INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ON NATURAL DISASTER

REDUCTION

Dr. P.SURESHKUMAR, M.Sc., M.Phil., M.B.A., Ph.D.,

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CAS IN MARINE BIOLIOGY
FACULTY OF MARINE SCIENCES
ANNAMALAI UNIVERSITY
PARANGIPETTAI -608502

The word ‘Disaster’ derived from Middle French “désastre” and that from Old Italian “disastro”,

which in turn comes from the Greek pejorative prefix δυσ-, (dus-) “bad”+ αστήρ (aster), “star”.

The root of the word disaster2 (“bad star” in Greek and Latin) comes from an astrological theme

in which the ancients used to refer to the destruction or deconstruction of a star as a disaster.

Disaster is an event or series of events, which gives rise to casualties and damage or loss of

properties, infrastructures, environment, essential services or means of livelihood on such a scale

which is beyond the normal capacity of the affected community to cope with. Disaster is also

sometimes described as a “catastrophic situation in which the normal pattern of life or eco-

system has been disrupted and extra-ordinary emergency interventions are required to save and

preserve lives and or the environment”

The Disaster risk reduction (DRR)

The Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a systematic approach to identify, assess and to reduce the

risk of disasters. The DRR aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities associated with

disasters or environmental hazards. DRR strongly influenced by the mass of research on a

vulnerability that has appeared in print since the mid-1970s. DRR is the responsibility of

development and relief agencies alike. DRR is an integral part of the way such organizations do

their work, not an add-on or one-off action. DRR is very wide-ranging: Its scope is much broader
and deeper than conventional emergency management. There is potential for DRR initiatives in

just about every sector of development and humanitarian work.

International organizations

International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) is a global network of more

than 80 countries and disaster response organizations under the United Nations umbrella,

established during 1991.  INSARAG deals with urban search and rescue (USAR) related issues.

INSARAG aims at establishing standards for international USAR teams and methodology for

international coordination in earthquake response. Members of INSARAG are both earthquake-

prone and responding countries and organisations.

Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction (GFDRR)

GFDRR was set up in September 2006 jointly by the World Bank, donor partners (21 countries

and four international organisations), and key stakeholders of the International Strategy for

Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR). It is a long-term global partnership under the ISDR system

established to develop and implement the HFA through a coordinated programme for reversing

the trend in disaster losses by 2015. Its mission is to mainstream disaster reduction and climate

change adaptation in a country’s development strategies to reduce vulnerability to natural

hazards. At the national and local levels, it also includes other sectoral development strategies

that the countries most vulnerable to natural disasters may undertake to alleviate poverty and

address sustainable growth.

ASEAN Region Forum (ARF)

The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was established in 1994. The ARF membership including

India, which joined in 1996 is 25 countries. The first ARF meeting in 1994 brought together

Foreign Ministers from Australia, Brunei, Canada, China, European Union (Presidency),
Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, PNG, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia,

Singapore, Thailand, USA and Vietnam. The current Chairman of ARF is H. E. Pham Gia

Khiem, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ministry Govt. of, Vietnam.

Asian Disaster Reduction Centre (ADRC)

A resolution was adopted at the United Nations General Assembly in 1997 to reduce damage

from natural disasters substantially by designating the 1990s as the International Decade for

Natural Disaster Reduction. Following a series of national conferences held during the period

from 1994 to 1997 to discuss the cooperation for disaster reduction, a ministerial level

conference was held in Kobe, Japan in 1995 in which 28 countries from Asia and other regions

participated. It adopted the Kobe declaration which includes an agreement to consider the

creation of a system which has the functions of a disaster reduction centre for the Asian region.

The Asian Disaster Reduction Centre (ADRC) was thus established in Kobe in 1998 following

an agreement among the participating countries with the Japanese government.

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)

ADPC is established in 1986 at Bangkok, Thailand. It is a non-profit, non-political, autonomous,

regional organisation serving as a regional centre in Asia-Pacific for promoting disaster

preparedness, disaster mitigation, awareness generation, exchange of information, community

participation etc. Prof. Dr Krasae Chanawongse, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office,

Thailand is the current Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of ADPC.

SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC)

SAARC is association of South Asian countries for regional cooperation which was established

on 16th January, 1987. It has eight member countries, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan,

India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka with its head quarters at Kathmandu. SAARC
Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) was set up in October 2006 at the premises of National

Institute of Disaster Management in New Delhi. The Executive Director of the NIDM is also the

Director of SAARC Disaster Management Centre New Delhi.

National organizations

National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)

Background: In the backdrop of the International decade for Natural Disaster Reduction

(IDNDR), a National Centre for Disaster Management was established at the Indian Institute for

Public Administration (IIPA) in 1995. The Centre was upgraded and designated as the National

Institute of Disaster management (NIDM) on 16th October 2003. It has now achieved the status

of a statutory organisation under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Section 42 of Chapter VII

of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 entrusts the institute with numerous responsibilities,

namely to develop training modules, undertake research and documentation in disaster

management, organise training programmes, undertake and organise study courses, conferences,

lectures and seminars to promote and institutionalize disaster management, undertake and

provide for publication of journals, research papers and books. Management Structure: The

Union Home Minister is the President of the Institute, It was constituted on 23rd February, 2007

and has a general body of forty two members comprising of secretaries of various ministries,

departments of the Union Government and heads of national level scientific, research and

technical organizations.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been constituted under Section 44 of the DM

Act, 2005 by up-gradation/conversion of eight standard battalions of Central Para Military

Forces i.e. two battalions each from Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police
(ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to

build them up as a specialist force to respond to disaster or disaster like situations.

State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)

The DM Act, 2005 provides for constitution of SDMAs and DDMAs in all the states and UTs.

As per the information received from the states and UTs, except Gujarat and Daman & Diu, all

the rest have constituted SDMAs under the DM Act, 2005. Gujarat has constituted its SDMA

under its Gujarat State Disaster Management Act, 2003. Daman & Diu have also established

SDMAs prior to enactment of DM Act 2005.

State Executive Committee (SEC)

The Act envisages establishment of State Executive Committee under Section 20 of the Act, to

be headed by Chief Secretary of the state Government with four other Secretaries of such

departments as the state Government may think fit. It has the responsibility for coordinating and

monitoring the implementation of the National Policy, the National Plan and the State Plan as

provided under section 22 of the Act.

State Disaster Response Force (SDRF)

The states/UTs have also been advised to set up their own Specialist Response Force for

responding to disasters on the lines of National Disaster Response Force vide Ministry of Home

Affairs letter dated 26th July 2007 and 8th March, 2011. The Central Government is providing

assistance for training of trainers. The state governments have been also advised to utilise 10

percent of their State Disaster Response Fund and Capacity Building Grant for the procurement

of search and rescue equipment and for training purposes of the Response Force.
District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA)

Section 25 of the DM Act provides for constitution of DDMA for every district of a state. The

District Magistrate/ District Collector/Deputy Commissioner heads the Authority as Chairperson

besides an elected representative of the local authority as Co-Chairperson except in the tribal

areas where the Chief Executive Member of the District Council of Autonomous District is

designated as Co-Chairperson. Further in district, where Zila Parishad exist, its Chairperson shall

be the Co-Chairperson of DDMA. Other members of this authority include the CEO of the

District Authority, Superintendant of Police, Chief Medical Officer of the District and other two

district level officers are designated by the state Government. 2.12.2 The District Authority is

responsible for planning, coordination and implementation of disaster management and to take

such measures for disaster management as provided in the guidelines. The District Authority also

has the power to examine the construction in any area in the district to enforce the safety

standards and also to arrange for relief measures and respond to the disaster at the district level.

Disaster Reduction Day in India

In India the NIDM and other Universities, Colleges and schools celebrates the Disaster

management/ reductions days in the month of October to create awareness among the stake

holders through the conductance of various competitions; which includes banner preparation,

painting, slogan writing, speech competitions, poster presentation, etc.

International day for DRR

International day for DRR encourages every individual, community, and government to take part

in building more disaster resilient communities and nations. International day for DRR,

Originally celebrated on the second Wednesday of October from the year 2009. After two

decades the UN General Assembly formally designated 13 October as the annual date. The
agenda was to raise awareness amongst people and encourage them to take action to decrease the

threat of disasters worldwide. At the 3 rd World Conference on Disaster Reduction, the United

Nations was made abreast of the negligence made by the people that had resulted to a higher

number of disaster related deaths than the previous years. Since 2000 every year this day is

celebrated with a theme to create a resilience community to manage disasters. The themes

selected are “Disaster Prevention, Education and Youth (2000); Countering Disasters, Targeting

Vulnerability (2001); Sustainable mountain development (2002); Turning the tide…(2003);

Today’s disasters for tomorrow’s hazards(2004); Invest to Prevent Disaster (2005); Disaster Risk

Reduction Begins at School (2006 and 2007); Hospitals Safe from Disaster (2008 and 2009); My

City is Getting Ready!(2010); Children and Young People are partners for Disaster Risk

Reduction: Step Up for Disaster Risk Reduction!(2011); Women and Girls: the Invisible Force

of Resilience (2012); Living with Disability and Disasters (2013); Resilience is for Life (2014);

Knowledge for Life (2015); Live to Tell: Raising Awareness, Reducing Mortality (2016); Home

Safe Home - Reducing Exposure, Reducing Displacement (2017); Reducing the economic loss

of disasters (2018)”. These themes are due of achieving the seven most urgent targets of the

“Sendai convention” a 15 year, non binding and volunteer framework from 2015 to 2030 to

reduce natural calamities. This theme emphasizes on understanding disaster risk, investing in the

risk resilience, in fortification of disaster risk governance to manage the risk of disasters and

modifying the ways of preparedness.

Conclusion

India has been vulnerable, in varying degrees, to a large number of natural, as well as, human-

made disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic and socio-economic conditions. It is highly

vulnerable to floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches and forest fires. Out
of 35 states and union territories in the country, 27 of them are disaster prone. Almost 58.6 per

cent of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of moderate to very high intensity; over 40 million

hectares (12 per cent of land) are prone to floods and river erosion; of the 7,516 km long

coastline, close to 5,700 km is prone to cyclones and tsunamis; 68 per cent of the cultivable area

is vulnerable to drought and hilly areas are at risk from landslides and avalanches. Hence,

creating the awareness on disasters among the stake holders especially week sectors of the

society are getting importance on these days. More over “capacity building” through training,

education and research on disasters in Schools, colleges, Universities and other institutions need

to be encouraged to create a disaster resilience community to tackle with any disasters is

important to reduce life loss and economic losses during the disasters.