1. Disaster management in India
Naman Mittal

2. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 2
Why?
 Climate change is likely to be perceived
through experience of extreme weather
events
 Therefore, response to climate change will
perhaps happen through adaptation to
climate hazards
 Important to characterize the institutional
mechanisms and structures in place for
responding to natural (and climate-
related) disasters

3. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 3
Mortality due to natural hazards
1990 - 2000

4. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 4
Average annual impacts from
natural hazards
 Mortality: 3600
 Crop area: 1.42 million hectares
 Property (houses): 2.36 million dwellings

5. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 5
Exposure to natural hazards
 40 million hectares flood prone (5% of area)
 54% area exposed to seismic activity
 East coast of India and Gujarat (West coast)
exposed to cyclone risk
 A preliminary assessment of exposure to major
hazard categories has been done in 1996-1998
(as a part of IDNDR) by the Building Materials
Technology Promotion Council of the Ministry of
Urban Development. Check:
http://www.bmtpc.org/disaster.htm
 Trying to put this information in a GIS format

6. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 6

7. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 7

8. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 8
Disaster management
 Climate hazards within overall context of disaster
management
 Statutory responsibility of state governments
 Central government provides logistic and
financial support
 Elaborate response mechanism at national level
 State level responses vary
 National coordinating body: National Disaster
Management Cell (NDMC), Department of
Agriculture and Co-operation, Ministry of
Agriculture (http://www.ndmindia.nic.in/)

9. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 9
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA : NODAL MINISTRIES /
DEPARTMENT FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT
DISASTERS NODAL MINISTRIES
Natural Disasters Agriculture
Air Accidents Civil Aviation
Civil Strife Home Affairs
Railway Accidents Railways
Chemical Disasters Environment
Biological Disasters Health & family Welfare
Nuclear Accident Atomic Energy

10. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 10
National response mechanism

11. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 11
MANAGEMENT MECHANISM
* Integrated Administrative Machinery
* National Contingency Action Plan -
identify initiatives by various agencies
* Department of Agriculture &
Cooperation - the Nodal Department
* Central Relief Commissioner - Chief
Nodal Officer at National level
* State/District Contingency Plans and
Relief Manuals

12. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 12
Natural Disaster Response-
Government of India
 National Crisis Management
Committee(NCMC) under Cabinet
Secretary
 Crisis Management Group(CMG)
under Central Relief Commissioner
 Group of Ministers, Group of
Secretaries and High Level
Committees-Need base

13. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 13
GOI Departments for Disaster
Response
 Armed Forces-Ministry of
Defence
 Central Para Military Forces-
Ministry of Home Affairs
 International Response- Ministry
of External Affairs

14. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 14
GOI Departments for Disaster
Response
 Ministries/Departments:
Rural Development, Drinking Water Supply
Power, Telecom , Health, Urban
Development
Food & Public Distribution, Shipping
Surface Transport, Railways, Civil Aviation
Women & Child Development
Water Resources, Animal Husbandry
India Meteorological Department(IMD)

15. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 15
DISASTER MANAGEMENT POLICY-
SALIENT FEATURES
* Recognition of linkages between natural
disasters and development
* Connecting of specific programmes like
DPAP, DDP, NWDPRA and Wasteland
Development Programme for managing
natural disasters
* Emphasis on forecasting and warning using
advanced technology

16. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 16
CENTRAL SECTOR SCHEME FOR DISASTER
MANAGEMENT - SALIENT FEATURES
* Human resource Development
* Setting up of National Centre for Disaster
Management (NCDM)
* Setting up of Disaster Management Faculties
in States
* Programmes for Community Participation
and Public Awareness
* Observing National Disaster Reduction Day
* Activities to achieve the goals and objectives
of IDNDR/ISDR

17. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 17
External Assistance -Policy
 No formal appeal for external
assistance made for relief
 External assistance,if offered as
solidarity accepted with gratitude
 Gujarat earthquake- international
response overwhelming
 Bi-lateral agreements suggested by
some countries for emergency
response

18. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 18
DISASTER RESPONSE ARRANGEMENTS IN
THE STATES
 STATE CABINET
 STATES CRISIS MANAGEMENT
GROUP: HEADED BY CHIEF
SECRETARY.
 INSTITUTION OF RELIEF
COMMISSIONERS IN STATES
 STATES/DISTRICTS CONTINGENCY
PLAN S / RELIEF CODES.

19. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 19
Example: AP cyclone hazard
mitigation project outcomes
 Hazard mitigation studies (international
consultants)
 IMD early warning capacity through Doppler
radar
 Infrastructure creation and restoration
 Floods – drains & embankments
 Road restoration
 Storm shelters
 Electricity transmission and distribution
 What about system / process capabilities?

20. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 20
Observations
 Recognition of linkage between natural hazards
and development
 Connecting developmental programs (DPAP,
NWDB) to disaster management
 Forecasting and warning (technology use)
 Contingency planning
 Foodgrain availability
 Preparedness
 Adaptive capacity by creating a management
system
 However, focus still on relief; recovery and
adaptive capacity not thought through

21. Anand Patwardhan, IIT-Bombay 21
Underlying questions
 How can we evaluate the portfolio of
disaster management projects to:
 Assess implications of climate change for
project benefits?
 Assess implications of project for reducing
vulnerability to climate change?
 Related question:
 How can we incrementally adjust project
design or implementation to enhance climate
change related benefits?