section 9. Details of How Project Will Be Monitored & How Sustainability Post Funding Will Be Assured In the initial stage (see Gantt Chart), all the concerned organizations will simply be informed about the urgency of getting commitments for the implementation of Disaster Preparedness. This project proposal only shows the historical basis for saying there is an urgent and immediate need to act before the next calamity happens. The timetable can be moved backwards starting this June 2011 so that Local Authorities can immediately find a geologically feasible relocation site for communities. Durable and permanent structures for mass relocation would have to be set up before the 2011 winter season. As we all know, constructions start with architectural and engineering plans approved by the Decent Homes Standard government regulating agency. It can take months to create such a plan. Within that plan, the Storage Depot that will contain the primary needs in times of emergency will have to be attended first. Even when such Mass Evacuation Center (complete with basic facilities for common use) is ready for occupancy, in order to turn the final results into a Local Resiliency Project, the same construction companies would have to gradually create the “Alternative Housing” for each and every household so that they will definitely maintain their properties for the long term. Such alternative will not be free, unlike that of the Mass Evacuation Center wherein everybody would probably look like they are refugees everytime there is a forthcoming flood or very cold winter. The complete project should be monitored by (a) Local Authorities, (b) Officers of the Homeowners Association, (c)Construction Companies who will attend to the building, (d) the Directors of the Joint Venture, and (e) the government’s Comptroller and Auditor General, National Audit Office. The Grant will facilitate the organization of all these forces that have to work together to formulate a Master Plan for the complete package of a Local Resiliency Project. Whatever total investments will be poured to provide more lasting solution to prevent death, loss of properties, loss of businesses, miseries due to the high risk of floods and severe winters, can be eventually recovered by selling all these properties to homeowners themselves. Thus, the problem is now an opportunity for investors in durable real estate developers, and suppliers of all the needs during times of emergency, and even for big financing companies. To simulate a disaster, homeowners should be made aware of the weather conditions a few days before heavy rains or snow. This can be done using satellite monitoring. Once forewarned, households can pack within 1-2 days. Thereafter, Army Trucks should be ready to perform major evacuation of people and properties to the Evacuation Centre that is always ready with one month of basic necessities Reference List Alam, Khurshid (2008).”Flood Disasters”. Provention Consortium. ALNAP.org, January 2008. Available @ http://www.alnap.org/pool/files/ALNAP-ProVention_flood_lessons.pdf . Accessed June 1, 2011. Atom 14 Ltd. (2011). “Green Energy Nayland”. The Suffolk Foundation. Available @ . Accessed May 30, 2011. BBC News (2009). “More Than 200 People Rescued In floods In Cumbria Town”. BBC November 20, 2009. 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Available @ http://www.economist.com/node/18744261/comments?page=1 . Wainwright, Martin (2010). “Woman Killed As Downpours And floods Hit UK”. Guardian.co.uk, February 28, 2010. Available @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/28/flood-warning-storm-britain . Accessed June 1, 2011. White, I. and Howe, J. (2005), “Sustainable Flooding: Planning and Development Control”, in DEFRA/Environment Agency (2005) Sustainable Flood and Coastal Management R&D Technical Report FD2015, Environment Agency, Bristol. Wintour, Patrick and McVeigh, Karen (2007). “Ministers Warned Three Years Ago Over Flood Defence Failings: Water levels still rising as thousands hit by worst floods in modern British History”. Guardian.co.uk, July 24, 2007. Available @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/jul/24/weather.immigrationpolicy?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487 . Accessed June 1, 2011. Read More