Disaster is also sometimes described as a “catastrophic situation in which the normal pattern of life or eco-system has been disrupted and extraordinary emergency interventions are required to save and preserve lives and or the environment”.

1. INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ON NATURAL DISASTER
REDUCTION
Dr. P.SURESHKUMAR, M.Sc., M.Phil., M.B.A., Ph.D.,
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CAS IN MARINE BIOLIOGY
FACULTY OF MARINE SCIENCES
ANNAMALAI UNIVERSITY
PARANGIPETTAI -608502
The word ‘Disaster’ derived from Middle French “désastre” and that from Old Italian “disastro”,
which in turn comes from the Greek pejorative prefix δυσ-, (dus-) “bad”+ αστήρ (aster), “star”.
The root of the word disaster2 (“bad star” in Greek and Latin) comes from an astrological theme
in which the ancients used to refer to the destruction or deconstruction of a star as a disaster.
Disaster is an event or series of events, which gives rise to casualties and damage or loss of
properties, infrastructures, environment, essential services or means of livelihood on such a scale
which is beyond the normal capacity of the affected community to cope with. Disaster is also
sometimes described as a “catastrophic situation in which the normal pattern of life or eco-
system has been disrupted and extra-ordinary emergency interventions are required to save and
preserve lives and or the environment”
The Disasterrisk reduction (DRR)
The Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a systematic approach to identify, assess and to reduce the
risk of disasters. The DRR aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities associated with
disasters or environmental hazards. DRR strongly influenced by the mass of research on a
vulnerability that has appeared in print since the mid-1970s. DRR is the responsibility of
development and relief agencies alike. DRR is an integral part of the way such organizations do
their work, not an add-on or one-off action. DRR is very wide-ranging: Its scope is much broader

2. and deeper than conventional emergency management. There is potential for DRR initiatives in
just about every sector of development and humanitarian work.
International organizations
International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) is a global network of more
than 80 countries and disaster response organizations under the United Nations umbrella,
established during 1991. INSARAG deals with urban search and rescue (USAR) related issues.
INSARAG aims at establishing standards for international USAR teams and methodology for
international coordination in earthquake response. Members of INSARAG are both earthquake-
prone and responding countries and organisations.
Global Facility for DisasterRisk Reduction (GFDRR)
GFDRR was set up in September 2006 jointly by the World Bank, donor partners (21 countries
and four international organisations), and key stakeholders of the International S trategy for
Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR). It is a long-term global partnership under the ISDR system
established to develop and implement the HFA through a coordinated programme for reversing
the trend in disaster losses by 2015. Its mission is to mainstream disaster reduction and climate
change adaptation in a country’s development strategies to reduce vulnerability to natural
hazards. At the national and local levels, it also includes other sectoral development strategies
that the countries most vulnerable to natural disasters may undertake to alleviate poverty and
address sustainable growth.
ASEAN Region Forum (ARF)
The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was established in 1994. The ARF membership including
India, which joined in 1996 is 25 countries. The first ARF meeting in 1994 brought together
Foreign Ministers from Australia, Brunei, Canada, China, European Union (Presidency),

3. Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, PNG, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia,
Singapore, Thailand, USA and Vietnam. The current Chairman of ARF is H. E. Pham Gia
Khiem, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ministry Govt. of, Vietnam.
Asian DisasterReduction Centre (ADRC)
A resolution was adopted at the United Nations General Assembly in 1997 to reduce damage
from natural disasters substantially by designating the 1990s as the International Decade for
Natural Disaster Reduction. Following a series of national conferences held during the period
from 1994 to 1997 to discuss the cooperation for disaster reduction, a ministerial level
conference was held in Kobe, Japan in 1995 in which 28 countries from Asia and other regions
participated. It adopted the Kobe declaration which includes an agreement to consider the
creation of a system which has the functions of a disaster reduction centre for the Asian region.
The Asian Disaster Reduction Centre (ADRC) was thus established in Kobe in 1998 following
an agreement among the participating countries with the Japanese government.
Asian DisasterPreparedness Center (ADPC)
ADPC is established in 1986 at Bangkok, Thailand. It is a non-profit, non-political, autonomous,
regional organisation serving as a regional centre in Asia-Pacific for promoting disaster
preparedness, disaster mitigation, awareness generation, exchange of information, community
participation etc. Prof. Dr Krasae Chanawongse, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office,
Thailand is the current Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of ADPC.
SAARC DisasterManagement Centre (SDMC)
SAARC is association of South Asian countries for regional cooperation which was established
on 16th January, 1987. It has eight member countries, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka with its head quarters at Kathmandu. SAARC

4. Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) was set up in October 2006 at the premises of National
Institute of Disaster Management in New Delhi. The Executive Director of the NIDM is also the
Director of SAARC Disaster Management Centre New Delhi.
National organizations
National Institute ofDisaster Management(NIDM)
Background: In the backdrop of the International decade for Natural Disaster Reduction
(IDNDR), a National Centre for Disaster Management was established at the Indian Institute for
Public Administration (IIPA) in 1995. The Centre was upgraded and designated as the National
Institute of Disaster management (NIDM) on 16th October 2003. It has now achieved the status
of a statutory organisation under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Section 42 of Chapter VII
of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 entrusts the institute with numerous responsibilities,
namely to develop training modules, undertake research and documentation in disaster
management, organise training programmes, undertake and organise study courses, conferences,
lectures and seminars to promote and institutionalize disaster management, undertake and
provide for publication of journals, research papers and books. Management Structure: The
Union Home Minister is the President of the Institute, It was constituted on 23rd February, 2007
and has a general body of forty two members comprising of secretaries of various ministries,
departments of the Union Government and heads of national level scientific, research and
technical organizations.
National DisasterResponse Force (NDRF)
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been constituted under Section 44 of the DM
Act, 2005 by up-gradation/conversion of eight standard battalions of Central Para Military
Forces i.e. two battalions each from Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police

