Local communities or individuals use time tested / traditional wisdom in order to prepare or cope with disaster like situation viz., long dry spell / drought, flood, cyclone, disease out break and other natural calamities. Change in cropping pattern, selection of crop varieties, breeding practices in animal production, herbal healing practices, irrigation practices, mutual help are few approaches, adopted successfully by communities are to be documented. This will help us to incorporate time tested models or approaches for adoption or replication. NGOs and other programme implementers would combine both traditional and other scientific approaches which may be cost effective and efficient. However so far there is no systematic attempt in documentation and even those practices documented are not shared with interested organizations / institutions.

Documenting successful coping mechanisms in Tamil Nadu State by consulting NGOs, communities and academics to identify the areas / specific communities.

• Discussions, resource mapping and interview are few tools useful for documentation. In other states SEVA will contact Honey Bee Network volunteers to document outstanding cases of coping mechanisms. To document indigenous coping mechanism on disaster risk reduction attempted by communities or individual in Tamil Nadu state.
• Network with volunteers in other states to explore and document outstanding cases.
• Creating a website / database and make available all documented practices to those in need of them.

• Outstanding coping practices / innovations will be documented.
• A special issue of ‘Numvali Velanmai’ newsletter published in local language in Tamil for wider dissemination.
• Compiled practices stored in our database / website.
• SEVA will establish link with research institutes in order to validate / test such practices for further follow up.