‘India Disasters Report II: Redefining disasters’ being launched in
New Delhi today.
“India faces the
omnipresent reality of disaster vulnerability due to natural causes and human
interventions,
including developmental initiatives” observes India Disasters Report II-
Redefining Disasters (IDR II).
IDR II, an Oxford
University Press (OUP) publication, being launched in New Delhi today, comes in
the context of people in Uttarakhand recovering from the recent floods. The
report cautions that some of the current development practices “tend to put at risk the
safety of local communities, the sustainability of their habitat, and their
livelihoods, and at times even cause displacement”.
“Addressing disaster
vulnerabilities caused by human factors is the best bet to reduce disaster risks and human
suffering,”
said the editors, while addressing a press conference in New Delhi today. Dr.
Prannoy Roy, eminent media personality and Founder and Executive Chairperson,
NDTV, is launching the report today at a function at Nehru Memorial Library, Tin Murti, New
Delhi. To mark the event, TISS
and OUP are organising a panel discussion of eminent academics, UN and government representatives
and the editors of IDR II.
IDR II takes a fresh
look at disasters from different vantage points. It is written by academics, humanitarian
workers, scientists, engineers, journalists and analysts. It is edited by Prof. S. Parasuraman,
Director of
Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, and Dr. Unni Krishnan, Head of Disaster
Response, Plan International, London.
“A holistic view and long-term efforts are
necessary to address disasters” said Prof. Parasuraman. “Capacity building at the
community level and investments that will strike at the roots of poverty are
paramount”, he said. The report calls to include disaster risk reduction and
preparedness work at the community level as ingredients of large government
initiatives such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
“In the context of
recurring disasters in India, pre-disaster, disaster and post-disaster
situations are inseparable” said Dr Krishnan. “We may not be able to stop an
earthquake. But we can very well reduce their impacts and minimise deaths and
sufferings”. The report calls to strengthen disaster preparedness measures and
strictly implement building safety codes. “We need to build a culture of ‘zero
tolerance’ towards safety and disaster management issues” he said.
The report makes the
case that disasters are not just sudden interruptions of normal life, but
cumulative outcomes of complex processes, sometimes accentuated by dramatic
events and even policies- thus calling for multi disciplinary approaches to
minimize risks and reduce human sufferings.
This report is a sequel
to India Disaster Report: Towards a policy initiative. Published in 2000 by the
Oxford University Press, that report worked as a catalyst to generate an
informed debate about disaster management and galvanised public opinion to
demand a disaster management policy for India. Indian government passed the Disaster Management
Act in 2005.
India Disasters
Report II: Redefining Disasters:
·
emphasizes the importance of understanding the concept of
natural, technological, and human-made disasters in shaping policy, practice,
and research
·
addresses diverse issues like vulnerability, development,
environment, gender, health, information, communication, and technology in
disasters;
·
explores disasters in India, and policies and administrative
set-ups for disaster management; and
·
discusses disasters as an outcome of processes rather than
stand-alone events.
Adopting a
multidisciplinary approach, this report asserts the need to link natural
systems, social systems, and technological limitations to devise policies and
action plans for disaster prevention, relief operations, and environmentally
inclusive development.
Key messages from the
report:
• When we
discuss disasters, ‘nature’, human factors, social systems, policies, politics
and poverty are inseparable.
• It is
necessary to have constant and long term engagement: In pre disaster, disaster
and post disaster
settings.
• Focus
on ‘vulnerable groups’ such as children, women, differently abled, aged people,
and migrants.
• Remove
poverty: Disaster risk reduction needs to be included as part of the National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme.
• Make
schools, hospitals and homes safer: Implement building codes and fire safety
norms.
• Engage
children and youth: Make disaster management as part of school and college lessons.
• Strengthen
first responders through community drills and skills training.
• Build
better awareness, early warning and undertake preventive measures. Learn from
good examples from Cuba and Bangladesh.
• Develop
and implement better laws against discrimination and rights violation in
disaster settings.
• Media
need to play a pro-active role. Social media, information and communication
technology can inform, educate and empower.
On behalf of TISS and Editors, India Disasters Report II- Redefining
Disasters
Sudarshan Rodriguez
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