2nd ARC Report - Crisis Management

The 2nd ARC Report on Crisis Management addresses strategic recommendations for effective and efficient handling of crises to ensure resilience and swift response in governance.

Table of Contents

WHAT IS A CRISIS?

The word ‘crisis’ means a tricky or important time when a big change is about to happen. In public policy, an event becomes a crisis if it’s a threat to people’s lives, or their stuff, or if it messes up normal life a lot.
This tough situation can happen suddenly or be the result of a problem that wasn’t fixed early on. If a crisis isn’t managed well, it can turn into a disaster, causing unnecessary harm to people and their things.
Being ready and responding quickly can save lives, protect stuff, and make things less messed up. This needs everyone in the government and the community to work together. The response should include not only the usual ways of dealing with problems but also careful planning and working together.
After dealing with crises for a long time, India has learned that we urgently need a good plan that is professional, focused on results, creative, and thinks about people. In the past, we had plans for famines and droughts, but now there are more ways things can go wrong. So, it’s essential to understand how these problems happen and how our government can help people during tough times.

THE STORY OF HANDLING TOUGH TIMES

Bad things like natural disasters have been part of human history since forever. The rise and fall of civilizations like the Indus Valley and Babylon show this. Back in the old days, regular folks took the lead in dealing with tough times.
In the old way of dealing with disasters, the focus was on helping right away and fixing things immediately.
In recent times, things have changed a lot, and this has made dealing with problems more challenging. There are more people living close together in cities, and this makes it harder when something goes wrong, like a disease or a big event. The way we live, travel, and connect with others around the world has also made things more complicated.
In health, although we have made progress in fighting diseases, new viruses and bacteria that resist medicines have appeared. This makes the possibility of global health crises more real. Even though there are fewer wars, the weapons we have now and the way we live in cities can cause a lot of problems when there is a conflict. Terrorism is another big issue, and our reliance on technology makes us vulnerable to emergencies if something goes wrong with our communication systems or computers.
Changes like modernization, lots of information, people moving across countries, and countries depending on each other for trade have all made the impact of crisis situations bigger and cover larger areas.

TYPES OF CRISES

We can look at each crisis situation based on certain things like how early we can know about it, how ready the community is, how long it lasts, which areas are affected, what can be done to reduce the impact, and what kind of help is needed.

Crises can happen because of different reasons:

Natural events like cyclones, storms, floods, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and avalanches.
Environmental problems and disruptions in nature.
Accidents include industrial and nuclear accidents, fires, and biological problems like epidemics.
Hostile actions like war, terrorism, extremism, and insurgency.
Failures in important things like communication systems or large strikes.
Situations where a big crowd becomes uncontrollable.

NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTER

When we say “natural disaster,” it’s not entirely correct. What really happens is a “natural hazard” like a cyclone or an earthquake. A disaster occurs when a community is affected by that hazard.
In simple terms, the impact of the disaster depends on how vulnerable a community is to the hazard.
This vulnerability is not something that naturally happens.
It is caused by various human factors like economic, social, cultural, institutional, and political aspects, along with how things are organized.

Crisis Labeling:

Depending on how big, intense, and where a crisis happens, we give it a label like local, sub-district, district, city, or even larger. This labeling decides how we should respond to it.
The government has to step in when there’s a major disaster, providing money, materials, and people to help. For certain crises that impact the whole nation, a national-level response is needed.
Examples include terrorist incidents, like hijackings, attacks, or threats to use dangerous weapons, war-like situations, natural disasters, and more.

Three Phases of Crisis Management:

Phase 1 – Pre-Crisis (Preparedness and Risk Management): During this time, we assess potential risks and take steps to prevent and lessen the impact of a crisis. Long-term measures, like building structures to prevent floods or making areas resistant to drought, are taken. Short-term actions, such as enforcing building codes and educating the public about risks, are also done.
Phase 2 – During Crisis (Emergency Response): When a crisis happens, we need to respond quickly to help those affected. This involves activities like evacuating people, searching for and rescuing those in danger, and providing essential needs like food, clothing, shelter, and medicine to bring life back to normal for the affected community.
Phase 3 – Post-Emergency: (Recovery and Rehabilitation)
Recovery: This phase involves implementing measures to achieve early recovery and mitigate future risks. It encompasses two concurrent stages of rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Rehabilitation: This involves providing temporary public utilities and housing as interim measures to support long-term recovery.
Reconstruction: This phase entails the construction of damaged infrastructure and habitats, promoting sustainable livelihoods.

