Transforming Disasters into Opportunities

Experiences from IndiaExperiences from India

P.G.Dhar ChakrabartiExecutive Director

National Institute of Disaster Management Geneva

22nd November 2005

Disasters and Indian ethos

• Silent disasters like drought, starvation, epidemics , infant mortality and maternal mortality take even heavier toll of life

• Disasters integral part of living in India

• High profile disasters like earthquake, cyclone, flood, landslide, avalanche take heavy toll of life

• Communities have learnt to cope with disasters, but more often they are resigned to their fate

• Same attitude of fatalism seem to have pervaded State policy or lack of it till nineties

Turning point: 4 major disasters between 1993-2004

• Indian Ocean Tsunami 2004: 12405 people dead, 3.5 million houses damaged, 18 million people affected

• Latur Earthquake 1993: 9475 dead, 1 million houses damaged, 8 million people affected

• Orissa Super Cyclone 1999: 10086 dead, 2 million houses damaged, 15 million affected

• Gujrat Earthquake 2001: 13805 dead, 1.8 million houses damaged, 12 million people affected

How disasters changed policies and practices

LATUR’93

• Earthquake resistant construction technology developed for non- engineered constructions with community participation

• Multi-hazard zoning map of the entire country prepared

• Disaster management plans prepared for all the districts of Maharastra

ORISSA’99

• Early warning system for cyclone developed

• Network of cyclone shelters constructed

• Livelihood restoration integrated in poverty alleviation program

• High Powered Committee on disaster management set up,

• Emergency evacuation plans for communities in coastal areas

GUJRAT’01

• National Committee on disaster under Prime Minister

• New building standards in seismic zones

• Community based DRM program in 17 States

• DRR shifted from Agriculture to Home Ministry

• 8 battalion strong National Disaster Response Force sanctioned

• Disaster management introduced in curriculum of school education, engineering, architecture, medicine

• National Institute of Disaster Management set up

TSUNAMI’04

• Disaster Management Bill 2005 introduced in Parliament prescribing legal-institutional

framework of disaster management

• National Disaster Management Authority set up

• Tsunami Early Warning system approved for 50 million USD

• Emergency Operation Centre in National, State and District Headquarters

• Nation wide Disaster Communication Plan

• National Policy on Disaster Reduction

Test of new initiatives:

STRONG POINTS

• Quick response of rescue and evacuation team, restricting casualties to 1150

• Relief materials mobilized and distributed with speed and efficiency

• Immediate financial support announced

• Plan for intermediary and final shelter finalized in less than two weeks

• Entire operation conducted without donor assistance

Kashmir earthquake 2005

WEAKNESS

• Disaster could not be prevented despite warnings

• If the epicentre of the quake was a city likeBaramulla or Srinagar the losses of life

and property could be colossal

• Civilian response was very slow

• If the army had not responded quickly the casualties could be more

• Community involvement in response and reconstruction program was minimal

• State sponsored rescue and recovery operation may be difficult to be replicated elsewhere

Unfinished agenda….

• India is finally putting up a legal and institutional system for disaster management in the country

• But preventive and mitigation aspects continue to be weak

• Community involvement and participation is rudimentary

• EWS continues to be weak as Mumbai flood demonstrates

• Hazard resistant building bye laws notified, but standard of implementation is dismal everywhere

• Strengthening of lifeline building a huge unattended task

• Many metropolitan and mega cities are live hotspots