DMS HIMALAYA

The Indian Himalayas represent one of the world’s most disaster-vulnerable zones. Climate change has exacerbated this threat: the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests has recognised the region as one of the areas most at risk from climate change, with floods and landslides increasing exponentially in the last three decades. Poor infrastructure and endemic poverty leave isolated rural communities particularly vulnerable to the impact of disasters, and the region displays very low resilience, with no reduction in the disaster death toll year upon year. As a result of these factors, Disaster Management has become one of the most pressing concerns for the Himalayan region. DMS Himalaya is designed to establish a citizen-based Disaster Management System (DMS) for improving disaster preparedness and response at grassroots level in the Indian Himalayas. It is being implemented across five states and union territories in India (Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Meghalaya and Uttarakhand). It incorporates 2 tools – “Go-Risk” (an early warning tool with grassroots measurement grids and communication channels for pre-disaster use) and “RnR-Comm” (relief & response information-sharing tool to help multi-agency response coordination for post-disaster use) to enhance local self-reliance and improve effectiveness of humanitarian support.

RESOURCE DIRECTORY

DMS-Himalaya Resource Directory www.pragya.net/dms web portal is an information directory of the disaster responding agencies, resources, logistics and DMS Himalaya networks of the 12 Indian districts mentioned. The web portal will be launched in all 12 districts to generate awareness amongst the key stakeholders about the directory compiled by considering various district administrate mechanisms, emergency services and human resources available at the respective districts.