Special National Training Programme: DRR Strategies for Sustainable Development

Disasters (natural, anthropogenic, technological or socio-civil) since long have been considered tragic interruptions to the development process. When development plans are laid and a disaster strikes, development funds are diverted to meet emergency situations. Additional aid is directed to relief and reconstruction needs to get the country “back on track” toward economic and social development.

Disaster losses include not only the shocking direct impacts that we see in the news, such as the loss of life, housing, and infrastructure, but also indirect impacts such as the foregone production of goods and services caused by interruptions in utility services, transport, labor supplies, suppliers, or markets.

In recent years, the linkages between environment, disasters and development are being re-emphasized due to their significance in public governance and sustainability management. This evolution would seem inevitable when one considers the disproportionately high costs that developing countries pay for disasters. Recent major hydro-meteorological disasters like Leh floods, Uttarakhand flash flood 2013, Pune Landslide 2014, and the implications of Cyclones Aila, Laila, Phailin, call for greater understanding of these relationships. Behavioural, environmental and socio-economic aspects in earthquake safety management and disaster risk reduction are now considered critical to public safety, besides fire risk reduction owing to recent loss incidences. Occurrences of urban flood have become annual feature. Climate change is known to aggravate such hazards and vulnerability of communities. Industrial-chemical and other technological disasters (like aviation, rail, etc.) and socio-civil risks including stampede, etc. add complexity to the risks, as is evident from recent mishaps like Jaipur fire, Vishakhapatnam explosion, Bhilai accident, GAIL pipeline explosion, etc.

Following UN-International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR 1991-99), there has been a paradigm shift in disaster management from ‘response and relief centric’ to ‘prevention-mitigation and preparedness centric’ approach. With growing awareness on climate change and environmental implications, and emphasis on the underlying factors of vulnerability, a 2nd Paradigm Shift towards ‘’integrated local planning and adaptation centric’ approach has emerged globally. Country’s commitment to mainstream disaster risk reduction into the process of development at all levels for sustainable development, as stated in Hyogo Framework of Action 2008-15: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters, is yet to be carried forward across sectors for actionable programmes for achieving the desired results. Looking at these facts, the specially designed training programme for Senior officials of Central/State Governments will focus on the following aspects:

• Understanding disaster risk and vulnerability in ‘underlying causes’ backdrop and recognizing the need to address these within sectoral and community programmes.
• Environmental changes: climate change, land-use and natural resource degradation – their implications on hazards and on the vulnerability of land and people, and Role of adaptation and ecosystem services.
• Social-vulnerability and special needs context in DRR – addressing livelihoods, social cohesion, health and special people’s needs – Gender, aged, children, disabled, etc.
• Early warning and preparedness, effective coordination – local self reliance and capacities to deal with emergencies, drills and community preparedness.
• Improving planning at different levels – district, state and local developmental plans, financial issues, DM planning, and integrating science & technology, local/traditional knowledge.
• Mainstreaming DRR into sectors, for example, housing, health, environment/natural resources – agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fisheries, livestock, land resources, industry, power, water resources, education, transport, infrastructure, etc.