APEX FORUM

 

SHORTFALLS IN OUR ENDEAVOURS

Some of the worst deficiencies in our disaster management infrastructure are:

  • Lack of trained personnel
  • Resource mobilization and technology implementation at the right time at the right place.
  • Vulnerability of local telephone systems.
  • Information log jam that invariably immobilizes efficient emergency response,
  • absence of a strategy catering to diverse contingencies

 

THE NEXT STEP

Recommendations Based on the deliberations and suggestions given by the participants the following is the summary of recommendations of the Apex Forum:

  • Spread general awareness amongst the people on how technology can help them in fighting disasters and leading a better life.
  • Create building construction code and scrupulously implement it for protection from earthquake, fire, floods etc.
  • Create information centres and ensure transparency, integrity, urgency and responsiveness in its dissemination.
  • Create adequate resources quick to establish and easy to deploy mobile communications on diverse media with redundancy.
  • Acquire early warning resources and ensure their deployability at warfooting.
  • Create adequate capability in air transportation.
  • Establish research facilities in emerging technologies that are highly relevant to mitigation, warning and response to disasters, e.g., artificial intelligence, robotics, genetic engineering, NBC warfare, 3G wireless, radar, sensors and satellite based search and rescue systems.
  • Incorporate electronic-counter-counter-measures (ECCM) in communication systems that cater to emergencies.
  • Prepare for a possible electronic Kargil and information black-out.
  • Create smart networks and C3I systems.
  • Blueprint a civil defence system against NBC, genetic and terrorist attacks.
  • Establish a civil-military liaison network for exchange of intelligence and joint operations against imposed calamities and natural disasters.
  • Initiate measures to protect national information infrastructure (NII).
  • Create databases of scientific expertise, resource availability and organizations engaged in warning, mitigation, response, relief and rehabilitation work.
  • Adopt technologies that are operational and can be put to use with little effort and cost.
  • Take steps to reduce human suffering and economic loss caused by natural and man-made disasters.
  • Make sure that disaster prevention and mitigation are integral part of national development programmes.
  • Promote capacity-building, and establishing partnerships with the international and scientific community working on disaster issues.
  • Ensure that disaster fighting and relief equipment is air transportable and so located that it can be moved quickly to the disaster site.
  • Acquire space and air based sensors in addition to ground based sensors, which may also have a proportion which can be air seeded.
  • Nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction have assumed great importance in view of capabilities of our adversaries and ever increasing threat from terrorists. Therefore, concerted effort is called for development of defensive measures including early warning and psychological preparation of the people.

IETE: Agenda for Action

Act as a think tank to find pragmatic solutions to the vexatious issues and technological challenges connected with disasters, both natural and man-made.

  • Involve itself in liaison and co-ordination activities for development of emerging technologies with suitable support from the Government.
  • Create a corpus and establish a research seat under the Board of Research on appropriate and relevant technologies.
  • Establish information centres and set up databases on various facets of disaster management with support from the Government agencies and in collaboration with international and national organizations engaged in similar tasks.
  • Cooperate with international and national organizations, in particular the World Bank and ProVention Consortium and provide technical support to the World Bank operations in India.
  • Initiate training programmes for improving the management of disaster risk in the vulnerable and inaccessible regions and help build information and telecommunication infrastructure.
  • Help the Government in promoting sustainable projects and initiatives that incorporate effective prevention of disasters.
  • Set up HAM stations at various centres of the Institution and impart training.
  • Promote education, training, technical support and partnership with other social organizations in the areas of disaster prevention, mitigation and response.
  • Dr Mashelkar proposed that the suggestions and recommendations of this conference be collated and presented to the National Disaster Management Group constituted under the Chairmanship of Shri Sharad Pawar. Copy of the proceedings of this Forum should also be sent to the National Institutions for their inputs, comments and information.

Conclusion

The province and scope of crisis management and emergency response have grown partly because the man has fiddled with the nature and environment and partly because human is pitted against human. The changes that technology has brought about are both benevolent and malevolent. Disaster-planning, response, mitigation, and recovery efforts using new high-tech methodologies and devices are undergoing metamorphosis as indeed new methods of destruction are being invented. "When cooperation and cohesiveness become the rule of the road, when learning curves flatten out a bit, and when responders turn more comfortable with their new high-tech tools, then the business of dealing with disasters will become more efficient and effective."