India Disasters Report II: Redefining Disasters

India Disasters Report II highlights the reality of disaster vulnerability in India due to natural causes and developmental interventions. It emphasizes the need to look at disasters as an outcome of processes rather than stand-alone events. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, this Report emphasizes the importance of understanding the causes, effects, and complex dynamics of disasters. It asserts the need to link natural systems, social systems, and technological limitations to devise policies and action plans for disaster prevention, relief operations, and environmentally-inclusive development. With climate change becoming a global concern, India now has laws and policies, national, state, and district level administrative set-ups, and humanitarian initiatives in place for disaster preparedness and response measures. Exploring diverse issues such as vulnerability, development, environment, gender, health, and information, communication, and technology, in disasters, this Report discusses recent disasters in India and how new thinking affects policy initiatives and actual practice in disaster management.