GS3 PYQs (Mains Answer Writing): Disaster Management | UPSC Mains: Internal Security & Disaster Management PDF Download

Q1: What is disaster resilience? How is it determined? Describe various elements of a resilience framework. Also, mention the global targets of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2020-2030). (Answer in 250 words)
Ans: Introduction
Disaster resilience refers to the capacity to endure, mitigate, and recover from the adverse impacts of natural hazards on people, communities, and the environment.
Factors Determining Disaster Resilience

• Adaptive Capacity: Ability to adapt to disruptions, minimize damage, and learn from events.
• Exposure to Risk: Extent and frequency of hazards or stressors.
• Sensitivity: Degree to which a system is impacted by shocks or stress.
• Organization: Capacity to self-organize, learn from past disasters, and reduce future risks.

Global Targets of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030)
The Sendai Framework, endorsed by the UN General Assembly, aims to reduce disaster risk and losses through shared responsibilities among governments and stakeholders.

Priorities for Action

• Priority 1: Base disaster risk management on a comprehensive understanding of risk, including vulnerability, capacity, exposure, and hazard characteristics.
• Priority 2: Strengthen disaster risk governance at local, national, and global levels across all sectors.
• Priority 3: Invest in disaster risk prevention and reduction through structural and non-structural measures to enhance economic, social, health, and cultural resilience.
• Priority 4: Improve disaster preparedness for effective response and promote "Build Back Better" in recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction.

Conclusion
The Government of India has aligned its disaster risk reduction strategies with the Sendai Framework's goals and priorities. During the 2016 Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR), India pledged USD 1 million to UNISDR to support the effective implementation of the Sendai Framework in Asia.

Q2: Discuss the recent measures initiated in disaster management by the Government of India departing from the earlier reactive approach.
Ans: Disaster Management can be defined as the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters.
Recent measures related to disaster management show that the government now deals with the disasters in a pre-emptive-cum-proactive way rather than a reactive way: 

• India presented a practical approach and roadmap with the launch of a global Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) to make the infrastructure resilient in the face of disasters. 
• Indian Coast Guard with the assistance of ICG Remote Operating Centres (ROC) and Stations (ROS), NAVTEX warning (Navigational Text Message) and ISN (International Safety Net) activated one week in advance by Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCCs) prevented the loss of fishermen lives and reduced impact from Cyclone Amphan and Nisarga. 
• IMD is to launch a dynamic, impact-based cyclone warning system aiming at minimising economic losses. NDMA took up a project named National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) in which a Web-based Dynamic Composite Risk Atlas (Web-DCRA) would be developed. 
• Building dedicated institutions like the National Fire Service College (NFSC) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Academy is about how to control a situation rather than just respond to it. 
• NDRF is said to have achieved all benchmarks under Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. 
• Capacity building of locals- Govt has focused on training locals as they are first to respond. 

Recent measures initiated in disaster management by the Government of India 

• Housing for all programme and smart cities: All development sectors must imbibe the principles of disaster risk management. This will ensure that all development projects airports, roads, canals, hospitals, schools; bridges are built to appropriate standards and contribute to the resilience of communities they seek to serve. 
• Jan DhanYojana and the Suraksha Bima Yojana: work towards risk coverage for all – starting from poor households to small and medium enterprises to multi-national corporations to nation states. 
• Involvement and leadership of women: encourage greater involvement and leadership of women in disaster risk management. Women are disproportionately affected by disasters. They also have unique strengths and insights. 
• Invest in risk mapping globally: For mapping risks related to hazards such as earthquakes we have widely accepted standards and parameters. Based on these, in India, we have mapped seismic zones, with five as highest seismic risk and two as low risk. 
• Leverage technology: to enhance the efficiency of our disaster risk management efforts. 
• Network of universities: develop a network of universities to work on disaster issues. After all, universities have social responsibilities too. Over the first five years of the Sendai Framework, we should develop a global network of universities working together on problems of disaster risk management. 
• Build on local capacity and initiative: The task of disaster risk management, particularly in rapidly growing economies, is so huge that formal institutions of the state can at best be instrumental in creating the enabling conditions. 

