Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is the systematic effort to analyse and manage the causal factors of disasters, including through reduced exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property, and strengthening the capacity to respond to and recover from disasters. DRR goes beyond emergency response — it addresses the root causes (poverty, inadequate land use, weak governance) that make hazards translate into disasters. The global framework for DRR is the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, adopted at the Third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan.

• 1 Sendai Framework 2015-2030: 7 global targets including reducing disaster mortality, economic losses, and damage to critical infrastructure
• 2 India's Disaster Management Act: 2005 (enacted after 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami)
• 3 NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority): Chaired by Prime Minister; apex body
• 4 NDRF (National Disaster Response Force): 16 battalions; paramilitary response teams
• 5 SDMA (State DMA): Chaired by Chief Minister; state-level
• 6 Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 preceded Sendai Framework
• 7 Sendai 4 priorities: (1) Understanding disaster risk; (2) Strengthening governance; (3) Investing in DRR; (4) Enhancing preparedness for effective response
• 8 India's proactive DRR: Cyclone warning systems (IMD), Flood forecasting (CWC), Earthquake-resistant building codes
• 9 Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI): India-led initiative launched 2019; 43 member countries + 8 organisations
• 10 AADM (Aapda Mitra scheme): Community volunteers trained in disaster response
• 11 Loss and Damage: COP framework for compensation when DRR fails

Odisha's transformation from India's most cyclone-affected state (10,000 deaths in Cyclone 1999) to a model of cyclone preparedness (zero deaths in Cyclone Fani, 2019) illustrates how investment in early warning systems, evacuation planning, and community preparedness delivers DRR.