Disaster Management and India: Responding Internally and Simultaneously in Neighboring Countries Kailash Gupta University of North Texas 14 th Annual FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Conference, Emmitsburg, MD, June 06-09,

India 2Kailash Gupta

Context of the country 1.2 billion population 72% live in rural areas 60% work in agriculture 28% are below the poverty line 35% are illiterate 600 languages 500 m. without electricity (Human Development Report 2007) secular state largest democracy 3Kailash Gupta

Context of the country (cont.) Has one of the oldest cultures Historically, a rich country Over four centuries foreign rule and other factors made India poor Forecasted to become one of the economic super powers 4Kailash Gupta

Vulnerability The greatest challenges India faces in Disaster Management are poverty, illiteracy, apathy, and corruption. Kailash Gupta5

History of Disasters Famine: 10m or 1/3 pop died in , 5.5m died in , and 20m died in 1943 Earthquake: 7,928 died in Latur in 1993; 20,000 died in Gujarat 2001; 15,000 died in the 2004 Tsunami Floods: average 1,588 deaths per year Cyclone: 10,000 deaths in Orissa Super Cyclone in 1999 Technological hazards: 3,828 instantaneous deaths in Bhopal in 1984 Others: Terrorism, mid-air collision, accidents 6Kailash Gupta

History of Disasters (cont.) Had some of the worst disasters and of every kind India should hang her head in shame. With Bengal famine…and many other disasters, there is no foyer in the world with space large enough to exhibit the collective pain on the face of India (Kapur et al 2005, 2) 7Kailash Gupta

Laws World’s first Famine Relief Act (1880) Disaster Management was relief driven Gujarat Disaster Management Act (2003) mandates every citizen to help administration Disaster Management Act (2005) created National Disaster Management Authority and DM plans, etc. Paradigm shifting to mitigation, prevention, and preparedness 8Kailash Gupta

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Structure National Institute of Disaster Management at national level DM cell in the Administrative Training Institute in states Large National Calamity Fund DM plans and EOCs DM program with UNDP DM education started from 8th grade in 2003 Poised to be a future leader in DM 10Kailash Gupta

Responding internally and simultaneously in neighboring countries After tsunami India refused foreign government aid as it was self-sufficient. India deployed its defense personnel, medical teams, disaster experts, ships, helicopters, and human and other resources to help Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and Indonesia. India was also responding internally to the aftermath of the tsunami. India is lower income group country, while Indonesia is middle-income group country. 11Kailash Gupta

Questions Thanks Kailash Gupta Kailash Gupta12