Cluster group members

Members with practical orientation

In simplified terms, the members in this category focus on fieldwork and making a difference on the ground, but also contributing to higher level policy processes and coordination:

• Development work before and after disasters

• Humanitarian work after disasters

• Best practices

• Children

• Resource conflicts & rights

• Water technologies

• Urban planning

• Coordination

• Policy and influence

Andreas Zetterlund (International Aid Services – IAS) can contribute with the perspective of the low and middle income countries (mostly East Africa context) from 20 years of working on site and bring it into the conversation. IAS are also part of some coordination activities relevant for the low and middle income countries which influences decisions made among donors and aid organizations (e.g. about Sudan).

Johanna Felix (Solvatten) can contribute with insights on a more practical level and with concrete solutions of what Solvatten considers as important aspects of DRR. Solvatten can also contribute with sharing the idea of treating water with sunlight as a solution in the DRR.

Anna Garvander (Plan Sweden) We can bring the international perspective, as we are an international organisation, working from local level to global, with a broad perspective. Our own focus is children and their rights and vulnerability. We have a genuine knowledge working in several sectors in development and DRR and not only Water.

Hanna Morris (ActionAid) We have a strong connection to international projects in the field, and there is expertise of DRR in the entire organisation but not so much in ActionAid Sweden. The cluster group should better link to the international DRR person in ActionAid.

Cecilia Ruben (Stockholm Environment Institute - SEI) I have a master in urban planning and can contribute with sanitation knowledge in developing countries. I have a practical orientation, less theoretical trying to have a holistic perspective spanning several sectors. In that sense sanitation is a very vital topic. I think the MDGs can be addressed in crisis situations, where sanitation is key, and has importance for all 8 goals. I can contribute to opening doors, and getting hold of expertise, financiers and other input, matchmaking and increase networks. In India I have worked with this approach and we have gathered many partners, such as NGOs and financiers to make the funds go a longer way and extend the competence base.

Åsa Elfström (Svenska Kyrkan) We work practically in the field and not only with lobby and policy. In that way we can provide lots of practical examples. We cooperate in ACT - an international organisation for all churches (kyrkornas världsråd), which includes for example also Diakonia, and where there is a working group for DRR. There was a recent workshop on the topic and we will produce a policy paper and best practice document and present at Rio +20. Case studies where we work on water and sanitation depends on the country. Svenska Kyrkan was previously called Lutherhjälpen.

Thomaz Carlzon (The Swedish Red Cross) The RC has as no other organization a global cover, local representation in the individual countries and "access to victims". If anyone need partners to work through the Red Cross can immediately mobilize that. The Red Cross has a unique mandate auxiliary to states, and is as no other organization mentioned in the Geneva protocol, with both responsibilities and influence towards the states. Governments can be addressed at a Red Cross conference also by others (non-Red Cross) who are present.

Luke Dokter (Norwegian Red Cross) I can bring knowledge and experience from the humanitarian field especially in regards to emergency preparedness and response. In my opinion, being prepared to respond is one vital aspect of reducing communities vulnerabilities to natural disasters.

Mina Jhowry (Diakonia) We have a long experience of working with aid programmes. We work long-term with partners in focus countries, e.g. Somalia where we have been for 25 years (not necessarily working with the same partner). We focus on human rights and justice in international law and work for example on resource conflicts, e.g. land-grabbing and distribution. We do not work specifically with water issues, but the water issue comes in as a part of the resource issue. Often there are resource conflicts when there are economic interests, involvement by powerful companies, e.g. mining, dams etc. where the original inhabitants are being chased away or ethnic minority is under pressure. Our work contribute to reducing risk for example when people become less vulnerable to drought, where we work to support institutions and authorities and work preventive. We are not very much focusing on humanitarian actions.

Anders Pålsson, (Räddningstjänsten Kristianstad) I work in Sweden on a municipal level with activities which might be interesting for the international context. For example the network VAKA supporting smaller municipalities when they experience crisis in drinking water. My own background is on crisis management (fires, accidents, floods, etc) and I have also 25 years in the insurance industry, focusing on the values which are at risk after the actual hazard/accident and trying to minimize the damage (e.g. pollution to water courses, impacts from lack of electricity etc).

Jenny Fredby (WaterAid) We can contribute with knowledge and perspectives from our work with developing sustainable approaches to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. In our perspective, WASH is key in reducing vulnerability and increasing long-term resilience to disasters. WaterAid works in 27 countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific Region. While WaterAid is not a humanitarian/disaster response agency, we respond to natural disasters and emergencies if/when the areas that we work in are affected. Many of the countries in which we work have highly variable climates, occupy seismically active zones, or are at times politically unstable and/or prone to conflicts. The scale of WaterAid’s involvement depends upon the scale of the disaster and WaterAid’s ability to make an effective contribution. We are currently developing a global framework for DRR in our work.

Research oriented cluster group members

Simplified, the members in this category focus on research, and donor support with expertise in a variety of areas (in italics):

• Donor (Sida’s) perspective

• Research experience and analytical capability

• Interdisciplinary research

• Expert knowledge on topics:

• Water resources and DRR/climate adaptation

• Environmental perspectives and DRR

• Technical aspects of water and DRR

• Vulnerability

• Desert and drought issues

• Security management

• Historical perspective

• Gender perspective

Guoyi Han (Stockholm Environment Institute - SEI) As a research organization, SEI has research competence in the areas of strong relevance to the focus of the Cluster group, such as water resources, disaster risk reduction, vulnerability, climate adaptation, etc. In addition, as an international institute, SEI can also add a wide international perspective to the group. As an individual, what I bring to the group perhaps is the research experience and analytical capability.

Anja-Christina Beier (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences - SLU) What we/I can contribute with is mostly Sida’s perspective (from an independent view) and strength / weakness in water and DRR, i.e. understanding for the focus we should have and ultimately to support to the Swedish development cooperation. What is going on in the area of research can also be a contribution into the group.

Matteses Lisa Ahrgren (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences - SLU, Sida helpdesk) I work with mainstreaming of environmental issues, we are specialists to be generalists. I have an insight into Sida’s work, through scrutinizing applications for donor applications incoming to Sida, and we do that using a wider environmental perspective where DRR is a part. I will probably be aware of examples which might be interesting to raise in the group.

Gunilla Björklund (GeWa Consulting) I can bring in my own views on the issues in question. I have for example worked with desert issues and drought, which is including aspects of DRR.

Åke Sivertun (Försvarshögskolan/the Swedish National Defence College – FHS/ SNDC) I can contribute with experience of working interdisciplinary and I see the value of synergies between different areas, such as computer technology, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), geography, hydro-modeling, and socio-political perspectives. My interest lies in the application and to be able to plan for security and avoid problems, reduce damaging impact. Also it is important to be able to improve the models and introduce a dynamic and learning element, not just apply a method. In this way integrated models have a strength in capturing the different dynamics on a broader scale. For example, it is possible to see what happens if the EC changes its subsidies, and incentives for land use.

Roger Roffey (Swedish Defence Research Agency - FOI) Roger’s unit works mostly with climate adaptation, underwater technology, and food issues. They work partly with the municipalities on adaptation, which includes water.

Linus Zhang (Lund University - LU) I work on a daily basis with water issues and IWRM, (Integrated Water Resources Management) mostly on the technical aspects and some management. We are discussing collaboration with the Red Cross in Africa and how we can contribute to their activities, including networking and information provision. Our whole team can be a resource in DRR related work on demand.

May-Britt Öhman (Uppsala University) I look at the historical perspective, and do comparisons over time, on history of technologies, bridging technology and society, human sciences, social science, gender and water resources.

Patrick Kratt (Sida)

Leif Jonsson et al (MSB)