Kurshid Alam

 
"No great improvements in the lot of mankind are possible, until a great change takes place in the fundamental constitution of their modes of thoughts."
John Stuart Mill
 

disaster reduction,
climate change adaptation
livelihoods and governance

       
My full CV in pdf

Advisory and Consultancy Services

I offer support to local and International NGOs; the United Nations systems; Red Cross; Bilateral donors and the governments. I’m connected with global pool of consultants and independent researcher who are available to take up large and complex consultancies involving multi stakeholders.

 

What support I can do for you …

  1. designing programmes: developing project document, strategies and management system including risk management for single or multi-country project that include mainstreaming strategies.  
  2. managing learning and accountability: programme reviews/evaluations. Impact assessment. setting up knowledge management system. Recent humanitarian evaluation and lesson learning exercises: evaluation of IFRC flood response 2007 (Team Leader, BGD), DEC Bangladesh  Cyclone monitoring mission (Team Leader, BGD. 13 International NGOs and Red Cross are part of DEC system), Sidr Livelihood assessment for CARE (consultant), Evaluation of Pakistan Earthquake response 2006 of ActionAid (Team Leader) and evaluation of DRR programme of AA (Team Leader, BGD).
  3. designing and conducting research: policy research, participatory vulnerability analysis, baseline surveys.
  4. conducting training on rights based approach to humanitarian response and DRR.
  5. developing guidelines. Organizational strategy and policy on DRR and  climate change.

What value I add?

  1. People centered approach
  2. Professional and pragmatic judgment (not just management but transformational) based on balanced experience from community to top policy level.
  3. Solid experience and connection with most recent knowledge.
  4. International perspective for local effectiveness
  5. Deeply rooted values and principles to promote interest of poor people.

 

Current clients

 

ActionAid International (www.actionaid.org),
British Red Cross and IFRC;
Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (www.adpc.org);
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (www.icimod.org); Handicap International;
ALNAP (www.alnap.org ),
ProVention Consortium (www.proventionconsortium.org);
CARE International;

United Nations Development Programme UNDP

United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change UNFCC,

Disaster Emergecy Commitee DEC (www.dec.org ).

 

Geographical coverage of past and current work

  1. South Asia: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan
  2. Southeast and Far East: Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and Japan
  3. Middle East: Iran.
  4. East Africa and Great Lake: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda
  5. Southern Africa: South Africa, Malawi and Mozambique
  6. West Africa: Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria and Sierra Leone
  7. Europe: United Kingdom, Sweserland, Belgium and Spain.

 

Additional information  

  1. Former Member Steering Group Tsunami Evaluation Coalition (local capacity). www.tec.org.uk
  2. Member of Editorial Board at Southasiadisasters. www.southasiadisasters.net
  3. Presented number of key note papers in various inter-governmental conferences and high level panels on DRR and CCA. Mentoring many new DRR professionals nationally and internationally.
  4. Drafted and involved in developing number of international position papers and declarations of civil society on CC and DRR. 
  5. Conducted training on rights based approach in DRR, humanitarian response and climate change adaptation in Asia (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan-proposed, including one regional) and Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda-including one Africa regional).

 

Independent studies

     1.   Re-appraisal of Great Indian Earthquake of 1897. This was the largest intra-plate earthquake, but forgotten in today’s India, Bangladesh and Nepal. This is important piece of work would provide critical knowledge by reappraising British Colonial gov’s report done by Dixon Oldham, who focused on building and geology. As a result it has lost public interest. My perspective would be to re-assess this report from vulnerability point of view. The key question that would guide the studies is: how general people were affected why? If this was an earthquake of British and Jamindar establishment (as in Olham report), how did they recover? Did they increase tax? How has earthquake experiences translated into practice of people (e.g. building design). Why and how has this knowledge lost? The key purpose is to publish a book. This is expected to change the mental image about earthquake and future policy direction. Our policy makers having a mental image of earthquake as a problem takes place in Japan, Iran, India and Pakistan.

     2.   Impact on aid on Local economy. How aid money (including humanitarian aid) contribute to local economy. If it does then we have a larger question about their effectiveness. We need to find out modalities of aid distribution and process. The study will propose process of aid distribution how they can contribute and strengthen local economy.

       3.  Financial cost options for adaptation with Climate change. This will explore additional cost and resources for adaptation at HH level? What are the alternative? How polices can be designed to support it?

      4.   Tracking Disaster Risk Reduction aid. This will revise indicators to measure impact of DRR project. Will also develop a system to monitor how vulnerabilities are changed. E.g. we can select 20 villages and monitor progress until 2015 (end Hyogo). This can be an effective tool for advocacy nationally and internationally.

© khurshid Alam 2006.    
I encourage to use materials in this website, please credit as Alam, Khurshid with appropariate year.