THE COMPONENTS OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT

An effective crisis management strategy should strive for:

Legal and Institutional Framework
Vulnerability Analysis and Risk Awareness
Planning
Community Resilience
Knowledge Dissemination
NVIDIA
GEFORCE GTX

THE NOTION OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION STRATEGY

Historically, the lack of coherent disaster reduction strategies and the absence of a ‘culture of prevention’ were identified as major contributors to the distressing crisis phenomenon. Disaster risk reduction is defined as the ‘systematic development and application of policies, strategies, and practices to minimize vulnerabilities, hazards, and the unfolding of disaster impacts throughout a society, within the broader context of sustainable development.’

Its key components include:

Legal and institutional framework
Vulnerability Analysis and Risk Awareness
Planning and the development of institutional capabilities
Knowledge Creation and Dissemination

The Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World

The Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World addresses:

Risk assessment
Disaster prevention and preparedness
Considering prevention and preparedness as integral aspects of development
Preventive measures
Early warnings and their effective dissemination
Application of proper design and patterns of development focused on target groups
Sharing necessary technology to prevent, reduce, and mitigate disasters
Strong political determination is required to make efficient use of existing resources

The Climate Change Report on Natural Disasters

The report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says that the number and size of natural disasters are increasing all around the world. Here are some examples:

The weather is changing, and it’s getting warmer (fewer cold days).
Heavy rain is happening more often.
Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe.
There are more days with high temperatures.
We can expect more floods and landslides because of intense and frequent heavy rains.

Facts about India’s Vulnerability

India is at risk because of its unique climate and geography. Disasters, like floods, cyclones, and droughts, happen often in India, causing a lot of damage.

About 85% of the country is at risk of facing one or more disasters.
57% of India is in high earthquake risk zones.
40 million hectares of land can flood, 8% is prone to cyclones, and 68% is vulnerable to drought.
Some areas are also at risk of industrial, chemical, and biological disasters.
A study by the World Bank found that natural disasters cost India 2.25% of its GDP and 12.15% of its revenue between 1996 and 2000.

Earthquake Mitigation Strategy in India

Since we can’t predict or prevent earthquakes, the best way to reduce the risk is to prepare before they happen. This includes:
Making buildings safer to withstand earthquakes.
Being ready with quick and effective rescue and relief efforts right after an earthquake.
Suggestions to Reduce Cyclone Impact in India
To reduce the impact of cyclones in India, we can.

Improve cyclone forecasts and warnings.

Quickly share warnings with government agencies and the public, especially those in marine areas like ports and fisheries.
Build cyclone shelters in vulnerable areas.
Have plans in place to evacuate people to safer areas.
Make sure communities are prepared to handle cyclone emergencies.
One effective way to save lives during cyclones is to provide cyclone shelters, especially in crowded coastal areas.
In situations where large-scale evacuations may not be possible, using public buildings as cyclone shelters is a viable option. These buildings can be designed with a plain front and minimal openings facing the prevailing winds. Positioning the shorter side of the building toward the storm reduces wind resistance, and the impact of the storm can be further lessened by implementing earth berms and green belts in front of these structures.

Mitigating Floods in India:

Develop a comprehensive flood control and management plan for each flood-prone basin.
Introduce flood-cushion in water storage projects where possible to enhance flood management.
Prioritize non-structural measures like flood forecasting, warning systems, floodplain zoning, and flood-proofing to minimize losses and reduce recurring flood relief expenses.
Enforce strict regulations on settlements and economic activities in flood-prone zones, coupled with flood-proofing measures.
Modernize and extend flood forecasting activities to uncovered areas, including implementing inflow forecasting for reservoir regulation.

Mitigating Landslides in India:

Implement micro-zonation to regulate settlements in hazard-prone areas.
Avoid interference with natural water channels, construct retaining walls against steep slopes, and strengthen weak areas with grouting.
Enhance coordination among various institutions conducting landslide studies in India.

Mitigating Nuclear Incidents in India:

Ensure nuclear facilities follow internationally accepted safety guidelines.
Have a crisis management system in place for handling nuclear hazards.
Develop response plans for off-site emergencies in addition to local emergency plans within the facility.

Effective Measures to Address the Locust Menace in India:

Historically, efforts to control Desert Locusts have mainly focused on curative actions. However, the trend in the twentieth century has shifted towards preventing the occurrence of such plagues. International cooperation plays a crucial role in an effective locust control strategy. This approach has proven successful as countries recognize the importance of working together against the Desert Locust. The challenge in the coming years is to develop strategies for Desert Locust management that ensure food security while minimizing adverse effects on the environment.

Key Aspects of Disaster Response Mechanism in India:

Throughout history, local communities in India have developed their own survival methods in the face of disasters. This wealth of knowledge is part of our country’s heritage. Modern crisis management methods began to be applied in the late 1870s, with the establishment of Famine Codes and Agriculture Departments following recommendations from the first Famine Commission.
In rural areas, the community is typically the first responder during a crisis or disaster.
The nearest police station and revenue functionaries (patwari/patel/talati/karnam, etc.) represent the field-level government response in rural areas.
Urban areas see responses from agencies like civic authorities, fire brigades, and local police stations.
Presently, panchayats lack the institutional capacity for effective response, and the district administration, led by the Collector, holds the primary responsibility for crisis management.

Need for Disaster Management to be included in the Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution:

According to the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution, managing disasters and emergencies, whether natural or man-made, should be added to the Concurrent List (List III) of the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution. This would ensure a more coordinated and comprehensive approach to disaster management across the country.
Due to the comprehensive and interconnected nature of disaster management activities, which require coordination at various levels—between the Union, State, and local governments, as well as among multiple government departments and agencies—an extensively uniform institutional framework is crucial. Establishing a legislative foundation for this framework must ensure consistency and coherence regarding the division of labor and responsibilities among agencies at different levels. Placing the subject of Disaster Management in the Concurrent List of the Constitution is seen as the most effective approach to achieve this.

The Need for a Separate Entry on Disaster Management in the Indian Constitution:

Historically, crisis management was primarily focused on combating natural calamities, particularly severe droughts leading to famines.
After Independence, drought relief efforts were carried out in areas affected by severe droughts. The onset of the green revolution in the late 1960s reduced the necessity for famine relief, and a comprehensive drought management program, the Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP), was initiated.
The Disaster Management Act of 2005 was enacted at the national level, and some states had already passed their own legislation on disaster management before this national act.
However, the Indian Constitution did not explicitly mention disaster management in any of its lists, requiring reliance on the Residuary Powers of the Union. While Parliament has the authority to legislate on this subject, the primary responsibility for managing disasters traditionally rests with the State Governments.

The Role of State Governments in Managing Disasters in India:

In India, the fundamental responsibility for undertaking rescue, relief, and rehabilitation measures during natural disasters lies with the State Governments. The crisis administration structure has historically focused on post-disaster relief and rehabilitation. Relief Commissioners, usually part of the Revenue Department, oversee these measures in states. The Relief Commissionerate is often associated with administering land ownership, land revenue, and tenurial conditions in rural areas. Relief Commissioners work under the Secretary of the Revenue Department, and in some states, the Revenue Secretary serves as the ex-officio Relief Commissioner, providing a direct linkage between disaster management and administrative responsibilities.
The chain of command for disaster management extends to the district Collectors and Tehsildars, who are primary functionaries at the district and sub-district levels, serving as the fundamental units of administration. However, the emphasis on crisis prevention, mitigation, and preparedness is often lacking in the existing supervisory framework. Each state maintains a Crisis Management Committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary, which assesses crisis situations regularly, coordinates departmental activities during crises, and offers decision support to the district administration.

