12 March: The Times of India Published Article on the Launch of International Awareness Day for Avoidable Deaths (IAD4AD)
The Times of India published an article authored by Hemanta Pradhan entitled ‘Global campaign inspired by Odisha’s disaster mgmt‘ praising the launch of the IAD4AD campaign in Izumiotsu on 13 March 2023.
To read the article, please click here.
11 March 2023: Kansai University Published Article on the Launch of International Awareness Day for Avoidable Deaths (IAD4AD)
Kansai University published an article entitled ‘回避可能な死のネットワーク「回避可能な死の国際啓発デー」‘ [Avoidable Deaths Network’s International Day of Avoidable Deaths] in their event calendar detailing the launch of the IAD4AD campaign in Izumiotsu on 13 March 2023.
To read the article, please click here.
7 March 2023: Jomo News Published Article on International Awareness Day for Avoidable Deaths (IAD4AD)
Japanese news outlet Jomo News published an article entitled ‘関西大学が「回避可能な死の国際啓発デー」を開催‘ [Kansai University Holds International Awareness Day of Avoidable Deaths] on the launch of the IAD4AD campaign in Izumiotsu on 13 March 2023.
To read the article, please click here.
11 March 2023: Announcement of Professor Peter Jackson’s Annual Lecture
In memory of the late Professor Peter Jackson (ADN Advisor and Professor of Economics and Strategies at the University of Leicester School of Business), we are extremely delighted to launch ‘Professor Peter Jackson’s Annual Lecture’. This inaugural lecture will be delivered by multi-award winning Professor Rajib Shaw (Keio University) on Monday 13 March at the ‘Launch of a Global Campaign: International Awareness Day for Avoidable Deaths (IAD4AD)’ in Izumiotsu, Osaka Japan. Professor Rajib Shaw will present ‘Launching of Professor Peter Jackson’s Annual Lecture: Value of Mentoring Future Leaders for Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Development’ in Part 2: Remarks from Senior Officials and Official Launch. We are very grateful to Mrs. Pat Jackson, the widow of Professor Peter Jackson for giving us her blessing for this launch.
For more information on how to register to attend in person or watch online please click here.
14 February 2023: ADN Article on the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Published in Down To Earth Magazine
Magazine article written by ADN’s Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett and Mr. Tom Caley is published in the Down To Earth magazine.
Entitled, Turkey-Syria Earthquakes: Reducing Avoidable Indirect Deaths, this article details how ‘Trauma, grief and loss of livelihood, among others, are some imminent dangers to survivors’ (Ray-Bennett and Caley, 2023).
Citation: Ray-Bennett, N.S. Caley, T. (2023) ‘Turkey-Syria Earthquakes: Reducing Avoidable Indirect Deaths‘, Down To Earth. Available online at: downtoearth.org.in.
14 February 2023: ADN Announces Launch of Global Campaign, Declaring 12 March as the International Awareness Day for Avoidable Deaths
The Avoidable Deaths Network is launching a global campaign, declaring 12 March as the ‘International Awareness Day for Avoidable Deaths’ (IAD4AD).
The campaign slogan is ‘Disaster Deaths Are Avoidable’ with the ultimate goal of saving lives.
This global campaign aims to raise the visibility of indirect disaster deaths and missing persons.
The IAD4AD will be officially launched in Izumiotsu city, Japan on 13 March 2023 and headlined by Ms. Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
The launch event is funded by Kansai University, University of Leicester, Institute for Environmental Futures and ESRC Impact Acceleration Account Event/Networking Fund.
Join us to celebrate this day annually.
Please use #avoidabledeathsday as a common term for all social media posts.
To find out more, visit: https://iad4ad.avoidable-deaths.net/
12 February 2023: Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal: List of Reliable and Legitimate Organisations Seeking Donations
Dr. Ayse Yildiz from the University of Leicester School of Business developed a resource to help people donate to reliable and legitimate organisations in the aftermath of the Turkey-Syria Earthquake.
To download and share, please click here.
19 January 2023: Special Session Workshop on Building Capacity of Health Journalists on Reporting Disasters Triggered by Natural Hazards and Human Activities
Dr Hideyuki Shiroshita Dr Aditya Ghosh Ghosh and Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett delivered a Special Session entitled ‘Avoidable Deaths and Avoidable Disaster Deaths’ as part of the ‘National Training Workshop: Building Capacity of Health Journalists Triggered by Natural Hazards and Human Activities’ in Pakistan.’
The National Workshop was organised by ICCBS, University of Karachi, the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS), the Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN) and Sindh Innovation Research Educational Network (SIREN).
The National Workshop was inaugurated by the Sindh’s Parliamentary Secretary of Health, Rt. Hon. Qasim Siraj Soomro. According to the Health Secretary “fake information required to be replaced with research-based news stories by qualified journalists.”
According to Avoidable Deaths Network Future Leader and Knowledge Exchange Public Engagement Coordinator Dr Nimra Iqbal Choudhary : “Health journalism is a highly technical branch of mass communication that requires not only writing skills but also fundamental understanding of various health issues, complex reasons behind them, and their socio-economic impact. Therefore, national training workshops such as ours led by ICCBS, SIREN, PAS and ADN are needed in Pakistan to equip the journalists with knowledge and health-related issues to reduce avoidable direct and indirect disaster deaths for sustainable development”.
The ADN session was attended by 35 journalists in person and 40 other participants virtually. The session and training were much appreciated by the attendees.
16 December 2022 – ADN held the 3rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2022
On 16 December, the ADN’s 3rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) was attended by 7 Core Members, 7 Interns, 4 Regional Coordinators, 2 Advisors and 1 Organisational Partner. The ADN Presidents presented the Key Achievements from 2022 including the ADN Hub India’s outreach work and updates on the four projects: i. Eastern Belt – India, ii. RN4FR in the Caribbean, iii. Snakebite Deaths, and iv. Drowning Deaths.
The AGM also focused on the future action plans for 2023, with special mention to: i. University of Leicester’s Institute for Environmental Futures (IEF), and ii. International Awareness Day for Avoidable Deaths (IAD4AD).
Among other things, the main outcomes of the AGM were the decision to work on activities with the Regional Coordinators and Organisational Partners in the following four areas: i. Loss and Damage, ii. Launch of the Bangladesh Chapter in May, iii. Webinar on Afghan Women in Transition, and iv. Soliciting new Regional Coordinators and renewals of the existing ones
10 December 2022 – ADN Hub India Distributed 1,500 Flyers on ‘How to Prevent Snakebites’ in Odisha
On 9 and 10 December 2022, led by Regional Coordinator – India, Mr. Dillip Pattanaik (Orissa State Volunteers Social Workers Association), the ADN Hub India printed 1,500 information, education and communication (IEC) flyers on ‘How to Prevent Snakebite Deaths’.
The flyers, which were written by Dr. Amarendra Mohapatra (Indian Council of Medical Research), were distributed across 11 districts of Odisha to a population of approximately 250,000 people.
01 December 2022 – Blog on ‘COP27 Round-Up’
Mr. Tom Caley wrote a blog entitled ‘COP27 Round-Up’. The blog features a quick round up of takeaways from the annual climate change meeting.
To read the blog on our website, please click the following link: https://www.avoidable-deaths.net/2022/12/01/cop27-round-up/
Picture: Members of an Indigenous delegation from Brazil take part in the Walk for your Future Climate March ahead of COP27 in Brussels, Belgium on 23 October 2022 © Shutterstock (2022)
21 November 2022 – ADN Met with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
Drs Nibedita Ray-Bennett and Winifred Ekezie met with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution on 21 November 2022 to discuss the scope for collaboration for research and enterprise in India, Bangladesh and Tanzania. The meeting focused on exploring mapping global experts on verbal autopsy tools and conducting a systematic review to assess the state of the art on drowning – among other things.
