The Road to Transforming Disaster Risk Reduction in Odisha

Successive natural disasters since the Super Cyclone in 1999 have caused widespread devastation, killing thousands, rendering many homeless and resulting in billions worth of damage to infrastructure.

But its a story that India is working hard to rewrite, investing billions in stronger early warning systems, strengthening the ability of communities, institutions and governments to respond to disaster; and taking a longer term view on sustainable development, one that includes reducing disaster risk, at its core.

In India, UNDP has worked closely with the Government of India and various state governments, in support of efforts to reduce the risk and impact of disaster, empowering over 300 million people in 150,000 villages in 17 states to better understand the warning signs, and take the action needed to protect themselves and their families.

In Odisha for example, where UNDP has worked closely with the state government, since the 1999 super cyclone killed about 10,000 people, the preparedness of people in this coastal state has been transformed.

Twenty-two year old Sandhya Rani grew up in a village in Odisha’s Bhadrak district. A member of the local disaster management task force, she is now entrusted with the important task of ensuring the safety of the community she has grown up in. The state government has invested heavily in building community preparedness. Thousands of young people like Sandhya Rani have been trained by the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority and partners in preparing for disaster. “When we hear the cyclone warning on the TV or radio, we immediately, go to the cyclone shelters, ensure its equipped with water and medicines and make surepeople to go to the shelter carrying only what is absolutely essential.”

Local disaster task force members such as Sandhya are aided by village maps that are drawn on the floors of the community centre. At first glance, the vibrantly coloured, rice powdered designs seem like a traditional floral design drawn during festival times. Look closely and these designs are actually detailed maps of the village, indicating points of easy entry and exit, important landmarks in the village, and vulnerable areas which should be avoided by villagers as they move to safer terrain.

Regular demonstrations by taskforce members are complimented by mock drills, all of which aid the safe evacuation of thousands of families across the state.

A fallen palm tree on her porch, a result of cyclone Phailin in 2013, reminds sixty-year Sukumari Boi of how far she has come. Sukumari never thought her eight member family would recover from the 1999 super cyclone which swept away her mud hut. But slowly and steadily, with the support of the government and local partners, she built back better. She proudly tells everyone, that as cyclone Phailin raged outside, her small but sturdy two room home provided shelter to 60 villagers.

Odisha’s changing landscape is evidence of the efforts to ensure safer shelter for all. Says Damodar Khuntia, the Block Development Officer, Bhadrak district “Before the 1999 cyclone, an overwhelming majority of people lived in temporary homes, now this is changing.” It is a movement that owes much success to cadre of grassroots masons and engineers trained by government and agencies such as UNDP in disaster resilient housing technologies.

Simple demonstration units that showed people how these disaster resilient technologies could improve the way people built their homes, inspired thousands of home and infrastructure builders across the state. As Karunakar Swain, one such mason says, “We build safer homes at 40 percent less cost”

Odisha was amongst one of the first states in India to set up an elite disaster rapid action force dedicated to ensuring people’s safety at their most vulnerable, during disaster, and in the immediate aftermath. The National Disaster Management Authority has established the National Disaster Response Force for the country. Prasanta Ku Nayak, Deputy General Manager, Odisha State Disaster Management Authority outlines how far the state, and indeed India has come over the last decade, “In 1999, we had inadequate early warning systems, but by 2013, we had an alert out five days before the cyclone struck. In 1999, we had very few cyclone shelters, but now have over 300 shelters across the state.”

India’s efforts to strengthen disaster risk reduction have moved beyond preparing people to address disaster, to understanding the risks that communities and institutions are exposed to, including those created by current development patterns and climate change. Ten states home to a population of 313 million people with UNDP support, are undertaking detailed assessments of the kinds of threats they face, across 25 districts, to better understand how to plan for a more disaster resilient friendly future ahead.

As the country steps up efforts to address disaster risk, attention is also focused on India’s cities which are expected to grow by 40 percent over the next 15 years. How India addresses urban risk reduction will be at the cornerstone of building resilience for future generations.