Role of District Collector in Disaster Management in India:

The District Magistrate/Collector holds the overall responsibility for managing disasters within the district. They possess the authority to activate the response machinery and are empowered with financial capabilities under the General Financial Rules/Treasury Codes. All state government departments, including police, fire services, public works, and irrigation, collaborate under the Collector’s leadership during disasters, with metropolitan areas involving municipal bodies. The District Collector also holds the authority to seek assistance from the Armed Forces when necessary, and NGOs have proven effective in delivering relief, rescue, and rehabilitation in recent times.

Role of Union Government in Disaster Management:

The Union Government plays a crucial supportive role by providing physical and financial resources, along with complementary measures such as early warnings and coordinating efforts across Union ministries, departments, and organizations. At the highest level, the Cabinet Committee on Natural Calamities reviews crisis situations, and a High-Level Committee of Ministers, led by the Minister of Agriculture, addresses financial support issues from the National Calamity Contingency Fund. The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, regularly reviews and monitors crises, providing directions to the Crisis Management Group (CMG) as needed. The CMG, led by the Central Relief Commissioner in the Ministry of Home Affairs, includes nodal officers from various ministries. While the Ministry of Home Affairs has taken the lead in disaster management since 2001, specific disaster events like aviation accidents, rail incidents, chemical and biological disasters are handled by the concerned ministries due to their specialized nature.

Types of Disasters/Crises	Nodal Ministry
Natural and Man-made Disasters	Ministry of Home Affairs
Droughts	Ministry of Agriculture
Air Accidents	Ministry of Civil Aviation
Railway Accidents	Ministry of Railways
Chemical Disasters	Ministry of Environment
Biological Disasters	Ministry of Health
Nuclear Accidents	Department of Atomic Energy

The Armed Forces play a crucial role in supporting civil administration, particularly in emergency functions like communications, search and rescue, health and medical services, transportation, power, food and civil supplies, public works, and engineering immediately following major disasters.

The Need for a Disaster Management Bill in India:

Previously, there was no comprehensive law addressing disaster management in India, and existing laws and regulations were specific to certain types of disasters. In the wake of the Gujarat earthquake, ongoing reform initiatives were in their early stages when the 2004 tsunami struck countries around the Indian Ocean, affecting several states in India. This experience highlighted the need for further system reforms. In continuation of institutional reform, the Union Government decided to create comprehensive disaster management legislation, establishing a legal and institutional framework for crisis management at all levels in the country. The Disaster Management Bill was introduced in Parliament in May 2005 and ultimately enacted in December 2005. The Disaster Management Act covers all aspects of disaster management nationwide, concentrating extensive powers and functions at the national level to address disasters effectively. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) not only formulates policies, plans, and guidelines but also has executive functions to ensure a timely and effective response to disasters.

Steps to Strengthen the National Disaster Management Act:

The Disaster Management Act, 2005, a Central Act, requires amendments to introduce the following features:

Disaster/Crisis Management should remain the primary responsibility of State Governments, with the Union Government playing a supportive role.
The Act should include a categorization of disasters (e.g., local, district, state, or national level) along with intensity assessments for each type of disaster.
In the context of response and relief during disasters, the NDMA may stipulate detailed guidelines for district-level functions. T

The functions of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) should be:

Recommending policies, laying down guidelines for various disaster management plans and standard operating procedures, and conducting vulnerability studies, research, and evaluations. The NDMA should determine parameters for categorizing and declaring national and state-level disasters, develop expertise in crisis/disaster management, organize training programs, coordinate early warning systems, deploy specialized resources in support of local/state governments, advise on the use of Disaster Management Funds, and make recommendations on all matters related to crisis/disaster management to the government. The implementation of mitigation/prevention and response measures may be entrusted to State Governments, district, and local authorities, with line ministries/departments of the Government of India playing a supportive role.
The proposed law should impose a duty on every public functionary to promptly inform the relevant authority about any crisis if they believe that such information is not available to that authority. It should establish a uniform structure at the apex level for handling all crises, with the Prime Minister and Chief Minister heading the national and state-level structures, respectively. The Cabinet Secretary and Chief Secretary should lead the administrative levels. The law should include provisions for stringent punishment for misusing funds earmarked for crisis/disaster management.

To enhance the role of local governments in crisis disaster management, some suggestions include:

Eliminating the need for a separate ministry/department of disaster management at the national or state level.
Continuation of the National Crisis Management Committee as the apex coordination body.
Maintaining the existing coordination mechanism under the Chief Secretary at the state level.
Retaining the role of the Armed Forces, especially the Army, in aiding disaster victims despite the establishment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
Designating the Mayor, assisted by the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation and the Police Commissioner, as directly responsible for Crisis Management in larger cities with populations exceeding 2.5 million.
Two major types of disasters, namely floods and droughts, are predominantly water-related. The adoption of both short and long-term measures faces challenges unless broader issues, such as the National Water Budget and a policy framework addressing the mismatch between supply and demand, are properly tackled. A significant obstacle to progress in this direction is the ‘segmented policy attention’ from various ministries/departments. Different aspects like water supply (urban and rural), soil conservation, watershed development, environment, and water quality are handled by different ministries/departments, with policies and programs of one impacting the other. Due to the diverse uses of water, bringing the entire subject under one ministry is not feasible.

‘Disaster Management’ should be introduced as a subject in Management and Public Administration, with the University Grants Commission exploring the implementation in selected universities.
Exploring bilateral agreements with foreign governments and international institutions dealing with various aspects of disaster management for the exchange of experiences and learning from documentation and research efforts is recommended.

Core Components of a National Policy on Disaster Management:

Professionalize disaster management.
Place risk management at the center stage in all disaster mitigation plans.
Base all efforts on hazard and vulnerability analysis.
Raise awareness among communities and local governments about hazards and vulnerabilities.
Involve communities and local governments in formulating disaster management plans.
Assign the primary responsibility to the State Government, with the Union Government playing a supportive role.
Ensure effective implementation of land use laws, building bylaws, safety laws, and environmental laws.
Make hazard and vulnerability analyses an essential component of all mitigation plans.
Prioritize seismic micro-zonation of vulnerable major cities, hazard-prone areas, and urban agglomerations, with a focus on cities with populations exceeding one million.
Utilize Geographical Information System tools to integrate spatial and non-spatial data on a common platform.
Bring scientific, technological, and research organizations such as NRSA, ISRO, NIC, GSI, and NIDM onto a common platform under NDMA for developing a robust information base.

Conducting an analysis of vulnerability is crucial to prioritize areas based on their level of vulnerability. It should also emphasize the vulnerability of different sections of society and infrastructure.
To raise awareness, social marketing tools and media should be utilized, as they are powerful tools for sensitizing people about all aspects of disasters. It is important to document details of past accidents and disasters along with the lessons learned, keeping this information in the public domain.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RELIEF IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT

The emergency response phase involves two main activities: rescue and relief. The immediate response to any disaster should start with rescue operations, aiming to save human lives and property. Rescue operations have a short window of opportunity, usually ranging from a few hours to a few days.

Mobilizing local efforts, volunteers, civil defense personnel, police, fire forces, and armed forces is crucial depending on the disaster’s intensity. Simultaneously with rescue operations, relief efforts begin, ensuring immediate arrangements for basic necessities like food, clothing, shelter, security, and basic health and sanitation facilities. The relief phase may last for a few weeks until affected families are properly rehabilitated, and NGOs can play a crucial role during this phase.

To make relief efforts effective:

Coordination is essential at the district and sub-district levels for rescue and relief operations, ensuring the Collector is in total command.
Assessing demands promptly and communicating them to all concerned, including through the media, ensures relief provisions meet requirements.
Priority should be given to ensuring safe drinking water and sanitized living conditions.
Procurement and distribution of relief materials should be transparent.
Establishing monitoring and vigilance committees involving stakeholders is important.
Trauma care and counseling should be integral parts of the relief operation.