To learn more about our work on Drowning Deaths, please click here.
10 November 2022 – Blog Written by Mr. Tom Caley, Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett and Mr. Alex Skinner on ‘Loss and Damage at COP27‘
Mr. Tom Caley, Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett and Mr. Alex Skinner wrote a blog entitled ‘Loss and Damage at COP27’. The blog features definitions of loss and damage; the importance of loss and damage; a brief history of debate and policy; and the future of loss and damage at the UNFCCC.
To read the blog on our website, please click the following link: https://www.avoidable-deaths.net/2022/11/10/loss-and-damage-at-cop27/.
Picture: COP26 March in Glasgow © Shutterstock (2022)
27 October 2022 – University of Leicester launches five new Research Institutes
On 27 October 2022, Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett attended the launch event for five new Research Institutes at the University of Leicester.
The Institute of Environmental Futures, one of new research institutes, is being led by Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett and Professor Heiko Balzter. There, Nibedita leads the research challenge of ‘Climate Risk and Disaster Risk Reduction’.
To learn more about this institute, please click the following link: https://le.ac.uk/news/2022/october/research-institutes.
19 October 2022 – Blog Written by Mr. Tom Caley, Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett and Mr. Alex Skinner on ‘International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction’
To celebrate International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Tom Caley, Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett and Mr. Alex Skinner wrote a blog entitled ‘International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction’. The blog features the ADN Special Session on International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction; multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) as socio-technical systems; Sendai Target G status report; case study 1: linking forecasting to successful action; case study 2: early warning catering to vulnerable groups; case study 3: the missing link of culture, community and messaging; and analysis and call to action.
To read the blog on our website, please click the following link: https://www.avoidable-deaths.net/2022/10/19/international-day-for-disaster-risk-reduction/
Picture: Tsunami damage in Banda Aceh, Indonesia on 31 December 2004 © Shutterstock (2022)
12 October 2022 – ADN at the RoundTable on “Co-Creating Transformative Knowledge and Action”
On 12th October, 2022, A roundtable titled “Co-Creating Transformative Knowledge and Action” organised by All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI). Avoidable Death Network team members Dr. Madhulika Sahoo, Managing Editor and Ms. Nimisha Goswami, ADN Hub India Advisor participated in the roundtable. The main focus of the roundtable was the links between co-creating knowledge, societal transformations and sustainability. In the field of climate change adaptation and sustainability, co-creating knowledge implies using complimentary knowledge systems that promote transformation pathways.
The key speakers of the session were Dr. Lars Otto Naess, Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, UK, Mr. Sam Bickersteth, Climate and Development Adviser, UK and Mr. Philip Tamminga, CHS Revision Manager, Geneva, Switzerland. The speakers spoke on the topics on a) revising and updating the humanitarian standards as an opportunity for co-creating Transformation, b) transformative actions to address loss and damages, c) exploring socially just and transdisciplinary pathways to sustainability in marginal environments. The Roundtable addressed the critical need of the co-create policy solutions which are bottom-up because they are more likely to generate usable actions and outcomes. Therefore, co-creating knowledge in the fields of climate change, environment and development policy is key to achieving enduring outcomes.
28 September 2022 – Blog Written by Mr. Tom Caley, Dr. Nimra Choudhary and Ms. Anusha Manahil on Flood Damage and Loss in Pakistan
To raise awareness of the flooding disaster in Pakistan, Mr. Tom Caley, Dr. Nimra Choudhary and Ms. Anusha Manahil wrote a blog entitled ‘Rapid Review of Flood Damage and Loss in Pakistan’.
To read the blog on our website, please click the following link: https://www.avoidable-deaths.net/2022/09/28/rapid-review-of-flood-damage-and-loss-in-pakistan/
Picture: Flood damage in Pakistan © Shutterstock (2022)
08 September 2022 – ADN Article on Sendai Framework’s Global Targets A and B Published in International Journal of Disaster Risk Science
Journal article written by ADN President Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett and ADN Regional Coordinators for the Caribbean, Mr. Krishna Clarke and Mr. Daniel Mendez is published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Science.
Entitled, Sendai Framework’s Global Targets A and B: Opinions from the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction’s Ignite Stage 2019, this article contributes to the understanding of the targets by exploring: (1) what are the conditions that may hinder achieving targets, as well as those that may accelerate their achievement at the national and local levels; and (2) which types of organizations should lead a country’s effort to reduce disaster deaths?
Citation: Ray-Bennett, N.S. Clarke, K. Mendez, D. (2022) Sendai Framework’s Global Targets A and B: Opinions from the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction’s Ignite Stage 2019, International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. Available online at: Link Springer
07 September 2022 – Special Session on International Snakebite Awareness Day Featured in India’s Down To Earth Publication
On Wednesday 7 September 2022, Down To Earth featured the article entitled Odisha carries a huge burden of snakebite deaths – but is it avoidable? for the Special Session on International Snakebite Awareness Day: Challenges and Opportunities to Reduce Avoidable Snakebite Deaths in Odisha/ India.
The hybrid event will be hosted by the ADN India Hub on Monday 19 September 2022 at 18:00 – 20:00 IST (India), which equates to 13:30 – 15:30 BST (UK) on Zoom.
To read the full article in Down To Earth, please click the following link: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/wildlife-biodiversity/odisha-carries-a-huge-burden-of-snakebite-deaths-but-it-is-avoidable-84787
02 September 2022 – ADN mourns the loss of our Founding Advisor Professor Peter Jackson
It is with deep sadness we inform you the passing of Professor Peter Jackson. Professor Peter Jackson was a very dear friend and an extraordinary mentor to Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett for over a decade. He was our Founding Advisor and shaped ADN’s vision and advised and collaborated in a number of research projects including the most recent project on ‘Regional Network for First Responders in the Caribbean Region’. Professor Peter Jackson was looking forward to reading the Roadmap for this project. Professor Peter Jackson’s passing is a personal loss for ADN and will be greatly missed. We would like to convey our condolences to Professor Peter Jackson’s family.
To read his legacy and obituary on the University of Leicester website, please click here.
05 August 2022 – Regional Network for First Responders Project Featured in Barbados Today news outlet
On Friday 22 July 2022, Barbados Today featured the article entitled ‘University Researchers Meet Disaster Responders In Barbados’ for the research project Regional Network for First Responders (RN4FR).
The project is funded by the University of Leicester’s Knowledge Exchange, Impact and Proof of Concept Fund and is led by Dr. Nibedita S. Ray-Bennett.
To read the full article in Barbados Today, please click the link below: https://barbadostoday.bb/2022/07/22/university-researchers-meet-disaster-responders-in-barbados/
03 August 2022 – Second Phase of Meals on Wheels Project Has Been Completed
On the 2nd of May 2021, we launched an appeal to raise funds to respond to the second surge of COVID-19 in India, through a novel initiative called ‘Meals On Wheels’. The project aim was to reduce avoidable deaths from nutritional crisis and starvation amongst the tribal community of Kandamahal district in Odisha who have been the hardest hit by the impact of economic lockdown through the ‘Meals on Wheels’ initiative. The ADN team raised £1,255 through the GoFund Platform in the UK, and INR19,100 in India. With the help of this fund, the host of ADN Hub India, Orissa State Volunteers Social Workers Association (OSVSWA) distributed 821 food parcels across 18 villages of Kandamahal district from the 2nd to the 5th of July 2021.
