Online Capacity Building Programme on Disaster Risk Reduction
Date : 19 June 2020 :: Rono Hills

Online Capacity Building Programme on Disaster Risk Reduction

“When disaster strikes, the time to prepare has passed”, the words of Steven Cyros warns us to have a plan before the damaging onset. In this regard, the Department of Social Work, RGU has conducted Online Capacity Building Programme (eCBP) on Disaster Risk Reduction with special reference to Earthquake, Flood, Landslide, Fire and other Emergent Hazards for National and International Participants.

During Inaugural Session, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Saket Kushwaha emphasized that we have the engineering and technological capacities evolving to minimize disaster impacts. Every day engineers and scientists come up with climate and disaster smart solutions to make structures earthquake-proof, to mitigate the impact of floods, and to stave off the worst of hurricanes.

Yet, these solutions don’t come cheap and are sadly not affordable everywhere. In such a situation building skills and insights of key stakeholders becomes the most viable solution.

Prof. Amitava Mitra, the Pro Vice Chancellor raised the point that the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction as the leading global initiative on Disaster Management currently recognizes that the responsibility of reducing disaster risk should be shared with other stakeholders including local government, the private sector and other concerned. Building capacity of key stakeholders is the overarching rationale behind the four specific priority areas under it.

Prof. Tomo Riba, Registrar, Rajiv Gandhi University called upon the participants that there are no such things as “natural disasters”. Hazards are natural events, occurring more or less frequently and of a greater or lesser magnitude, but disasters are due to risk-blind development. What makes hazards become disasters depends primarily on the way societies develop, build, construct and prepare their population to respond to these hazards.

During his welcome address Dr. Kaushalendra Pratap Singh, Head, Department of Social Work and Convenor highlighted the need of Capacity Building Programme substantiating with the recent figures which show that 68% of India’s land is prone to drought, 60% to earthquakes, 12% to floods and 8% to cyclones, making India one of the top disaster prone countries in the world.

75% of the North East is under constant threat of flood and landslide and 45% of Assam is affected with flood especially during monsoon every year. In addition to tremendous loss of life and property, these and other recurring disasters such as fire result in huge displacement, migration and other resultant problems.

An overwhelming response, including more than 700 applications from interested participants across the country cutting across disciplines and occupations, were received to attend the eCBP. The applicants included a Mixed Occupational Profile of Academicians, Research Scholars, Social Scientists and Development Professionals.

Participants included a proportionate representation from all these categories ensuring representations from numerous institutions and over 27 states of the country along with seven international participants from Nepal.

The programme witnessed a total of three technical sessions over eight hours through Google Meet platform having seasoned, experienced and dynamic resource persons from those at the forefronts of the country.

The Distinguished resource persons who enriched the one-day eCBP with their insightful experience and lively deliberations, included: Shri P. K. Srivastava, Commandant, 8th BN NDRF, Gaziabaad, Uttar Pradesh, India; Shri Ravi Kumar Pandita, Commandant, 7th BN NDRF, Bhatinda, Punjab, India and Brigadier Kuldip Singh (Retd.), Sr. Consultant, NDMA, New Delhi, India. The topics of deliberation included earthquake, landslide, fire and other recurring and emergent disasters, their causation, preparedness, mitigation and response.

Shri Rajneesh Lamba, Commandant, SSB Training Centre, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh graced the valedictory session as guest of honour. Dr. Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Assistant Professor and Convenor proposed the vote of thanks.