ROLE OF CIVIL DEFENSE IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Civil defense involves performing humanitarian tasks to protect the civilian population against dangers, help recover from hostilities or disasters, and ensure survival:

Alert:
Evacuation;
Shelter Management;
Blackout Measures Management;
Rescue Operations;
Medical Services, including First Aid and Religious Assistance;
Firefighting;
Identification and Marking of Hazardous Areas;
Decontamination and Similar Protective Measures;
Provision of Emergency Shelter and Supplies;
Emergency Assistance for Restoring and Maintaining Order in Affected Areas;
Emergency Repair of Essential Public Utilities;
Emergency Disposal of Deceased Individuals;
Assistance in Preserving Essential Survival Items;
Additional Activities required for the mentioned tasks, including planning and organization.

To Enhance the Effectiveness of Civil Defence:

Amend the Civil Defence Act to cover all types of disasters.
Establish Civil Defence units in vulnerable districts, addressing both hostile attacks and natural calamities.
Promote community participation primarily through Civil Defence, especially in urban areas, with the goal of including 1% of the population within five years.
Recruit paramedics as Civil Defence volunteers.
Increase budgetary allocations for Central Financial Assistance for Civil Defence.
Allow Civil Defence setups to accept donations.
Bring the state-level Civil Defence setup under the control of the Crisis/Disaster Management system.

THE ROLE OF POLICE, HOME GUARDS, AND ARMED FORCES IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Police play a crucial role as first responders in any crisis, acting from the nearest police station or outpost. Their immediate responsibilities include communication of information and initiating rescue and relief efforts with available resources.
Home Guards serve as auxiliaries to the police, aiding in maintaining internal security, assisting the community during emergencies (e.g., air raids, fires, cyclones, earthquakes, epidemics), and contributing to the upkeep of essential services.
To foster unity among communities and assist the administration in protecting vulnerable sections, individuals should engage in socio-economic and welfare activities and perform civil defense duties.

To enhance the effectiveness of the police, fire services, armed forces, and civil defense, certain measures need to be taken:

Policemen, Firefighters, and Home Guards must undergo adequate training specific to handle crises and disasters in their respective areas. Their active involvement in preparing the local Crisis/Disaster Management Plan is crucial.
The minimum qualification for entry to Home Guards should be reconsidered, requiring at least a 10th-grade pass due to the increased responsibility and complexity of tasks. Some Home Guards should also receive paramedical training.
Fire Services should be more appropriately renamed Fire and Rescue Services, with an enhanced role to respond to various crises. Only individuals with expertise in crisis/disaster management should be appointed to top management positions. Fire and Rescue Services should be brought under the control of the State Crisis/Disaster Management setup under the Disaster Management Law.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) may be requested to suggest model provisions for these services for inclusion in the Disaster Management Act/s.
Armed forces have consistently played a crucial role in rescue and relief operations during major disasters. While the constitution of specialized National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) battalions can reduce pressure, the armed forces, with their widespread presence, highly trained personnel, and quick response capabilities, will continue to play a vital role in major crises. Territorial Army units and ex-servicemen throughout the country should also be incorporated into planning and operations, creating a voluntary disaster task force at the local level.

The Role of Recovery in Disaster Management according to the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR):

Recovery is defined as the decisions and actions taken after a disaster to restore or enhance pre-disaster living conditions while encouraging necessary adjustments to reduce disaster risk.
Recovery as an Opportunity: Disaster recovery can become a development opportunity by not merely restoring the pre-disaster status quo but putting people on a path to sustainable development. In the transition phase, efforts should aim to avoid a ‘circularity of risk,’ where valuable international assistance builds houses that get washed away in floods, unrepaired dams worsen drought conditions, and procedural delays in receiving rehabilitation packages leave the poor more vulnerable to the next disaster.

