Quick Overview
India is shifting from reactive relief to proactive disaster risk reduction through science, finance, and nature-based strategies. Guided by the Prime Minister’s 10-Point Agenda on DRR and supported by the 15th Finance Commission’s Rs 2.28 lakh crore allocation, the focus now lies on institutional strengthening, technological innovation, and community preparedness for sustainable disaster resilience by 2047.
Strengthening India’s Disaster Resilience
Introduction
India’s geography exposes it to a wide range of natural hazards — floods, cyclones, earthquakes, and landslides — affecting millions annually. To build a safer and more resilient nation, India has adopted a forward-looking approach emphasizing risk reduction, climate adaptation, and community-led preparedness.
Enhancing Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR): India’s Approach
1. Institutional Framework:
The Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guide states through comprehensive planning frameworks such as the National Guidelines for Landslides (2023) and Urban Flood Management Framework (2024), ensuring standardised risk management.
2. Prime Minister’s 10-Point Agenda (2016):
This agenda integrates disaster risk reduction into development policy, promoting community preparedness, local capacity-building, technology-driven resilience, and international cooperation.
3. Financial Innovation:
The 15th Finance Commission allocated Rs 2.28 lakh crore (2021–26) across preparedness, mitigation, response, and reconstruction. This transition from loan-based to budgetary resilience finance enhances sustainability. Reconstruction packages worth Rs 5,000 crore have already been sanctioned for vulnerable hill and coastal states.
4. Nature-Based Solutions:
India’s DRR framework now integrates ecosystem-based adaptation — restoring wetlands, stabilising slopes through bio-engineering, and expanding urban green spaces to mitigate flood and heat risks.
5. Technological Integration:
NDMA leverages remote sensing, automated weather stations, and glacial-lake monitoring to enable real-time risk prediction. Citizen-oriented mobile apps like FloodWatch, Mausam, Meghdoot, and Damini provide hyper-local alerts, enhancing last-mile preparedness.
6. Capacity Building and Community Participation:
Initiatives such as Apda Mitra and Yuva Apda Mitra have trained 2.5 lakh citizens in disaster management. At the local level, panchayats and schools implement preparedness drills and safety protocols to build behavioural resilience.
7. Global Cooperation:
India plays a leading role in the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and collaborates through platforms like G-20 and BIMSTEC to promote shared global resilience frameworks.
Challenges Undermining Disaster Resilience (Mnemonic: FRAGILE)
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F – Fragile Ecosystems: Mountain and coastal regions experience cascading disasters such as cloudbursts triggering landslides and floods.
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R – Reactive Governance: Relief-centric rather than preventive policymaking limits long-term mitigation.
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A – Administrative Gaps: Over-centralisation and slow fund disbursement weaken district-level response.
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G – Governance Failures: Unplanned urbanisation and encroached drainage amplify flood risk.
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I – Inadequate Technology: Forecasting coverage remains partial in flood-prone regions.
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L – Lax Building Enforcement: Weak adherence to seismic and construction codes increases structural vulnerability.
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E – Expanding Vulnerability: Poverty and informal settlements heighten disaster exposure.
Road Ahead: Building a RESILIENT India
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R – Risk-informed Planning: Integrate DRR into budgets and enforce zoning regulations.
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E – Early Warning: Deploy hyper-local early warning and IoT-based monitoring systems.
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S – Strengthening Infrastructure: Retrofit critical buildings and enforce climate-resilient construction.
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I – Inclusive Preparedness: Empower district and local disaster management authorities.
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L – Local Capacity: Decentralise resources and promote training at the grassroots.
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I – Institutional Coordination: Enhance inter-agency and private sector collaboration.
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E – Economic Readiness: Expand insurance mechanisms and resilience funds.
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N – Nature-based Solutions: Restore mangroves, wetlands, and forests.
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T – Training: Build trained community responders and healthcare support for emergencies.
Conclusion
India’s disaster management transition from relief to resilience marks a pivotal policy evolution. While challenges persist — fragile ecosystems, poor enforcement, and socio-economic vulnerability — adopting the “RESILIENT” roadmap offers a sustainable path toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and making India disaster-resilient by 2047.
CLAT/Exam Relevance Summary
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UPSC Prelims: National Disaster Management Authority, Finance Commission allocations, NDMA frameworks, DRR technologies, and nature-based mitigation strategies.
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UPSC Mains (GS Paper 3): Disaster management, DRR strategies, institutional frameworks, financial reforms, and India’s global cooperation for resilience.
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CLAT & State PCS: Governance models, community resilience frameworks, environmental policy, and legal frameworks for risk management.