Due to COVID-19 protection measures, the second phase of food distribution was delayed. We are however pleased to announce that the second phase of the Meals on Wheels project has been completed. During the second phase of distribution, 298 packets of food were distributed on 9 and 10 July 2022 in the district of Nayagarh. The villages included Baliberena, Chadeyapalli, Uthanisahi, Pathargadia, Harijan Sahi, Dudura, Kujamendhi and Beberi.
Over the first and second phases, a total of 1,119 packets/ meals were distributed to reduce avoidable deaths from nutritional crisis and starvation amongst the socio-economically vulnerable groups of population in Odisha. The ADN team are grateful for the support and donations for this project.
29 July 2022 – Blog Written by Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett on World Drowning Prevention Day
To raise awareness of drowning prevention, Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett wrote a personal blog entitled ‘Drowning Prevention – Personal Story from my Village Runia, India‘. To read the blog on our website, please click the following link: https://www.avoidable-deaths.net/2022/07/28/drowning-prevention-a-personal-story-from-my-village-runia-india/
For more information on World Drowning Prevention Day, please visit our website: https://www.avoidable-deaths.net/adn-special-sessions/special-session-july-2022/
Picture: © Shahidul Hoque, Chakaria, Bangladesh
25 July 2022 – Special Session on World Drowning Prevention Day: The Future of Drowning Risk in the Context of COVID-19 and Climate Change
Today is World Drowning Prevention Day, organised by World Health Organization.
To raise awareness of drowning risk and prevention, we hosted a Special Session on World Drowning Prevention Day: The Future of Drowning Risk in the Context of COVID-19 and Climate Change. To watch the full session on our YouTube page, please click the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8YBEuLV4K0
For more information on our Special Session on World Drowning Prevention Day, please visit our website: https://www.avoidable-deaths.net/adn-special-sessions/special-session-july-2022/
10 July 2022 – ADN selected for the Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments (VC) platform
On 22 November 2021, Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett received an invitation from Yuki Matsuoka, Head, UNDRR Office Japan, to showcase ADN on the Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments (VC) platform. The VC platform provides an opportunity to:
- Inform the public about our work;
- Facilitate learning and collaboration by knowing who is doing what, and where; and
- Motivate others, share updates and highlight good practices.
ADN is live on the UNDRR webpage and can be accessed here: https://sendaicommitments.undrr.org/commitments/20211123_001
What’s more, ADN is cited in the UNDRR’s recent Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments Synthesis and Analysis Report (2022, p, 98 e-page 113). The report can be read here: https://lnkd.in/dUNmvZnd
04 – 05 July 2022 – Research Trip to Barbados to Meet with Disaster Response Stakeholders
Over the course of two days, Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett (University of Leicester (UoL)/ Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN)), Mr. Steve Glovinsky (PeerConnect), Mr. Alex Skinner (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)/ ADN), Mr. Krishna Clarke (Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)/ ADN – Barbados) and Ms. Keisha Linton (Regional Security System (RSS) met with key stakeholders to develop a roadmap for the next stage of the RN4FR. Their trip commenced with a group Hybrid Stakeholder’s Meeting at the RSS Airwing at Paragon Base, Christ Church. In person attendees included Mr. Graham Archer (RSS), Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Forde (RSS), Mr. Errol Maynard (Caribbean Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC)/ Barbados Fire Service), Mr. Paul Saunders (CDB), Dr. David Byer OBE (Queen Elizabeth Hospital Emergency Ambulance Service (QEH-EAS)), Major Clemens Buter (Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)), Mr. Peterson Yearwood (Barbados Red Cross Society), Dr. Rochelle Hunte (Barbados Red Cross Society), Mr. Rasheed Pinder (Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)), Mr. Frank Caswell (World Food Programme) and Mr. Mark Boyce (QEH-EAS). The meeting was attended virtually by Dr. Evangeline Inniss-Springer (University of West Indies Disaster Risk Reduction Centre (UWI-DRRC)), Ms. Simone Ward (Neptune Communications Inc.), Dr. Idelia Ferdinand (Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines) and Mr. Denver Chiquot (Saint Lucia Fire Service); project Collaborators Professor Alois Hirschmugl (DMAT Consulting KG), Dr. Albrecht Beck (Prepared International PPI), Dr. Hideyuki Shiroshita (Kansai University/ ADN) and Mr. David Wales (Shared Aim); the project Consultant Ms. Nupur Gupta (PeerConnect); the Research Administrator Ms. Lauren Macleod (UoL/ ADN); and project Interns Ms. Anusha Manahil (ADN) and Mr. Abdullahi O. Umar (UoL). After refreshments, the day continued with 1-1 meetings with Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Forde (RSS), Mr. Errol Maynard (CAFC)/ Barbados Fire Service), Mr. Paul Saunders (CDB), Dr. David Byer OBE (QEH-EAS). The second day consisted of 1-1 meetings with Ms. Danielle Toppin, Mr. Peterson Yearwood, Dr. Rochelle Hunte (Barbados Red Cross Society); Ms. Simone Banister (FCDO); Mr. Marlon Clarke (UNDP), Ms. Andria Grosvenor (CDEMA) and Major Clemens Buter (PAHO). To end the trip, the RN4FR team continued conversations over dinner at the Radisson Aquatica Hotel with Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Forde (RSS), Mr. Errol Maynard (CAFC)/ Barbados Fire Service), Dr. David Byer OBE (QEH-EAS) and CDEMA. For more information on the Caribbean project, please click here.
09 June 2022 – Preparation for World Drowning Prevention Day
25 July is World Drowning Prevention Day. This year’s theme is “Do one thing to prevent drowning”. To address to this theme, the ADN team, for the first time has decided to hold a global webinar on 25 July to raise awareness on the prevention of drowning. To discuss the details of the webinar and solicit support for the same, Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett met Ms Gemma May from the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) on 9 June 2022. The outcome of the meeting was positive. The RNLI is a leading organisation at home and abroad for saving lives at sea and from other natural water bodies. Recently Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett in collaboration with the University of East Anglia’s Water Security Research Centre concluded a RNLI-funded consultancy project on “Climate change and drowning risk in Bangladesh and Tanzania and the implications for RNLI programmes.” The WHO has created a strap-line, social media tiles, hashtags, Guidance for Organisations and common assets to celebrate World Drowning Prevention Day. For more details, please visit the WHO website: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-drowning-prevention-day/2022
02 June 2022 – Meeting with the Head of the UNDRR Office in Bonn
ADN President, Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett met with the Head of the UNDRR Office in Bonn, Mr. Animesh Kumar and UNDRR Programme Management Officer, Mr. Martin F. Ras to discuss the outcome of the Co-Chairs’ Summary: Bali Agenda for Resilience and how ADN Members can contribute to the section on Damage and Loss. Dr. Ray-Bennett was accompanied by ADN’s Organisational Partners, Dr. Albrecht Beck, Prepared International and Professor Alois Hirschmugl, DMAT Consulting KG; ADN Member Dr. Golam Rasul, ICIMOD; and ADN Research Administrator, Ms. Lauren Macleod. ADN would like to thank all those who participated. To read the Co-Chairs’ Summary: Bali Agenda for Resilience, please visit the UNDRR website: https://www.undrr.org/publication/co-chairs-summary-bali-agenda-resilience
20 May 2022 – Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett, ADN’s President and Convenor attended the Away Day for the newly established Leicester’s Institute for Environmental Futures (IEF)
Dr Ray-Bennett in collaboration with Prof Gawen Jenkin lead the Research Challenge Theme on ‘Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction’. The IEF is led by Prof Heiko Balzter and it brings together over 40 world class scientists from different disciplines tackling the challenges of the climate crisis, disaster risk reduction, and environmental health, amongst others. As a Research Challenge Lead, Dr Ray-Bennett aims to promote proactive engagement between the IEF and the members of ADN. More to follow on ADN’s engagement activities.
