Guwahati, July 24: Due to the topographical uniqueness, the North Eastern Region is highly vulnerable to natural calamities like floods, earthquakes, and landslides, which result in immense loss of life and economic damage.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is equipping State Disaster Management Authority(SDMA) officials from the Northeast with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement disaster prevention measures, promote pre-disaster investments, and enhance mitigation efforts across the Northeast region.

The Centre for Disaster Management and Research (CDMR), and the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) have collaborated to implement a training programme geared towards enhancing the capacities of State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) officials of the North Eastern Region with the latest global techniques for disaster prevention and mitigation.

For instance, since 1980, EM-DAT- an international disaster database maintained by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, University of Louvain has recorded 115 large-scale disasters involving the Northeast, with floods affecting more than 2 million people in recent years (2012, 2017, 2020) and multiple earthquakes with magnitude 6 or greater (1991, 2007, 2015). “Such natural disasters require the respective SDMA to implement effective disaster risk reduction initiatives” JICA says.

The two-week training programme will be conducted annually till March 2027. IIT Guwahati, as the project’s implementation agency, was instrumental in bringing together all SDMA officials in the region to jointly participate in the training in Japan.

The training programme aims to enhance the capacities of State Disaster Management Authority officials with Japanese and global knowledge for disaster risk reduction.

IIT Guwahati will tailor effective training plans for SDMAs to sustain the efforts to enhance disaster risk reduction measures based on the project’s findings.

By providing training based on Japan’s leading expertise and best practices from Japan and the globe, the project seeks to bolster the region’s preparedness and resilience against such catastrophic events. The first batch joined the two-week programme and learned about Japan’s leading policies, technologies, and best practices in disaster risk reduction from May 13-24 this year.

Mr. Saito Mitsunori, Chief Representative, of JICA India says The North Eastern Region is especially prone to floods, landslides, and earthquakes because of their mountainous geography. Also, climate change increases the disaster risks due to unpredictable weather patterns in the region. “Through the programme, we hope that North Eastern states and IIT Guwahati will acquire the latest knowledge and technologies to enhance their disaster preparedness. By leveraging Japanese and global knowledge, we will continue to collaborate with NDMA, SDMAs and IIT Guwahati to realise a disaster-resilient Northeast” he says.

Building on the knowledge gained during the first training in Japan, the IITG and the State governments will identify the specific challenges and capacity development needs of each North Eastern state in disaster risk reduction and management by July this year in collaboration with a team of Japanese experts.

JICA says it remains committed to strengthening the disaster resilience of communities in Northeast India by facilitating the transfer of cutting-edge technologies, knowledge, and best practices from Japan.

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