IIT Guwahati takes up Disaster Preparedness and Management programme in Assam state

IIT Guwahati has taken up a programme for developing social activism for research diplomacy in this area of disaster management.

There is an urgent need for disaster preparedness for the state of Assam, which witnesses almost all forms of disasters such as earthquakes, droughts, floods, cyclones, storms, heatwaves, landslides, etc.

The higher education in disaster management and research seems to be negligible as compared to the youth resources in India. IIT Guwahati has taken up a programme for developing social activism for research diplomacy in this area of disaster management.

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction which was adopted in 2015, left with only 9 years to implement the same by 2030. Sendai Framework was the major agreement of the development agenda and provides Member States with concrete steps to protect from the risk of disaster. Sendai framework was endorsed by the UN General Assembly after the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR). WCDRR emphasizes that the Government or the state should lead and has the primary role to reduce disaster risk.

However, the responsibility should be shared with all stakeholders including local government, the private sector, educational institutions and common people. Understanding and Prioritizing Research and Higher Education in Disaster Risk Management is very critical for action on the ground.

Four specific priorities for action are:

• Understanding disaster risk
• Strengthening disaster risk governance
• Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience
• Enhancing disaster preparedness for an effective response for rehabilitation and reconstruction.

In India, disaster management evolved from the action taken during extreme events like floods, drought, cyclones, heat waves, etc. due to climatic variability and the consequent loss of lives and property. Actions for responding to climate change and disaster management initiatives is critical for any state.

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