6 May 2022 – Avoidable Deaths Network concludes project on Understanding the impact of climate change on drowning risk in Bangladesh and Tanzania
The project ran from December 2021 to March 2022, and was funded by the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI). The project examined weather-related impacts of climate change in Bangladesh and Tanzania, and determined the most likely implications for shifts in drowning risk in those countries because of climate change, ultimately providing a report to support RNLI’s International programmes in Bangladesh and Tanzania.
Read more about the project here.
16 April 2022 – New Advisory Board Member Mr Tony Moore joins the Avoidable Deaths Network
We are pleased to welcome to ADN Mr Tony Moore as an Advisory Board Member. Mr Tony Moore is former President Emeritus and Fellow of the Institute of Civil Protection and Emergency Management. Read his full biography here.
8 April 2022 – Junior Champion Raises Money for the Avoidable Deaths Network
We are very excited to let you know that our Junior Champion Asha Ray-Bennett has raised £25 for us by selling cup cakes in her neighbourhood street sale.
A big thank you to Asha!
24 March 2022 – Exploring the Feasibility and Value of a Regional Network for First Responders (RN4FR) to Reduce Avoidable Disaster Deaths in the Caribbean Region
On the 24th March, ADN commenced a new project entitled Exploring the Feasibility and Value of a Regional Network for First Responders (RN4FR) to Reduce Avoidable Disaster Deaths in the Caribbean Region, meeting with the project’s Champion, Mr. Errol Maynard of the Barbados Fire Service and the Caribbean Association of Fire Chiefs.
The aims of this project are:
- Identify capacity gaps and coordination opportunities for organisations providing first responders in the Caribbean region, through a virtual stakeholder consultation (an “e-Discussion”) for exchange of knowledge, experiences and insights.
- Develop a roadmap for the steps needed to address the conclusions of the e-Discussion, including the creation of the RN4FR, through a stakeholder workshop.
For more information and updates on this project, please click here.
12 March 2022 – ADN’s Third Birthday
On 12 March ADN celebrates its third birthday. In the last three years ADN has developed into a truly global network, and is working to reduce avoidable disaster deaths across the world. The network is excited for what can be delivered together in our third year!
8 March 2022 – On International Women’s Day, ADN Hopes for a Gender-Inclusive Present for a Sustainable Tomorrow
International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8 to commemorate women’s cultural, political, and socio-economic achievements. Initiated during the universal female suffrage movement in New Zealand, IWD originated from labour movements in North America and Europe during the early 20th century.
This International Women’s Day, under the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN) calls for greater gender equality in the context of disaster risk reduction for a sustainable future.
ADN is committed to ensuring gender equality and ‘leaving no one behind’. We envision a world in which every woman and girl enjoys full gender equality and freedom from all kinds of socio-economic or legal barriers to their empowerment in everyday life and during disasters and crises in particular.
According to Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett, Founder & President, ADN:
“Through our concerted efforts in saving lives and reducing maternal mortality and morbidity during disasters and crises, be it through designing and implementation of evidence-based RHCC intervention package (Reproductive Health Kit, Capacity building and Community awareness) in Bangladesh or by our strong representation at the Inter-agency working group for Reproductive Health in Crises of the United Nations and Partnership for Maternal, New-born and Child Health (PMNCH), ADN is dedicated to ensuring women and girls are at the centre of disaster risk reduction and development programmes.”
On this International Women’s Day, we are conscious of the fact that many avoidable deaths of women, men and children are taking place in Ukraine. Let us hope that this war comes to an end soon. The ongoing war reinstates the importance of the inclusion of women in the security and peace-keeping processes of a country.
Let us hope that we come together to empower women and girls so that we all are part of a meaningful present and a sustainable and gender-inclusive future.
19 December 2021- Decoding the Myths of Recycling by ADN’s Junior Champion, Arkoneil Ghosh
ADN’s 12-year-old Junior Champion, Arkoneil Ghosh, has developed a magazine on recycling titled, “Decoding the Myths of Recycling”. Arkoneil is an avid coder and believes that together we can transform the world into a better place to live in.
For more information, please click here.
15th December 2021- ADN Gains Membership with the Inter-Agency Working Group on Reproductive Health in Crisis (IAWG)
On 15th December 2021, ADN gained membership of the Inter-Agency Working Group on Reproductive Health in Crisis (IAWG). IAWG is an international coalition of organisations and individuals working collectively to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights in humanitarian settings. Its mission is to strengthen and expand access to quality sexual and reproductive health services for people affected by crises.
ADN will contribute to IAWG through its participation in various technical and thematic sub-working groups including the Emergency Preparedness and Resilience, Sexual and reproductive health supplies, and Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP).
The IAWG Secretariat is based at the Women’s Refugee Commission in New York. For more information, please click here.
1 December 2021 – Avoidable Deaths Network On Air of Two Prominent Radios of Barbados
Shayla Murrell – Interviewer
Information Officer, Barbados Government Information Service
Daniel Mendez
Avoidable Deaths Network Regional Coordinator – Caribbean
Krishna Clarke
Avoidable Deaths Network Regional Coordinator – Caribbean
The Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN) was introduced in an interview with Ms. Shayla Murrell, the Information Officer at the Barbados Government Information Service and two of our Caribbean Regional Coordinators, Mr. Daniel Mendez and Mr. Krishna Clarke. A separate interview was also conducted with the Chief Fire Officer of the Barbados Fire service and President of the Caribbean Association of Fire Chiefs, Mr. Errol Maynard. The combined interviews were aired on two prominent radio stations in Barbados, the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the Voice of Barbados (VOB) on December 1, 2021.
1 December 2021- Launching of a new research project on drowning risk in Bangladesh and Tanzania
On 1 December 2021, Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett attended the inception meeting for the research project titled ‘Understanding the impact of climate change on drowning risk in Bangladesh and Tanzania’. The inception meeting was organised by the funder, Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in London. The objectives of this 3-month project are:
- Review the literature that identifies and discusses the weather-related impacts of climate change in Bangladesh and Tanzania in the 21stcentury, including climate-related migration
- Determine the most likely implications for shifts in drowning risk in Bangladesh and Tanzania because of climate change in the 21stcentury
- Categorise these risks based on the likelihood of their occurrence, and the geographies and demographics that may be most affected by them
- Apply these findings to the RNLI’s International programmes in Bangladesh and Tanzania to estimate the likely impact on the feasibility and effectiveness of existing interventions to continue to prevent drowning.
This is a collaborative research project between the University of East Anglia’s (UEA) Water Security Research Centre, Climate UEA, and ADN. The project is led by Professor Roger Few (UEA) from Climate UEA.
According to WHO’s Factsheet, drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths. Although the global burden and death from drowning is found in all economies and regions, low-and middle-income countries account for over 90% of unintentional drowning deaths.
Drowning deaths are avoidable deaths. Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett is thrilled to work with the UEA on a noble cause of reducing avoidable drowning deaths during disasters and in everyday life in Bangladesh and Tanzania.