Drawbacks of previous measures 

• Fragile Institutions: The National Policy on Disaster Management, prepared by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), approved in 2009 was formulated with a vision to build a safe and disaster resilient India. Central, state and district level authorities are established. Also Disaster Response Fund and Disaster Mitigation Fund were set up. But all these are not active and well operated. We must explore ways to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of delivery of services, minimizing inordinate delays, red tape, pressure for excluding real victims and accommodating false claimants. 
• Weak compliance of policies: The follow up actions expected from nodal agencies in preparing plans and corrective actions to address the critical gaps in the existing policies are not initiated. Community based organizations and NGO’s can play an important role in creating a level playing field for victims affected by disasters. 
• Systemic inefficiencies influencing process: The random audits of proposals on affected areas and fixing the accountability for financial losses on erring officials is the reason. 
• Need to adopt innovative systems, techniques and technologies: Some of them are Geographical Information System (GPS), Global Positioning System (GPS), Global Pocket Radio Service (GPRS), Remote Sensing, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), Radio over Internet Protocol (ROIP), Scenario Analysis &Modelling, Digital Elevation Models and Bathymetry for tsunami, Early warning systems, Doppler radar etc. Information in the local dialects will be more helpful. A judicious mix of traditional knowledge with technology is required. 

Conclusion
The current “non-system” for providing information for disaster management is not effectively utilizing a wealth of information that resides with various organizations. Existing technologies could deliver to disaster managers important new information products that could save lives, reduce damage to property, and lessen the environmental impacts of natural disasters. Continued improvements in technology should help make information more widely, quickly, and reliably available and at less cost.

Q3: India has traditionally followed a reactive approach of disaster management. Do you think there is a need to shift our focus from the way we perceive disaster management at present?
Ans: Introduction
Disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources. Primarily, disasters are triggered by natural hazards or are human-induced, or as a result from a combination of both.
Whereas, Disaster Management can be defined as the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters. The disaster management approach in India traditionally focuses on relief and rehabilitation in post disaster scenario also known as a reactive approach.
Body
The major disadvantages of reactive approach to disaster management are:

• Enhanced loss of lives and material: Reactive approaches focus on relief and immediate rehabilitation and ignore preventive disaster reduction policies. Such an approach causes higher amount of loss of lives and material.
• Absence of adaptive approach to different types of disasters: For different types of disasters, response measures may vary which are not possible to suitably incorporate in reactive approach to disaster management. Reactive approach is like ‘one size fits all’ approach to disaster management.
• Absence of Early Warning Systems in reactive approach causes delayed response to disaster. The provision of timely and reliable information, through identified institutions, allows the community and the government machinery to reduce the risk and be adequately prepared to face the hazard.
• Current position in disaster management reflects a post-mortem type approach and little attention has been paid to disaster risk reduction strategies that have the potential to save thousands of lives by adoption of simple preventive measures.

By following these preventive measures we can shift our focus from the way we perceive disaster management in present times and handle it in a better way:

• Coherent disaster risk reduction strategies and a ‘culture of prevention’ should be identified and suitably adopted to curb the growing phenomenon of disaster related loss of lives and property.
• Disaster management should include the ‘systematic development and application of policies, strategies and practices to minimize vulnerabilities, hazards and the unfolding disaster impacts throughout a society, in the broad context of sustainable development’. It should include appraisal of likelihood and intensity of hazards and analysis of vulnerabilities faced by the community.
• Crucial to all these efforts, however, is the existence of a ‘safety culture’ in societies. Inputs like education, training and capacity building play a very significant role.
• The traditional knowledge available with the community should also be used along with knowledge acquired through research and past experiences.
• It needs to be understood that such preparedness cannot be a ‘one time’ effort, but it is a continuous process. Disasters are no longer to be considered as occurrences that are to be managed through emergency response services. So, there is a need to foster a culture of prevention and identification of the key issues to be addressed, especially in the development process.

Conclusion
Disaster Management has to embark upon a strategy aimed at holistic human development integrating the sustainable development goals, and policies and practices that harness people’s strengths instead of vulnerabilities.