Disaster Risk Resilience

As per World Bank the IHR is twice as prone to extreme weather events as the Gangetic plains or the Tibetan plateau and added to this is the fact that the IHR also is one of the most seismically active areas in the world. Not surprisingly therefore, the highest landslide fatalities in the world are in the southern edge of the Himalayan arc and almost all the major disasters in the country over the last 10 years have taken place in the IHR. Climate change induced phenomena like flash floods, cloud bursts, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), are other major sources of vulnerability for the IHR. Disaster Risk Reduction, Emergency Preparedness and Response should be the topmost priority for all the IHR States. However, the institutional framework and mechanism for such a high priority area is highly inadequate.

Taking cognizance of such conditions and possible ways to mitigate the DRR challenges that IHR faces, IMI will focus on disaster risk management. Some of the specific areas identified are:

Institutional Mechanisms and Disaster Management Plans

• Disaster Risk Insurance and financing
• Information Communication Technology in DRR
• Disaster & Cultural Heritage
• Disasters & Tourism