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Consider the Indian subcontinent, where there are
about 1,700 Major Accident Hazard (MAH) units in
place and a large number of small and medium enter-
and managerial capabilities of institutions and organizations, enhancing
the regulative and integrative frameworks, and providing the institu-
tional infrastructure.
Challenges
1: Diversity of potential disasters:
The diversity of ecosystems and economic activities requires
prevention/mitigation and preparedness for a large variety of
potential threats.
2: Large-scale problem:
In order to be effective/have an impact, a very large number of
people from different cultures, backgrounds, institutions and
organizations have to be reached.
3: Diversity of areas and subject matter responsibilities.
4: Diversity of target groups and their requirements:
Not all targeted groups need the same capacity development and
awareness.
5: Differentiated needs of awareness raising: A large number of
vulnerable people with a low level of awareness; preparedness
with a diverse cultural and economic background.
6: Lack of practical testing, learning and coordination processes:
Mock drills for practical testing, feedback for improvement and
motivation of stakeholder coordination.
7: Multiple but weakly-coordinated activities in the area of capacity
development: Many different agencies exist, but approaches are
uncoordinated; initiative from government, private sector and civil
society in terms of rules, regulations, training and preparatory
activities.
8: Major differences in qualification of training providers: The
quality and the comprehensiveness of existing training and
educational programmes can be improved and streamlined
considerably.
9: Unclear, undefined, underdeveloped or lacking responsibilities.
10: Lacking or weak integration in existing curricula of education
and/or training: Train the key persons for all risk sectors and
develop concepts of transfer and integration with appropriate
resource and demonstration material.
11: Weak networking among training providers: Weak
coordination, internal competition for funds and recognition,
communication instruments such as web pages not up-to-date.
12: Gaps and deficiencies in DRM infrastructure: Major problems
exist at various levels in terms of equipment, regulatory
frameworks, enforcement and practical alternatives of reactions
for the affected people.
Needs and requirements
Relevant areas: floods, cyclones, tsunamis, erosion and drought, earthquakes, landslides
and avalanches, forest fires, chemical production/industrial safety, mines, nuclear assets,
biological areas, environmental degradation, cyber-security
• Reach the different sectors according to their priority in the regions through decentralized
capacity development activities
• Provide technical and managerial skills to implement, plan, design rules, teach, etc.
• Create awareness about threats, dangers, prevention
• Spread knowledge about how to prevent and mitigate.
• Cascade system of decentralised training providers with their own networks of affiliated
training institutions/ facilities drawn from government departments and the private
sector
• Enforcement and monitoring of disaster related regulations at national, regional and local
levels.
Disaster Risk Management is a cross-sector task involving target groups/organizations
from: emergency and preparedness planning, administration and regulatory bodies, the
geosciences, chemistry and physics, engineering, land use planning, architecture, industrial
management, medicine and public health, security, education and training, insurance, etc.
• A common communication and information platform
• Central and localized coordination, workshops and events
• Coordination rules and paths, including notified reporting systems.
• Adequate definition of target organization and groups
• Customer-tailored types and contents of measures organized in programmes of different
levels (awareness campaigns: basic, intermediate and advanced programmes) especially
at the school level
• The offer of the capacity development measures, which depends on the vulnerability of
the area (what type of adaptation is necessary to what disaster).
• Adapted awareness programmes for raising consciousness about disasters (Awareness-
cum-Tools approach)
• Specialized local training providers with adapted information, communication and
behavioural change methods.
• Increasing the frequency of mock drills in disaster prone areas for industrial as well as
natural Disaster Risk Management; proper documentation and dissemination to all
target groups for learning purposes
• Standardization of mock drills for different risk scenarios
• Raising public awareness and the use of mass media linked with Corporate Social
Responsibility to build partnerships with the private sector.
• Standardization of capacity development programmes; streamlining programmes into a
comprehensive offer
• Involving all training providers (including educational institutions, management
institutions, and human resource development activities of line departments) into one
framework system of capacity development.
• Need for recognized (accredited) specialists/masters at each level
• Train-the-Trainers programme
• Accreditation system at different levels for training providers.
• Improvement of regulations/requirements of persons responsible for Disaster Risk
Management in all the different sectors/institutions
• Focus on enforcement of regulations
• Certification system within the capacity development programmes.
• Integration of Disaster Risk Management into curricula of relevant subjects (i.e.
engineering, architecture, land-use planning, basic education).
• Strong institutional networking of training providers, regulating authorities,
administration, private and public sector institutions
• Communication and management platform of the capacity development system linked
with Internet-based subject-matter information sites.
• Feedback system and sharing experiences to streamline and harmonize approaches and
detect infrastructure problems
• Integrated ‘Infrastructure Needs Assessments’ in the capacity development process.
The challenges of a capacity development system for disaster risk management in India