ENVISIONING COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN RECOVERY AND RELIEF ASSISTANCE

In Latur, numerous individuals endured a five-year wait for the Government to build their houses. Houses constructed by contractors not only disempower residents but may gradually revert to non-seismic structures. Conversely, when people receive technical guidance on seismic safety features, self-built houses enable them to internalize knowledge and encourage experimentation through various approaches and technological combinations. Community involvement in design accommodates specific agricultural needs like grain storage, cattle-rearing, and milk processing.

Steps to Implement:

Conduct damage assessment through multi-disciplinary teams.
Coordinate the efforts of NGOs and other groups with government activities.
Develop a recovery strategy in consultation with affected people, agencies, and organizations.
Establish minimum relief standards addressing food, health, water, sanitation, and shelter requirements.
Prioritize the special needs of vulnerable populations, including children, women, the elderly, and the physically challenged.
Entrust village panchayats/local bodies with the implementation of rehabilitation efforts.
Enforce land use plans ensuring the safety of inhabitants during reconstruction.
Mandate that all new civil constructions adhere to prescribed disaster-resistant standards.
Establish a mechanism for grievance redressal at local and district levels.
For major disasters, NIDM should conduct a detailed evaluation through an independent professional agency.

ROLE OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN DISASTERS

Gender disparities persist in our society, limiting women’s involvement in decision-making, particularly beyond the household. With lower literacy rates and limited mobility, women often depend on men for most matters. Hence, in disaster preparedness plans and relief operations, addressing the specific needs and concerns of women, including their psychological and physical well-being, is essential. Similar considerations apply to other vulnerable sections such as children, the elderly, and the physically challenged.

Recommendations:

The vulnerability analysis should specifically highlight the vulnerabilities of women, and these should be addressed in any mitigation effort.
Disaster mitigation plans should be collaboratively prepared with women’s groups. Similar steps should be taken for other vulnerable groups, and rescue and relief operations should prioritize the most vulnerable.
Special attention needs to be given to the physical and mental well-being of women through healthcare and counseling.
In the recovery phase, efforts should focus on making women economically independent by providing income-earning opportunities, training in new skills, forming self-help groups, and offering microfinance and marketing facilities. New assets created should be titled in both the husband and wife’s names.
Camp managing committees should include an adequate number of women representatives. Trauma counseling and psychological care should be provided to widowed women and other individuals in distress, and integrated into the disaster management plan.
Long-term arrangements should be made for orphaned children, and NGOs should be encouraged to play a significant role in their rehabilitation.

THE PRINCIPLES OF DROUGHTS:

Onset is slow, providing adequate warning.
Affects livelihoods over a large area.
The duration of the disaster is much longer, requiring sustained relief efforts.
Primarily a rural phenomenon, although severe droughts may impact urban water supply.
Drought management efforts can potentially reduce vulnerability by improving moisture conservation and vegetation cover, making them more manageable compared to other natural disasters.

DROUGHT-PRONE AREA DEVELOPMENT (DPAP):

Drought-prone areas should be made less vulnerable to associated problems through soil-moisture conservation measures, water harvesting practices, minimizing evaporation losses, and developing groundwater potential. Encouraging less water-demanding practices like pastures, forestry, or other modes of development is essential. In planning water resource development projects, independent consideration of drought management is necessary.
Priority should be given to addressing the needs of drought-prone areas. Relief efforts aimed at providing employment for populations affected by drought should prioritize activities that contribute to drought-proofing.

Reconsidering Long-Term Interventions for Droughts:

Establishing a National Institute of Drought Management is proposed to facilitate multidisciplinary research, and cross-sectoral collaboration, and serve as a resource center for drought-related studies. It is essential to ensure that the institute’s mandate does not duplicate the efforts of the National Institute of Livelihood Management

Extremely Drought-Prone Areas.

Developing a strategy for aligning livelihoods with local ecosystems is crucial. Concrete steps include:

The Ministry of Environment and Forests should promptly form a multidisciplinary team to identify villages where ‘conventional agriculture’ is unsustainable due to soil and climatic conditions.
Collaboration with communities in these areas is necessary to devise alternative livelihoods.

