Strengthening disaster risk management in India

The report reviews the SDMPs of Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Odisha, and Uttarakhand, finding that while they are sophisticated in disaster response, they lack sufficient focus on risk reduction, socioeconomic vulnerability, and climate change integration. It recommends clarifying institutional roles, operationalising risk-reduction funds, and aligning state plans more closely with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.

• State disaster management plans (SDMPs) in the reviewed states are highly sophisticated regarding disaster response and relief but are significantly weaker in risk reduction and prevention.
• There is a lack of clarity in the division of responsibilities at the national level, specifically regarding overlaps between the National Disaster Management Authority, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the National Institute of Disaster Management in areas of research and relief standards.
• Funding for disaster management is heavily skewed toward response; while state disaster response funds are operational, mandated disaster management funds for risk reduction have largely failed to materialise.
• Vulnerability assessments in the SDMPs rely heavily on the Vulnerability Atlas of India, which identifies geographic hazard exposure but fails to adequately address the socioeconomic drivers of vulnerability.
• Most SDMPs largely ignore climate change projections and the impact of climate variability, with Assam being the only state to substantively reference climate studies and variability in its plan.
• Mainstreaming of disaster risk management across government departments is primarily limited to emergency response contingency planning rather than long-term risk reduction.
• While SDMPs acknowledge the needs of women and marginalised groups, these considerations are almost exclusively limited to post-disaster response and relief rather than integrated into the full disaster management cycle.
• The reviewed SDMPs show general alignment with the objectives of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, but they lack the baseline data and quantitative targets necessary to measure actual progress.

APA

Bahadur, A., Lovell, E., & Pichon, F. (2016). Strengthening disaster risk management in India. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/India-disaster-management-web.pdf

Chicago

Bahadur, Aditya, Emma Lovell, and Florence Pichon. Strengthening disaster risk management in India. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2016. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/India-disaster-management-web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bahadur |first1=Aditya |last2=Lovell |first2=Emma |last3=Pichon |first3=Florence |title=Strengthening disaster risk management in India |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=July 2016 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/India-disaster-management-web.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bahadur2016strengthening, author = {Bahadur, Aditya and Lovell, Emma and Pichon, Florence}, title = {{Strengthening disaster risk management in India}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2016}, month = jul, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/India-disaster-management-web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }