In India, a vast, multi-hazard country, a multi-faceted approach is essential to deal with heat-related issues and extreme rainfall events. The Home Ministry (MHA) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) oversee not only the post-disaster, but also the pre-disaster phases, using the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction of 2016 as guiding principles.
Disaster risk reduction
In 2021, the 15th Finance Commission adopted a nuanced approach to disaster risk reduction (DRR), aligning public finances with technological and practical advances, and allocated ₹2.28 lakh crore ($30 billion) over its five-year term. It broadened the focus from just post-disaster relief to include prevention, mitigation, preparedness, capacity building, and post-disaster reconstruction. Previously, the financial gap for reconstruction was filled through multilateral debt instruments.
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The Commission allocated 30% for the first segment, divided between preparedness and capacity building (10%) and mitigation (20%). The rest was assigned to the post-disaster phase, split into response (40%) and reconstruction (30%).
In establishing the process chain from budget-to-project for nature-based DRR, five priority areas were identified: evaluating the scale of and prioritising India’s multi-hazard challenges; integrating scientific concepts of mitigation and reconstruction into public finance; avoiding duplication with existing programmes; synergising inter-ministerial, institutional, and Centre-State relationships in developing such programmes; and establishing processes for light-touch regulation.
In the last year of the award of the Commission, the procedures and standards for design and the manner of expense for such programmes have been established. Inter-ministerial, cross-institutional and Centre-State appraisal committees are in place for all hazard- or region-specific projects. Over the past two years, the MHA has approved the first five reconstruction project packages worth about ₹5,000 crore for Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam and Kerala. Work is underway to conduct scientific assessments of damage and loss caused by extreme precipitation in the current monsoon.
For the pre-disaster phase, much of the preparedness and capacity-building funds were allocated to modernising fire safety (₹5,000 crore). Additionally, two specialised groups of 2.5 lakh volunteers, Apda Mitra and Yuva Apda Mitra, were created. Some capacity-building funds will now be directed towards establishing geo-spatial training labs and expanding faculty-led, action-based research at the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM). Strengthening NIDM’s three core objectives of training, research, and documentation, a standard course covering 36 streams of disaster management has been initiated. The aim of capacity building is to mainstream the subject and its practical application to each panchayat.
For the 20% window allocated for mitigation, the best scientists, academicians, and numerous public servants were consulted to develop innovative projects. In the past year, projects worth ₹10,000 crore ($1.2 billion) have been approved and are being implemented across States. They aim to prioritise neglected nature-based solutions as long-term responses to climate change and extreme weather events. As precursor to these forward-looking mitigation programmes, the National Cyclone Mitigation Programme (2011-22) worth ₹5,000 crore had already succeeded in reducing vulnerability of coastal communities to cyclones across eight States. Key infrastructure built included seven-day early warning systems, cyclone shelters, and embankments.
Under these mitigation programmes, the NDMA urges States and urban authorities to revitalise water bodies and green spaces to mitigate urban floods; use remote sensing and site-specific automated weather stations to assess the size of at-risk glacial lakes continually; stress bio-engineering solutions for slope-stabilisation in landslide prevention in high-risk zones; rejuvenate water bodies called beels along the Brahmaputra; and focus on break lines, water body rejuvenation and fuel evacuation to prevent forest fires.
Over the years, the government has also developed advanced early warning systems for various hazards, which have significantly reduced casualties. The multi-media Common Alerting Protocol ensures timely alerts in regional languages. To enhance community capacities, initiatives such as a 327-member network of universities and institutional support from the NIDM are crucial. The NDRF Academy, the National Fire Service College, and NIDM train hundreds of public servants annually, in the science of hazards and policy. Mock exercises are carried out to promote hazard- and region-specific awareness, while school safety programmes educate children and distribute resources.
International coordination
International coordination is crucial in shaping how much India will learn from and teach the world. In the face of unrelenting climate change, India created the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and leads DRR-related initiatives at the G-20, SCO, BIMSTEC, and IORA. On advice from public and private entities, and academic and scientific institutions, India is successfully preparing to de-risk its complex hazard profile through innovative and sustainable nature-based solutions.
Published – October 06, 2025 12:57 am IST