28 November 2021- ADN organizes a Master Class on Note keeping and organization as a part of its Volunteer Mentorship and Development Programme
On 23rd November, 2021, ahead of the ADN Symposium on ‘Integrating Disaster Risk management with Emergency Services and Defence to Reduce Avoidable Disaster Deaths’, Mr. Steve Glovinsky, specialist in organizational development and change and former UNDP representative was cordially invited to conduct a masterclass for the ADN volunteers and coordinators who will be publishing the proceedings of the Symposium.
The masterclass focussed on various elements of note-taking for professionals and practitioners, and the organisation skills required for succinct and effective documentation and report writing.
The masterclass was attended by the ADN’s six volunteers and coordinators including Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett. The volunteers and coordinators who attended are: Ms Nimisha Goswami, Ms Rwittambhara Kashyap and Mr Biswajit Paul from India, Ms Lauren Macleod from Scotland, Mr Julian Coetzee from UAE and Mr. Abdullahi O. Umar from Nigeria.
The ADN Team thanks Mr Steve Glovinsky for delivering an excellent and ‘eye opening’ masterclass
28 November 2021- ADN at the webinar on “Climate Change and Pandemic Challenges in the Middle East” hosted by HEUREKA – Civil Protection Knowledge Platform
On 23rd November, 2021, Dr. Nibedita Ray Bennett, ADN-Founder and President participated as a speaker at the 2nd webinar on “Climate Change and Pandemic Challenges in the Middle East” hosted by HEUREKA – Civil Protection Knowledge Platform.
HEUREKA aims to promote the transfer of knowledge between the actors of disaster protection and disaster management and the humanitarian aid organizations in order to improve coordination, cooperation, compatibility and complementarity between the experts and the neighboring countries in the Middle East.
During the session, Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett, presented the preliminary findings of the ongoing research project on ‘Avoidable Deaths from the Impact of COVID-19 and Economic Lockdown in India’, and highlighted that avoidable deaths can be reduced through amenable and preventable measures and effective governance.
24 November 2021- ADN at European Forum on Disaster Risk Reduction (EFDRR) 2021
On the 24th November, Avoidable Deaths Network’s (ADN) Information Coordinator, Ms. Lauren Macleod attended the EFDRR session entitled ‘All-of-society engagement accelerating the implementation of the Sendai Framework’.
Yuki Matsuoka, Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in Japan, introduced the UNDRR’s Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments (SFVC) online platform.
Led by moderator, Erick Ariel Gonzales Rocha of the UNDRR, panellists Roisin Jordan, Luis Carcalho and Idan Sasson shared their experiences with the SFVC, exemplifying their international alliances created with stakeholders.
As an advocate for the Sendai Framework, ADN welcome the SFVC platform as a useful resource for networking and collaboration.
22 November 2021- ADN at Integrated Disaster Risk Management Society (IDRiM) 2021
On 28th October 2021, Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN) India Hub advisor, Ms Nimisha Goswami attended a session on Gender equality, diversity and inclusion support resilience hosted by Integrated Disaster Risk Management Society (IDRiM) in collaboration with IDRiM Women in Disaster Risk Science and Practice Committee, University of Twente and ITC. The session highlighted the critical role of gender equality, diversity and inclusion in disaster risk science and practice, which is directly connected to the UN’ SDG 5: Gender equality and women’s empowerment. The panel discussion attended by representatives from Kyoto University , European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, University of Twente, Cardiff University etc. focused on key challenges, strengths, roles and responsibilities of women in the disaster risk domain and the need to develop a trans-disciplinary network of gender-aware scientists, practitioners and gender equity advocates in the disaster risk domain.
Through the participation, ADN strongly calls for gender equality and women’s empowerment during disasters and humanitarian crises, in line with the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals.
13 November 2021- ADN Team Meets CIPRB Team
On 11 November 2021, Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett and Ms Nimisha Goswami met with Professor AKM Fazlur Rahman, Dr Aminur Rahman, and Professor Abdul Halim from The Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB) in order to explore research, enterprise and engagement collaboration with the Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN). The meeting was also joined by ADN’s Bangladesh in-country technical partner Dr Fariha Haseen from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). CIPRB is one of the world’s leading injury prevention organisations based in Bangladesh. Through pioneering research and innovation, CIPRB saves lives by delivering quality programmes designed to combat injury-based fatalities and morbidities, including drownings, burns, maternal health issues and road traffic injuries.
12 November 2021- ADN Gains Membership with the Asia-Pacific Gender in Humanitarian Action
On 10 November 2021, ADN gained a membership of the Asia-Pacific Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) working group (WG). The GiHA is the main coordination platform for advocacy, knowledge management, and technical support on gender in humanitarian action in the Asia-Pacific region. The GiHA WG is co-Chaired jointly by UN Women and UNHCR.
10 November 2021- Avoidable Deaths Network at COP26 UK
The ADN India Hub host and Regional Coordinator Mr Dillip Pattanaik and Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett (ADN’s President) presented at the COP26 side event entitled ‘STEM for All and the Climate Crisis.’ The event took place on 7 November 2021 at 11.0 am GMT. Dr Ray-Bennett presented the role that youths, especially the ADN’s Junior Champions and Future leaders are playing in reducing the impact of the climate crisis and avoidable disaster deaths through the ‘COVID-19 Helpline Services Project’ and ‘Eastern Belt Project’ in India and ‘Tsunami DRR Project in Hama Elementary School’ in Osaka. Dr Ray-Bennett’s presentation can be viewed via this link: STEM for all and the climate crisis | #COP26 – YouTube
7 November 2021– Welcoming New Team Member
We heartily welcome Ms Nimisha Goswami to the ADN team as the ADN Hub India Advisor.
25 October 2021- Fire Safety Event
The ADN’s President Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett attended the ‘Fire Safety Event’ on 25 October 2021. 15 global participants attended this event. The aim of this event was to ‘create a new influence that would represent the citizen’ voice in fire safety and in doing so, move the focus for intervention further upstream’. Further updates following this Fire Safety Event will be provided by Dr. Ray-Bennett.
10 December 2021- One day ADN Symposium
We are pleased to announce the date of our upcoming symposium titled ‘Integrating Disaster Risk Management with Emergency Services and Defence to Reduce Avoidable Disaster Deaths’ on 10 December 2021.
This day-long virtual Symposium is organised by Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN) in collaboration with DMAT, Shared Aim, Prepared International, Right Insight, CDB, UNDP-Kenya, RSS – amongst others. For more information, please click here.
23 July 2021 – University of Leicester Student Leading ‘The First Million’ COVID-19 Vaccination Programme in India
We are pleased to share the news that Ms Nimisha Goswami, a student at the University of Leicester‘s School of Business, is leading ‘The First Million Vaccine Programme’ of the American India Foundation (AIF). This Programme will vaccinate one million marginalised people in India. Nimisha is currently reading her MSc in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management (RCDM) at the School of Business funded by the Commonwealth Scholarship Scholarship’s Commission’s ‘Scholarship for Distance Learning’. The MSc RCDM is a flexible learning programme designed for mature students.7 July 2021 – Parliamentary Event for Commonwealth Scholars
We are pleased to share the news that Rachael Nantume has been selected to attend the annual ‘Parliamentary Event for Commonwealth Scholars’. Rachel Nantume from Uganda is a CSC-funded scholar for the MSc in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management at the University of Leicester’s School of Business.
The Parliamentary event is organised by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) and the Council for Education in the Commonwealth’s CSFP Support Group. The event offers scholars a rare opportunity to hear from British Members of Parliament and Peers in an informal setting, and gain an insight into the workings of the House of Commons and House of Lords in the UK.
