Coherent response in financing of Disaster Risk Management by Public, Private and Multilateral insitutions needed – Shri N.K.Singh

Need to be responsive to the needs of the states and availability of funds to SDRF – Dr. P.K.Mishra

XVFC begins a two day International Workshop on Financing Disaster Risk Management in India, jointly organised by XVFC, NDMA, UNDP and The World Bank in New Delhi. Opening session was attended by the Chairman Shri N K Singh, all the members of the Commission, Shri P K Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Shri Junaid Kamal, World Bank country director and representatives from various countries, insurance sector and public finance specialists.

The Chairman in his opening remarks highlighted the changing paradigm of disaster management in the wake of changed trilogy of Risk, Responsibility and Resources due to increased number of stakeholders and the complexity. He mentioned the need of coherent response in financing of DRM by public, private and multilateral institutions. He also emphasised on the need to look into mitigation aspect in Disaster Management.

Dr. P. K. Mishra in his remarks stressed that 'Business As Usual' will not work. There is a steady paradigm shift from relief and response centric approach to mitigation, adaptation and preparedness. India is a signatory of Sendai Framework which has identified investment in resilience as one of its four priorities, he added. He further said that funds given by earlier Finance Commissions had ensured a predictable way of financing post disaster relief and response works.

He emphasized on the need to be responsive to the needs of states as they are at the front line of innovations related to disaster resilience activities. He urged XV FC to look into it whether the funds with the states are adequate. Striking a balance between funds availability to both NDRF and SDRF is important.

Presentations were made by UNDP and Indian Institute of Human Settlement as part of keynote sessions on Overview of the evolution of DRM and Financing Urban Resilience in India respectively based on the studies commissioned to them by the Commission. Few imp points out of the presentations:

1. We need a credible data system that is publicly available.

2. Effective safety nets need to be included so as to speed up the ability to move money quickly into the hands of victims of droughts, floods etc.

3. Centre-state matching grants to prepare for the resilience should be made available.

4. A Hazard Risk index can be developed and the vulnerability score of the state can be measured. Parameters of the index should include Hazard Profile of the state and Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) of the state.

The Workshop is being organised in the context of increasing frequency and severity of disasters . The FC is responsible for advising the Government on the nature and form of Grants-in-Aid to the States. Disaster Relief is one of the major purposes for which grants are provided to the states and is increasingly taking up a larger percentage of grants due to the rising frequency and intensity of disasters every year.

ToR of XV FC states that ‘The Commission may review the present arrangements on financing Disaster Management initiatives, with reference to the funds constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (53 of 2005), and make appropriate recommendations thereon’. The workshop will continue on 13th Nov 2018.