Project: Strengthening Disaster Risk Management Capacity During COVID-19 in Cyclone/Flood-Prone Areas – KISS
  • JICA Partnership

Strengthening Disaster Risk Management

Navigating overlapping crises with resilience and preparedness

Odisha has long been recognised as a global leader in disaster preparedness and response. From Cyclone Phailin (2013) to Cyclone Fani (2019), the state has demonstrated how timely action and strong systems can save lives.

However, the simultaneous impact of Cyclone Amphan and the COVID-19 pandemic introduced an unprecedented layer of complexity — challenging existing disaster management frameworks and requiring rapid adaptation at every level.

This initiative, supported by JICA, focused on strengthening Disaster Risk Management (DRM) systems to respond effectively to such compound risks, where natural disasters and public health emergencies intersect.

Why It Matters

The convergence of a large-scale cyclone with a global pandemic exposed critical gaps in conventional disaster response systems.

Key interventions included:

Reluctance of communities to evacuate due to fear of COVID-19 infection
Managing mass evacuations while ensuring physical distancing
Balancing rapid response with strict health protocols and PPE usage
Limited shelter capacity due to distancing norms and repurposing of facilities as COVID care centres
Need for special arrangements for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, elderly, and the sick
Increased demand for water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure in shelters

These challenges highlighted the urgent need to rethink disaster preparedness in the context of cascading and concurrent risks.

What We Do

The project focused on capturing lessons from Cyclone Amphan and translating them into actionable strategies to strengthen DRM systems across Odisha and beyond.

Key interventions included:

Identification and documentation of good practices and lessons learned from cyclone management during the pandemic
Strengthening disaster preparedness and response capacities of state, district, and community-level stakeholders
Supporting the development and refinement of DRR/DRM plans and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for multi-hazard scenarios
Enhancing preparedness of shelters and health facilities to respond to both natural and biological risks
Developing public awareness tools and knowledge resources for wider dissemination
Facilitating knowledge sharing across coastal states, including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu
Promoting MSME resilience through identification of business continuity risks and critical needs

Through this, the project contributed to localising the priorities of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) within real-world, high-risk contexts.

Interventions

Multi-hazard disaster preparedness and response

Community resilience and risk awareness

Strengthening institutional systems and protocols

Knowledge sharing and cross-state learning

Relevant SDGs

Impact Metrics

Field research and implementation conducted across 6 coastal districts: Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Khordha, Puri, and Ganjam

Strengthened preparedness of government systems and communities for managing compound disaster risks

302 households directly engaged through field-level interventions and assessments

Improved integration of health safety protocols within disaster response mechanisms

Creation of knowledge resources to inform policy and practice beyond Odisha

Partners

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) – Funding Partner

Resilience Innovation Knowledge Academy (RIKA) – Implementing Partner