India: From super cyclone to cyclone Phailin: Towards Odisha's greater investment in disaster risk reduction

Writing about the aftermath of the devastating cyclone Phailin on the pages of Orissa Diary, Jyotiraj Patra states: "As the vulnerable state of Odisha embarks on a path of recovery and rehabilitation it is essential to discuss and understand some of the key elements that would help the state make informed decisions on investments, make necessary changes in the policies and promote disaster risk reduction measures as an integral and essential component of development planning."

The author is a disaster risk reduction practitioner and managed the Cyclone Phailin Emergency Response Programme in some of the worst affected regions of Ganjam district in coastal Odisha.