Disaster Risk Management and the Role of the Armed Forces: Critical Analysis of Reactive Disaster Management in India

Abstract

India is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the South Asian region with intensive vulnerabilities to various man-made and natural disasters. After the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, there was a paradigm shift in India from a reactive disaster governance approach to a more proactive one which emphasised disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness. However, there have been several ambiguities regarding the role, capacity and capability of the civil authorities and the armed forces in disaster risk management in India. Thus, this paper (1) examines the current state of disaster risk management in India and (2) critically analyses the role of civil authorities and the armed forces in disaster risk management. It also proposes solutions to improve disaster governance in which both state and non-state actors should be involved in this process. This study is significant for being interdisciplinary in nature since it (1) includes research studies on governance, disaster risk management and non-state participation and (2) covers various issues associated with all stages of a disaster risk management process, i.e. pre-disaster preparedness, disaster relief and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction.