A nation faces various types of threats in today’s world. These can be of two types- traditional security threats and non-traditional security threats.
COVID-19 and its devastating consequences, both in terms of loss of lives and economic recession, have brought the attention of the policymakers on the rising non-traditional security threats posed to the entire world. While the focus on traditional military threats to the physical security of the country and its people is important, the interconnected and interdependent nature of the world today demands equal attention towards non-traditional security threats. One critical aspect of non-traditional security is threats posed to societies by natural and man-made disasters.
The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) (2009) defined Disaster as: “A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or Environment losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources”.
UNSIDR considers Disaster to be a result of the combination of many factors such as Exposure to hazards, Conditions of vulnerability that are present and, Insufficient capacity or measures to reduce or cope with the potential negative consequences.
According to United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Disaster risk is defined as “the potential loss of life, injury, or damaged assets which could occur to a system, society or a community in a specific period of time, determined as a function of hazard, exposure, and capacity”. Disaster risk is a combination of three terms: hazard, exposure and vulnerability.
Hazard is defined as “a phenomenon or human activity that may cause loss of life, injury (or other health impacts), property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation”.
Exposure is defined as “the situation of people, infrastructure, housing, production capacities and other tangible human assets located in hazard-prone areas”. The measure of exposure can include the number of people or types of assets in an area and can be used to estimate the quantitative risks associated with that hazard.
Vulnerability is defined as “the conditions determined by physical, social, economic, environmental,cultural and institutional factors which increase the susceptibility of an individual, or a community to the impacts of hazards”. Examples: poor design and construction of buildings, weak institutions, governance (e.g. including corruption etc.), high levels of poverty, limited recognition of risks and preparedness measures, lack of public awareness,disregard for wise environmental management, etc.
While disasters are a natural phenomenon, they are increasingly influenced by human-driven climate change, posing heightened risks by way of volatile weather patternsandincreased severity of natural calamities. India is particularly at high risk of being affected by natural calamities. According to the National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM) 2009, 58.6 per cent of the landmass is prone to earthquakes, 12 per cent of the land is prone to floods, and 5,700 km of the total 7,516 total coastlines is prone to cyclones and tsunamis, while 68 per cent of the total cultivable land is prone to droughts.
According to a National Crime Record Bureau report, deaths due to natural calamities in 2019 stood at 8,145 which was 18 per cent more than 2018’s figure of 6,891. On the economic impact, a UNDRR report highlighted thatIndia suffered economic losses of USD 79.5 billion between 1998 and 2017.This presents a strong case for making structured and considerable investments in its disaster management capabilities in India.
UNISDR defines it as “The conceptual framework of elements considered with the possibilities to minimize vulnerabilities and disaster risks throughout a society, to avoid (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and preparedness) the adverse impacts of hazards, within the broad context of sustainable development”.
It was approved at the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in March 2015, held in Sendai, located in Japan. It is the successor to the Hyogo Framework that came into effect from 2005 and ended in 2015, with the approval of Sendai Framework.
This treaty is voluntary and not binding upon the member states.Under the framework, the primary role of the Member States is to reduce the identified disaster risks.The framework has a time frame of 15 years, i.e., 2015-2030.UNISDR is tasked with the implementation, follow-up, support and review of the Sendai Framework.
The objectives include:
The High Priorities are:
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) definesDisasterManagement as the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters.
India’s disaster management structure is guided by the Disaster Management Act of 2005 which led to the creation of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). India’s disaster management structure is rather well laid with a comprehensive approach involving national, state and district level authorities.
The National Disaster Management Plan 2019 guides India’s renewed and far more mature approach towards disaster management which focuses more on proactive preventions, mitigation and preparedness than mere relief and reconstruction activities. The policy incorporates several commitments and objectives in the disaster risk reduction domain associated with the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction 2015.
The policy also recognises the importance of technology for effective disaster management such as remote sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The policy also highlights the importance of critical infrastructure in most vulnerable areas as well as the need to establish and upgrade the forecasting and early-warning systems of various types to plug technological gaps to be able to better manage future calamities.
It was released in 2016 and is the first ever national plan prepared in the country for disaster management. It is aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, to which India is a signatory. Salient features are as follows:
While India’s efforts and policies to manage natural disasters better must be appreciated, there are considerable shortcomings that must be remedied to ensure the safety and well-being of Indian citizens and residents. Some of the issues, which have been contributing to poor response following disasters includepoor co-ordination at the local level, lack of early-warning systems, very slow responsesat major occasions, shortage of trained dedicated clinicians, lack of search and rescue facilities, and so on.
The preparedness at various levels is not people-oriented. Furthermore, unlike Sendai Framework,the National Disaster Management Plan does not set any goals, targets or adefinite time frame. Additionally, aframework for funding is missing in the National Disaster Management Plan.The disaster insurance provisions still lack clarity and need to be looked into.
A clearer demarcation of national and state-level responsibilities is needed, especially regarding who is responsible for risk-reduction activities.It is vital for SDMA to focus on the continued capacity-building of DDMA that are responsible for managing disaster risk.There is a need to revise the disaster management plan to include a much greater emphasis on risk reduction, rather than just preparedness and response.
Accountability mechanisms need to be specified to ensure that departments follow disaster risk-reduction strategies in their own development planning.Build partnerships with and draw lessons from forerunner states such as Bihar and Gujarat on how to include risk reduction in plans more effectively.Public-private partnerships should be looked at more seriously as alternative modes of financing. For eg -Models such as the Surat Climate Change Trust(collaboration between the private sector and the urban local body in Surat, Gujarat), should be studied and, if suitable, replicated.
Risk-transfer mechanisms and insurance should be scaled up to support risk reduction.The needs of women and other marginalised groups must be considered across all types of disaster risk management activity, rather than only response and relief activities. Clearer guidelines need to be issued for the genuine participation of vulnerable communities in processes to develop district disaster management plans.
The economic losses caused due to the numerous disasters warrant abetter funding than the current one. Impact of disasters on lives and economy does not get enough attention and fiscal support. In FY 2010-11, the budget for disaster management was INR 690 crore. After a decade in FY 2020-21, the disaster management budget has risen to double, which in absolute terms stands at a mere INR 1,499 crore.
There is a need to set up and maintain databases for damage and loss estimation as a result of disasters which can help in fostering political motivationfor improving current disaster managementrelated policies and actions. Lastly, there is a need for inclusion of innovative methodologies with a judicious mix of new technology with traditional practices.
The 2nd ARC suggests that Disaster/Crisis Management should continue to be the primary responsibility ofthe State Governments and the Union Government should play a supportive role. The Disaster Management Act should provide categorization of disasters (say, local, district, state or national level)for determining the level of authority primarily responsible for dealing withthe disaster as well as the scale of response and relief. NDMA should make provisions for stringent punishment for misutilization offunds meant for crisis/disaster management. The role of the local governmentsshould be brought to the forefront for crisis/disaster management.
India finds itself in a difficult position due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Disaster risks and its management are often overshadowed by the geopolitical tussles and domestic politics and this eventually translates into insufficient debate, research and fiscal appropriation. Not only do natural disasters cause loss to lives and critical infrastructure but also hinder the country’s socio-economic development. However, it is very important for India to mitigate and prepare for the disasters, respond suitably in the event of a hazard, and recover strongly after the occurrence of hazards. India’s ability, primarily through its armed forces, to provide humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HADR) to its immediate and extended neighbourhood has been a vital instrument of soft power for the country. Thus, India must carefully handle the challenges posed to disaster management in India and implement the multi-faceted suggestions for a better Disaster Management in India.
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