Epidemics and Essential Services:

Epidemics can become crises in geographically widespread outbreaks with highly virulent strains. However, the existing public health system, relying on surveillance and safeguards, aims to prevent epidemics from reaching crisis proportions. Mortality figures suggest a declining trend, attributed to advances in medical sciences and more effective therapeutic agents.

Control of epidemics involves various legislative aspects, as indicated in the Constitution of India:

List-I: Entry 28 “quarantine” and entry 81 “inter-State quarantine”
List-II: Entry 6 “Public health and sanitation”
List-III: Entry 29 “prevention of the extension from one State to another of infectious or contagious diseases”

Mitigation Recommendations:

To enhance epidemic prevention and control, it is crucial to promptly finalize comprehensive revised ‘model’ legislation on public health.
Ensure the systematic enactment of the Union’s Public Health Emergencies governing framework by the states, incorporating necessary adaptations for local requirements, and prioritize its final consideration in light of state feedback. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare should oversee the development of plans outlined in the Disaster Management Act, of of 2005, specifically addressing epidemics and explicitly incorporating the district administration’s role in the Public Health Emergency Bill.
Leverage the existing structure established by the Disaster Management Act, 2005, for effective epidemic management. While the surveillance and management of epidemics fall under the purview of public health professionals, severe outbreaks may surpass the capabilities of line organizations. To address this, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and State Governments should establish ‘standard operating procedures’ to delineate roles and responsibilities for agencies and personnel outside line organizations when necessary.
Include a chapter on “epidemics-related emergencies” in state-level handbooks and manuals on Disaster Management. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare can provide a model chapter for guidance, and documenting past epidemic responses, such as the Plague in Surat and Japanese encephalitis in Eastern UP, can aid in standardizing response mechanisms.

Practice Questions

What is Crisis and how does a crisis arise?
What is the history of Crisis Management? How has the emergence of the welfare state increased the magnitude of the crisis?
What are the different types of crisis?
Is there a distinction between a natural hazard and a natural disaster?
How do we label a crisis? What is the role of the Union Government in this regard? Discuss the three phases of the ‘Life Cycle of Crisis Management’?
What are the elements of Crisis Management?
Why is there a current shift of focus on disaster risk reduction strategy? What is the concept of disaster risk reduction strategy?
What are the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World?
What are the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on the frequency and magnitude of natural disasters?
What are some facts on India’s vulnerability profile?
What is the mitigation strategy for earthquakes in India?
What are effective suggestions for mitigating cyclones in India?
What are effective suggestions for mitigating floods in India?
What are effective suggestions for mitigating landslides in India?
What are effective suggestions for mitigating nuclear incidents in India?
Explain the broad contours of disaster response mechanisms in India?
Why should Disaster Management be added in the Concurrent List of the Indian
Constitution?
Do you think that there is a need for a separate entry on Disaster Management in the Indian Constitution?
What is the role of State Governments in managing disasters in India?
What is the role of the District Collector in managing disasters in India?
What is the role of the Union Government in disaster management?
What necessitated the need for a Disaster Management Bill in India?
How can the National Disaster Management Act be strengthened? Give suitable recommendations.
Provide suggestions to strengthen the institutional architecture for Crisis Management in India.
What should be the core components of a National Policy on Disaster Management?
What is the importance of relief in Disaster Management? How can relief management be made effective?
What is the role of civil defense in Disaster Management and how can the civil defense be made more effective in disaster response?
What is the role of police, home guards and armed forces in crisis management and how can the police, home guards, and armed forces be made more effective in crisis response?
What is the role of recovery in Disaster Management as per the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction?
Does the involvement of the community in recovery and relief help? Give an example to illustrate your answer and also discuss measures to improve the recovery and relief efforts in crisis management.
It has been observed that women and children are most adversely affected in disasters and they suffer the most. What is the basic reason for this situation? How can the situation be improved?
The principles of disaster risk reduction applicable to droughts are same but unlike floods, earthquakes, and cyclones, droughts have certain distinct features. Which are such features and what are the strategies used to mitigate drought?
How do epidemics disrupt essential services? How can that be mitigated?

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