Annual Disaster Management Conference Stresses Future Resilience and Technology Integration

The conference was attended by over 300 delegates from State Governments/UTs, Central Government Ministries/Departments/Organizations, and SDRFs/Fire Services.

The two-day annual conference of relief commissioners, secretaries (Disaster Management), and State Disaster Response Forces (SDRF), Civil Defence, Home Guard, and Fire Services of State/UTs-2024 concluded in New Delhi today. The valedictory session was chaired by Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India, Dr. P. K. Mishra, and attended by Union Home Secretary, Sh. Ajay Kumar Bhalla, along with other senior officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In his address, Dr. P. K. Mishra highlighted India's exemplary disaster response capabilities and international collaboration efforts, such as the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the new G20 Working Group on Disaster Risk Management. He emphasized the need for a future-focused vision in disaster management and outlined six key areas of focus:

Local-Level Disaster Management: Ensuring that every city, town, village, and hamlet, down to the family level, has the basic awareness, capacity, and resources to handle disasters.

Mitigation Measures: Developing a calendar of mitigation measures to prevent repetitive and seasonal problems. Basic vulnerability reduction actions, like desilting drains and improving solid waste disposal in cities, could alleviate urban flooding issues.

Shift to Resilience: Moving the focus from disaster response to building resilience. Future infrastructure projects must integrate resilience into their designs from the outset. The Disaster Mitigation Fund will support these efforts.

Leveraging Technology: Utilizing technology, robotics, artificial intelligence, big data, and state-of-the-art equipment for early warning systems, common alert protocols, and rescue operations. He emphasized that technology will play an increasingly vital role in disaster management.

Preparedness for Black Swan Events: Learning from large-scale disruptive events like COVID-19 and ensuring these lessons are not forgotten. Preparedness plans should account for such unforeseen events.

Whole-of-Society Approach: Disaster management requires a collaborative effort across all government and societal levels. The successful rescue operation in the Silkyara tunnel exemplifies this cooperative approach. States need to build capacities not only for self-reliance but also to support neighboring regions.

The conference was attended by over 300 delegates from State Governments/UTs, Central Government Ministries/Departments/Organizations, and SDRFs/Fire Services. During the conference, experts discussed various topics, including early warning systems, post-disaster loss assessment, the roles of disaster response forces, coastal hazards, and satellite-based early warnings for tsunamis, storm surges, and cyclones.

Organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the annual conference aims to review preparedness for natural disasters, particularly before the monsoon season. This year, the NDRF simultaneously hosted a capacity-building conference for SDRFs, Civil Defence, Home Guard, and Fire Services, focusing on response force readiness.

The combined conference aimed to create synergy in response efforts and involve Relief Commissioners/Revenue Secretaries in strengthening SDRFs. Discussions included preparedness for the South West Monsoon and managing emerging risks like Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF), forest fires, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) hazards.