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- Permanent Link:
- http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dpService/dpPurlService/purl/FI13042140/00001
Notes
- Summary:
- The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR)’s Special Report (#34) is composed of two related essays: (1) Human Security Challenges in India, and (2) Challenges of Disaster Management in India: Implications for the Economic, Political, and Security Environments. The first essay, written by M. Joseph, underlines the vast economic disparities in India and the serious problems this poses for human security. In addition to uneven economic growth and distribution, Joseph addresses the growing corruption and lack of accountable institutions. The second essay briefly examines the status of Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in India. It notes that India’s public policy has shifted from a focus on the post-disaster stages of DRM (response and rehabilitation) to a holistic approach that incorporates the pre-disaster elements including early warning systems, mitigation, and prevention measures. In this regard, India has begun to incorporate Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into its development strategies. The author (P.G.D Chakrabarti) argues that the four most recent mega disasters (the 1991 and 2001 earthquakes, the 1999 cyclone, and the 2005 Indian Ocean tsunami) have been very influential in shifting the country’s DRM paradigm. Recently, India has undertaken several initiatives for disaster management: the utilization of advanced technology for early-warning systems (a new, advanced tsunami warning system i.e.), the establishment of National Emergency Operations Centers in state capitals and district headquarters, the founding of the National Institute of Disaster Management to enhance education and training on DRR, and the implementation of DRM Programs in 169 multi-hazard prone districts in seventeen states and union territories. While significant achievements have been made, two major emerging challenges, urban growth/densification of the cities and climate change, threaten India’s sustainable development. It is important to emphasize that 40 percent of India’s urban population lives in slum settlements, posing a great challenge for DRM policymakers. This is partly a result of the failure of unaccountable government institutions to address the development needs of marginalized segments of the population. Not only are these people most likely to be disproportionately impacted by disasters, but they are also the most likely to engage in political extremism. Therefore it is critical that the Indian government focus on improving accountability and governance, as well as ensuring that DRM efforts emphasize the needs of the most vulnerable segments of society, the poor and marginalized. ( English,English )
- Subject:
- Disaster Risk Reduction and Education
- Citation/Reference:
- Joseph, M., Chakrabarti, P.G.D. (2011). Nontraditional security challenges in India: human security and disaster management. The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR).
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