Many congratulations Rachael.
The event will take place on 7 July 2021. To learn more about this event please click this weblink: https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/
@commschols #citizensofchange #ourstochange @AvoidableN
30 June 2021 – Introducing Reproductive Health Kits for Disasters and Crises
We are pleased to announce the latest policy brief ‘Introducing Reproductive Health Kits’, and the leaflet on ‘Frequently Asked Questions on Emergency and Reproductive Health Kits’ produced by the research team for the IPPF-funded project titled ‘Upscaling RHCC by Developing a Protocol for Low-Budget Reproductive Health Kit’. This project was concluded on 31 March 2021.
The research project was led by Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett (UoL)) in collaboration with Dr Fariha Haseen (Banga Bandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University), Maqbul Bhuiyan (Data Management Aid), Ms Nimisha Goswami (IPPF-SAR), Ms Denise Corsel (UoL), and the Government of Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Family Planning. The policy brief and the leaflet can be accessed through this web link: https://www.ippfsar.org/resource/introducing-reproductive-health-kits-facility-crisis-set-bangladesh
26 June 2021 – ADN’s Founding President Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett will deliver a Keynote address at a National Workshop
We are pleased to announce that Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett will be providing a keynote
address at the “National Workshop on Methods and Approaches for Health Research in Social Sciences” organised by ICMR-NIRTH, Jabalpur School of Social Sciences and Humanities, VIT-AP University, and Department of Geography, SES and Central University Karnataka.
Dr Ray-Bennett’s keynote address will focus on the “Importance of Mixed Method Approach in Health Research”.
The event will take place on the 26th of June 2021 at 12.30 pm Indian Standard Time (IST). If you would like to register for this event, please go to this link:
12 June 2021 – ADN’s Founding President will be on Sakura FM Radio Station
We are very pleased to announce that the ADN’s Founding President Dr Hideyuki Shiroshita has been invited by the City of Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture to give a talk on disaster education. This lecture is part of the City of Nishinomiya’s Lifelong Learning Programme, and will be aired live on Sakura FM Radio Station on 12 June 2021. Please do not forget to tune in.
20 May 2021 – ADN partnership with PMNCH
19 May 2021 – ADN at the upcoming International Disaster Management Exhibition in London
Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett, Founder and President of the Avoidable Deaths Network has been invited to speak at the International Disaster Management Exhibition Thematic Theatre organised by the World Humanitarian Forum. Dr. Ray-Bennett’s talk will focus on the Session ‘NGO Access to Disaster Zones: The Importance of Collaboration and Enhancing Cooperation Between Agencies and Government in the Field’ on 19 May 2021.
28 January 2021 – Meeting on ‘COVID 19: Delivering Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) in Crises Settings’
ADN’s President Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett will be moderating the IPPF-SAR’s town hall meeting on ‘COVID 19: Delivering Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) in Crises Settings’, organised by the Independent Panel Exchange. This meeting will take place on 28 January 2021 at 11.00 CET.
The Independent Panel Exchange was established by the WHO’s Director-General to “initiate an independent, impartial and comprehensive evaluation of the international health response” for the COVID-19 pandemic. Its mission is to provide an evidence-based path for the future, grounded in lessons of the present and the past, to ensure countries and global institutions, including specifically WHO, effectively address health threats.
To watch the recorded event, please click here.
15 December 2020 – Meeting with the Zoological Survey of India to Raise the Visibility of Snakebite Deaths
Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett introduced the Avoidable Deaths Network and the Consortium for Partners for the project on Snakebite Mortality in India to the Central Zone Regional Centre of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). The presentation was made to the Director of ZSI, Dr. Kailash Chandra.
11 December 2020 – Talk on Systems Thinking for Sustainability of the Himalayan Mountain Communities
Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett, ADN’s Founding President will be giving a talk entitled ‘Systems Thinking for Sustainability of the Himalayan Mountain Communities’ as part of the UN’s International Mountain Day on 11 December 2020. The event is organised by the ADN’s organisational partner, Doers in Himachal Pradesh, India.
5 December 2020 – ADN’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Regional Coordinators
ADN is organising its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held on 5 December, 2020 at 11 AM GMT. At the first AGM, past and present activities of ADN will be discussed and novel activities will be identified for 2021. The AGM will be held on Zoom, with a duration of 2 hours and 45 minutes. The event timetable can be viewed by clicking here.
4 December 2020 – ADN’s Special Session at the G.O.R.I.L.L.A. Conference
ADN is organising a Special Session on Avoidable Deaths titled: Let’s Talk About Avoidable Deaths: Views from Multiple Sectors, in collaboration with Makerere University, Uganda, at the G.O.R.I.L.L.A. Conference. The Session will be held on 4 December 2020 at 11 AM GMT. To know more about the Session, please click here.
19 November 2020 – Award for Upscaling RHCC
We are pleased to announce that ADN’s Founding President, Dr Nibedita S. Ray-Bennett has been awarded IPPF’s Designated Regional Funds for the research project ‘Upscaling RHCC by Developing a Protocol for Low-Budget Reproductive Health Kit’. The low-budget Reproductive Health Kit will be designed to save a mother’s life from unsafe abortion and post-abortion complications during disasters and crises. This new project is a follow-on from our previous research project ‘Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities Around Reproductive Health in Disasters in Belkuchi, Bangladesh’ funded by IPPF’s ‘Innovation Programme Fund’ and IPPF’s South Asia Region Office ‘SPRINT Initiative’. The project report, policy briefs and testimonials can be found by clicking here.
Special thanks to IPPF for this Fund. Many congratulations to the amazing team: Dr Fariha Haseen (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka), Mr Maqbul Bhuiya (Data Management Aid), Mrs Denise Corsel (University of Leicester/Avoidable Deaths Network), and Mrs Nimisha Goswami and Dr. Gopi Reddy Gopireddy (IPPF’s South Asia Region Office).
27 October 2020 – Visiting Researcher Fellowship
We are pleased to announce that ADN’s Founding President, Dr Hideyuki Shiroshita and ADN’s Regional Coordinator – Uganda, Dr Yazidhi Bamutaze have been successful in their Visiting Researcher Fellowship Programme from Kansai University. The aim of this Fellowship is to strengthen the relationship between ADN and ADN Hub-Uganda.
10 October 2020 – Lecture by ADN’s President to UNDP
On the 8th of October 2020, Dr. Nibedita Ray-Bennett delivered a lecture virtually titled ‘Introducing Systems Thinking and Systems Approach’ to the UNDP’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery Team.
1 October 2020 – Six prestigious Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships awarded to students from around the world
The University of Leicester has announced the names of its 2020 Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholars. These students have been awarded Commonwealth Scholarships to allow them to pursue the MSc in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management while living in their home countries. The scholarships have been awarded by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom.
Navneet Yadav and Nimisha Goswami from India, Arnold Ambundo and Hussein Harrow Halake from Kenya, Victor Ndubuisi Okoro from Nigeria, and Racheal Margaret Nantume from Uganda have all been selected to pursue the MSc in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management by distance learning at the School of Business at the University of Leicester. The six Scholars beat off competition from over 500 applicants.
The MSc in RCDM is a specialised course suitable for professionals, practitioners and the like. The course bridges the traditional division between the management of technological, social and natural hazards by combining risk, communication, vulnerability and development theories. The course is aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Paris Agreement.
Each scholarship covers course fees, two visits to attend the Masterclasses and bespoke research writing workshop at Leicester and a laptop.
