Linking disaster management to livelihood security against tropical cyclones: A case study on Odisha state in India

Abstract

Odisha, a state in India, experienced two catastrophic tropical cyclones, the first in 1999 (Super Cyclone) and the second in 2013 (Phailin). Although these cyclones drastically impacted people's livelihoods, there was not much focus on centering livelihoods in discussions on disaster management. This article aims to relate disaster management to livelihood security to develop a meaningful understanding of lessons learned from Phailin compared to Super Cyclone. The findings revealed that initiatives with national and local commitments for disaster risk reduction helped protect human life and mitigate damages in 2013. Key to disaster risk reduction was promoting community initiatives in the stages of preparedness, sounding early warnings, response, and recovery. This article shows a wide range of stakeholder engagement in disaster risk reduction and highlights necessary improvements to the mainstream livelihood-centered approach to disaster management to reduce the impact of tropical cyclones.