5. (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to
build them up as a specialist force to respond to disaster or disaster like situations.
State DisasterManagement Authority (SDMA)
The DM Act, 2005 provides for constitution of SDMAs and DDMAs in all the states and UTs.
As per the information received from the states and UTs, except Gujarat and Daman & Diu, all
the rest have constituted SDMAs under the DM Act, 2005. Gujarat has constituted its SDMA
under its Gujarat State Disaster Management Act, 2003. Daman & Diu have also established
SDMAs prior to enactment of DM Act 2005.
State Executive Committee (SEC)
The Act envisages establishment of State Executive Committee under Section 20 of the Act, to
be headed by Chief Secretary of the state Government with four other Secretaries of such
departments as the state Government may think fit. It has the responsibility for coordinating and
monitoring the implementation of the National Policy, the National Plan and the State Plan as
provided under section 22 of the Act.
State DisasterResponse Force (SDRF)
The states/UTs have also been advised to set up their own Specialist Response Force for
responding to disasters on the lines of National Disaster Response Force vide Ministry of Home
Affairs letter dated 26th July 2007 and 8th March, 2011. The Central Government is providing
assistance for training of trainers. The state governments have been also advised to utilise 10
percent of their State Disaster Response Fund and Capacity Building Grant for the procurement
of search and rescue equipment and for training purposes of the Response Force.

6. District DisasterManagement Authority (DDMA)
Section 25 of the DM Act provides for constitution of DDMA for every district of a state. The
District Magistrate/ District Collector/Deputy Commissioner heads the Authority as Chairperson
besides an elected representative of the local authority as Co-Chairperson except in the tribal
areas where the Chief Executive Member of the District Council of Autonomous District is
designated as Co-Chairperson. Further in district, where Zila Parishad exist, its Chairperson shall
be the Co-Chairperson of DDMA. Other members of this authority include the CEO of the
District Authority, Superintendant of Police, Chief Medical Officer of the District and other two
district level officers are designated by the state Government. 2.12.2 The District Authority is
responsible for planning, coordination and implementation of disaster management and to take
such measures for disaster management as provided in the guidelines. The District Authority also
has the power to examine the construction in any area in the district to enforce the safety
standards and also to arrange for relief measures and respond to the disaster at the district level.
DisasterReduction Day in India
In India the NIDM and other Universities, Colleges and schools celebrates the Disaster
management/ reductions days in the month of October to create awareness among the stake
holders through the conductance of various competitions; which includes banner preparation,
painting, slogan writing, speech competitions, poster presentation, etc.
International day for DRR
International day for DRR encourages every individual, community, and government to take part
in building more disaster resilient communities and nations. International day for DRR,
Originally celebrated on the second Wednesday of October from the year 2009. After two
decades the UN General Assembly formally designated 13 October as the annual date. The
agenda was to raise awareness amongst people and encourage them to take action to decrease the

7. threat of disasters worldwide. At the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Reduction, the United
Nations was made abreast of the negligence made by the people that had resulted to a higher
number of disaster related deaths than the previous years. Since 2000 every year this day is
celebrated with a theme to create a resilience community to manage disasters. The themes
selected are “Disaster Prevention, Education and Youth (2000); Countering Disasters, Targeting
Vulnerability (2001); Sustainable mountain development (2002); Turning the tide…(2003);
Today’s disasters for tomorrow’s hazards(2004); Invest to Prevent Disaster (2005); Disaster Risk
Reduction Begins at School (2006 and 2007); Hospitals Safe from Disaster (2008 and 2009); My
City is Getting Ready!(2010); Children and Young People are partners for Disaster Risk
Reduction: Step Up for Disaster Risk Reduction!(2011); Women and Girls: the Invisible Force
of Resilience (2012); Living with Disability and Disasters (2013); Resilience is for Life (2014);
Knowledge for Life (2015); Live to Tell: Raising Awareness, Reducing Mortality (2016); Home
Safe Home - Reducing Exposure, Reducing Displacement (2017); Reducing the economic loss
of disasters (2018)”. These themes are due of achieving the seven most urgent targets of the
“Sendai convention” a 15 year, non binding and volunteer framework from 2015 to 2030 to
reduce natural calamities. This theme emphasizes on understanding disaster risk, investing in the
risk resilience, in fortification of disaster risk governance to manage the risk of disasters and
modifying the ways of preparedness.
Conclusion
India has been vulnerable, in varying degrees, to a large number of natural, as well as, human-
made disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic and socio-economic conditions. It is highly
vulnerable to floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches and forest fires. Out
of 35 states and union territories in the country, 27 of them are disaster prone. Almost 58.6 per

8. cent of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of moderate to very high intensity; over 40 million
hectares (12 per cent of land) are prone to floods and river erosion; of the 7,516 km long
coastline, close to 5,700 km is prone to cyclones and tsunamis; 68 per cent of the cultivable area
is vulnerable to drought and hilly areas are at risk from landslides and avalanches. Hence,
creating the awareness on disasters among the stake holders especially week sectors of the
society are getting importance on these days. More over “capacity building” through training,
education and research on disasters in Schools, colleges, Universities and other institutions need
to be encouraged to create a disaster resilience community to tackle with any disasters is
important to reduce life loss and economic losses during the disasters.