Racheal Nantume, Graduate Engineer with Uganda National Roads Authority said: “The knowledge and skills that I will acquire from completing this course will enable me to provide expert input to road network plans and designs for more resilient roads in Uganda. With the increased occurrence of climate change related disasters, integrating crisis and disaster management for more resilient roads is crucial to averting the extreme impacts of disasters and increasing the resilience of vulnerable communities in Uganda. My goal is to contribute to the achievement of Uganda’s Vision 2040, aimed at transforming the Ugandan society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country within 30 years.”
Victor Okoro, the Founder and Executive Director of Disaster Responders said: The MSc in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management will further enhance my confidence and skills as a disaster risk management practitioner and equip me with the knowledge necessary to improve disaster risk management practice in Nigeria. More specifically, the knowledge acquired from the course will adequately prepare me to offer expert advice to the Nigerian Government, Civil Society Organizations and the Private Sector in Nigeria on how to effectively and efficiently mitigate the risk and impact of natural and human-induced disasters in Nigeria, through my NGO, the Disaster Responders.”
Nimisha Goswami, Senior Technical Advisor, Humanitarian Assistance, IPPF – South Asia Regional Office (SARO) said: “It is indeed an honor to be selected for this prestigious award. As a humanitarian professional from South Asia, this award would not only help me to deepen my theoretical knowledge base and apply them in my practical area of work. But will also help me to advocate and liaison with various stakeholders including policy makers and parliamentarians for integration of gender and sexual health into the disaster risk management policies and plans across the region. And also support the countries with delivering on the relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a timely manner.”
Arnold Ambundon, Global Climate Change Project Coordinator, Action by Churches Together Alliance Secretariat said: “I am so excited to start this programme. I develop, implement, and monitor advocacy strategies for the alliance and lead, coordinate and support policy and advocacy engagement with UN processes, particularly Sustainable Development Goals and Disaster Risk Reduction. I believe that this course will provide me with a fresh perspective to interlink the UN processes through the lens of risk, crisis and disaster theories.”
Navneet Yadav, Associate Director at Doers, a humanitarian organization working in the Himalayan region of India, said: “As a development professional who has worked in the domain of disaster risk management for more than a decade, I realize that the targets of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction will not be met unless the developmental interventions become risk-informed and disaster risk governance becomes much more than just empty rhetoric. I believe that this course would help me explore the systemic nature of risk in an analytical way and would also provide me with a fresh perspective on interlinking the research, policy and practice for effective convergence of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in the Himalayan region of India.”
Hussein H. Halake, a Warden with Kenya Wildlife Service, the national agency charged with protection and conservation of wildlife within the republic of Kenya, said: “Conservation of wildlife has of late faced numerous challenges including poaching of endangered species such as Rhinos and Elephants, organized trophy trafficking, Human Wildlife Conflict, climate change leading to erratic weather patterns and unpredictable floods and drought and loss of revenue generated from wildlife based tourism due to global terrorism threats and pandemic like the current COVID-19 crisis. The University of Leicester MSc in Risk, Crisis and Disaster management will equip me with necessary skills and capability to handle real life conservation challenges and be able to design practical risk assessment, crisis management and formulate effective disaster preparedness, response and recovery process for Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).”
Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett, Associate Professor in Risk Management, Founder and President of Avoidable Deaths Network from the University of Leicester’s School of Business who won the scholarships for the University said: “I would like to thank the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK for the scholarships. And I am excited to welcome all the Commonwealth Scholars to the School of Business. I hope that they find the course rewarding and interesting.”
1 September 2020 – Congratulations to our Regional Coordinator, Dr Madhulika Sahoo
Many congratulations to Dr Madhulika Sahoo (ADN’s Regional Coordinator India) on winning the InSc Young Achiever Award/ Research Excellence Award.
1 July 2020 – ADN’s Regional Coordinator from Colombia, Mr. Holmez Paez’s Journal Article has been Published
ADN’s Regional Coordinator from Colombia has had his journal article titled ‘We said, they said: the politics of conceptual frameworks in disasters and climate change in Colombia and Latin America’ published. The article is published in the Disaster Prevention and and Management journal. It can also be found on ADN’s Resources and Relevant Publications under the Disasters section: http://www.avoidable-deaths.net/resources/.
1 July 2020 – ADN’s President, Dr Nibedita S. Ray-Bennett live on BBC Radio Leicester
If you are up for light music entertainment and some general talks on COVID-19, you can catch ADN’s President, Dr Nibedita S. Ray-Bennett live on air with Ben Jackson on his Mid Morning show, BBC Radio Leicester tomorrow (2 July 2020) at 11:30 am to 12:00 pm (UK time). The target audience for tomorrow’s talk is school kids (11-17 years of age). This group has felt left out. Thanks to Professor Turi King from the #UniversityofLeicester for coming up with an excellent idea to reach out to all schools in Leicestershire and attend to their questions through this BBC Radio Leicester. Tune in, if you can by clicking here.
19 June 2020 – Footage of ADN’s First Stakeholders Engagement Meeting
We are pleased to share with you footage of the ADN’s first stakeholders engagement meeting, which took place on 8 November 2019 at the University of Leicester. The event was funded by the Leicester’s Tiger Team Funding and GCRF. You can view the footage by clicking here.
The footage also introduces the MSc in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management programme, which is led by ADN’s President, Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett. The recruitment for this flexible learning MSc programme is open for the October 2020 intake. Further details of this programme can be found by clicking here.
We would sincerely like to thank all the stakeholders who attended our first workshop.
29 May 2020 – ADN’s Affiliate, Dr Lopa Saxena’s Article on Social Supermarkets has been Published
Dr Lopa Saxena, ADN’s Affiliate and Research Fellow at Coventry University, is an expert on how social supermarkets work and has helped advise on the set-up of the ‘social supermarket’ project. This is a great initiative. Read more about it, by clicking here. Also, if you are wondering what ‘social supermarkets’ are, then we would highly recommend that you read Dr Lopa Saxena’s article, which was published in Conversation. The link to this article can be found here.
28 April 2020 – ADN’s President, Dr Nibedita S. Ray-Bennett was Interviewed about COVID-19
ADN’s President, Dr Nibedita S. Ray-Bennett has been interviewed for a blog about COVID-19. It has been published through The PSW Weblog by Prajnya. It is titled: Reflections on Resilience: COVID-19: An Opportunity to learn effective Disaster Governance. It is very informative and thus, we highly recommend that you read it (by clicking on the link above). Permission to share this link has been given by The PSW Weblog and Prajnya.
28 April 2020 – ADN’s Advisory Board Member, Mr Mihir Bhatt, has Published a Blog in Relation to the Lock Down due to COVID-19
ADN’s Advisory Board Member, Mr Mihir Bhatt, has published a blog in relation to the lock down due to COVID-19. Mr Bhatt is the Director of the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI). He has been leading thinking and action on disaster risk reduction since 1995 in India and South Asia through AIDMI. His Blog on The PSW Weblog is titled: Reflections on Resilience: “How Do You Lock Down a Farm Full of Cumin Seeds?”. It is well written and we recommend you reading it (by clicking on the link above). Permission to share this link has been given by The PSW Weblog and Prajnya.
22 April 2020 – ADN Accepted as One of the COVID-19 Working Groups for Public Health and Social Sciences Research
We are pleased to announce that the application that ADN’s Presidents, Dr Hideyuki Shiroshita and Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett submitted has been accepted. The Avoidable Deaths Network is now one of the 𝘾𝙊𝙑𝙄𝘿-19 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙥𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙎𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝.
This award is made possible through the National Science Foundation-funded Social Science Extreme Events Research (SSEER) Network and the CONVERGE facility housed at the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder.
March 2020 – ADN Art Project on ‘Hope’
Looking for an art project 🎨 for the young (or young at heart)? If you or your kids are stuck at home due to the Covid-19 lockdown and you fancy yourself as a bit of an artist, you might be able to help us out.
The ADN is looking for a new image to be featured in our next newsletter and as the cover picture of our Facebook page. We are looking for an image that represents hope against the coronavirus pandemic. In these unprecedented times, it is important to stay hopeful and focus on the positives of life (e.g. your family, keeping people safe, working together, etcetera).
Once you’re done, please post your image in the comments on our Facebook page or email it to us. We will select an image to be featured! You can go to our Facebook page by clicking here or email us at: contact@avoidable-deaths.net
Please see our ADN Photo Gallery for the images that have already been submitted. Thank you to those who are participating in this Art Project on ‘Hope’.
27 March 2020 – ADN’s President, Dr Nibedita S. Ray-Bennett is in the coronavirus expertise guide for the University of Leicester
26 March 2020 – Clap for the NHS at 8pm in the UK
“Clap for NHS at 8 pm in the UK” Thanks NHS and the other key front line workers for your amazing work. We are all in this together. Save NHS. Save lives. #ADN #ClapForNHS #AvoidablrDeaths #SaveLives #ClapForOurCarers
17 March 2020 – End-to-End Tsunami Early Warning Systems
The Themed issue of the International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment (IJDRBE), entitled “End-to-end tsunami early warning systems” in collaboration with IOC-UNESCO IOTWMS has been published.
Please see attached the flyer here: TEW themed issue March 2020 and in particular the free access details, which will be for a period of 1 month.
With UNESCO , this will be an annual exercise and details of the 2020 call will be published very soon.
14 February 2020 – Life-Changing Scholarships Available at the University of Leicester
Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett has been successful in raising five prestigious Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships for the MSc in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management (RCDM).
Meritorious students from the Commonwealth Nations are eligible to apply for this Scholarship.
According to the Dean of the School of Business, Professor Jim Devlin: “This is an excellent news and thank you [Nibedita] for making this effort.”.
The details on how to apply for the Commonwealth Scholarship will be open on 24 February 2020.
Please keep an eye on our website: https://le.ac.uk/…/risk-crisis-and-disaster-management…/2020 and on the website of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK.
Successful Commonwealth Scholars will start the MSc RCDM on 1 October 2020.
14 February 2020 – Literature on Coronavirus
Evidence Aid have been watching the progression of the Coronavirus. Sine this outbreak is leading to a rapidly expanding and evolving literature, Evidence Aid have curated a page of entry points to a rapidly expanding and evolving literature, which you can see here: https://www.evidenceaid.org/coronavirus-resources/
31 January 2020 – Welcoming New Team Members
We heartily welcome ADN’ newest team members: Mr. Jos Bal who will take on the role of Knowledge Exchange Officer, Ms. Pangkhi Medhi as Blog Officer, and Mrs Althea Jones as Networking Officer. For more information about them, please see the biographies of our team members: https://www.avoidable-deaths.net/our-team/
29 January 2020 – News from ADN’s President
ADN’s President, Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett has some good news: “It took me nearly two years to revise the MSc in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management (RCDM), and is now ready to recruit new students from the 1st of October 2020. The Programme Approval Panel at Leicester was like attending an exam for three hours, and I had never experienced anything like this before. Even our external reviewer Professor Richard Haigh was surprised. All worth it in the end. Thanks to our graduates for providing inputs to update the programme. Along with this news, I am super-duper excited to announce that I have won the Commonwealth Scholarship Grant from the Commonwealth Commission in the UK for the MSc RCDM. The result was announced today. Five meritorious students from the Commonwealth Nations can win this grant to read my MSc RCDM + three visits to Leicester =for free. If you think you are the person to get this Scholarship, please keep an eye on our website: https://le.ac.uk/courses/risk-crisis-and-disaster-management-msc-dl/2020
This Scholarship can be a life-changing experience because it has changed my life and many of our MSc RCDM graduates.”
15 January 2020 – Job Opening at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
There is a job opening for a ‘Disaster Risk Reduction Policy Expert’ at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. They are looking for a consultant to support UNDRR and the UN DRR Focal Points’ Group task team for a period of three months. The position in home-based. If interested, please click here for the job advert, which contains more information.
21 December 2019 – ADN’s First Newsletter
The Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN) is proud to announce that we have published our first newsletter. All members will have received it by email but it can also be found here.
18 December 2019 – Official Launch of the ADN – India Office
We are thrilled to let announce that the ADN – India office was officially launched on 18 December 2019. Ms. Neelam Mkhijani, the Country Director Childfund, and Dr. Ambika Prasad Nanda, head CSR Odisha of Tata Steel were the guest of honor for the event. Special thanks to our regional coordinator, Mr Dilip Pattanaik for his perseverance to set up the first ADN Office in Odisha. ADN welcome interns, researchers and practitioners from India and beyond to undertake research, network and advocate avoidable deaths in Odisha.
16 December 2019 – Job vacancy for ADN Networking Officer
The ADN has a vacancy for the position of ‘Networking Officer’ at University of Leicester. If interested, please apply by 1 January 2020. For details, please see the following link: https://www.unitemps.com/Search/JobDetails/23734
3 December 2019 – Presentation by ADN’s President at UCL
On the 3rd of December 2019, Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett presented her research ‘RHCC Intervention: Strengthening the delivery of reproductive health care during floods in Bangladesh’ at the University College London’s Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction (IRDR).
8 November 2019 – ADN’s First Stakeholders Meeting
We are very pleased to let you know that we have successfully conducted our first stakeholders meeting for the Avoidable Deaths Network on the 8th of November 2019 at the University of Leicester. The meeting was attended by our two regional coordinators from India and Uganda, Mr Dillip Pattanaik and Ms Pamela Komujuni Kalule, respectively. The meeting was also attended by a number of stakeholders, including: Dr Ataur Rahman and Nimisha Goswami (International Planned Parenthood Federation-South Asia Region Office), Major Simon Oxley (Ministry of Defence), Maqbul Bhuiyna (Data Management Aid), Dr Ambika Prasad Nanda (TISCO), David Wales (National Fire Council Service Rep) – among others. We will be organising national level workshops in India, Bangladesh and Uganda. We will extend our invitation to the ADN community nearer to the date.
7 November 2019 – Showcased Research at the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences
Funded by ESRC and ESRC-Impact Acceleration Account, Dr Nibedita Ray-Bennett successfully organised and showcased her research project ‘Reproductive Health in Disasters’ at the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences on 7 November 2019 at the University of Leicester. The event was attended by Dr. Ataur Rahman (International Planned Parenthood Federation-South Asia Region Office (IPPF-SAR), Bangkok), Mrs Nimisha Goswami (IPPF-SAR, New Delhi), Dr. Fariha Haseen (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Bangladesh), Mr. Maqbul Bhuiyna (Data Management Aid, Bangladesh), Mr Steve Glovinsky (Ex UNDP, USA), and Dr Eva Luksaite (Keele University).
October 2019 – Award of Leicester’s GCRF and Tiger Team Funding
The ADN team has been awarded Leicester’s GCRF and Tiger Team Funding to develop research and networking themes in the ADN HUBS in India, Bangladesh and Uganda.