Republic quaked

Gujarat is paying a heavy price for a calamity that is by far the biggest government-made disaster since Independence. As the state crawls out …

Empowered panchayats make for true liberalisation

A myth actively perpetuated by traditional politicians and a supportive bureauracy is that panchayat bodies are India's lowest ranked …

Eye on the storm

Cyclone Phailin has not taken many lives but has left behind a trail of destruction that severely cripples people’s livelihood. What did it …

Still life in waves

The visual media is into the business of producing images. Sometimes, just sometimes, they become iconic. For disasters there is a recognisable …

"The management did not adhere to safety norms"

It is 15 years since 60 tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC) leaked outfrom Union Carbide Corporation's (UCC) plant in Bhopal, killing 5,000 people …

‘How can India be a defendant, and not a claimant in the Bhopal case’

Union law minister, Veerappa Moily, on October 27, announced the government will not pursue the ongoing lawsuit in the US for compensating Bhopal …

'I cannot be a mute spectator to the carnage of Ganga'

As Uttarakhand grapples with the task of repair and restoration, octogenarian environmentalist G D Agarwal's fast to free Ganga of dams continues.…

The chemistry of living death

THE world's biggest industrial disaster has been rendered today its most trivial. Criminal corporate culpability and governmental concern for its …

Beyond Bhopal: incentive for unsafe industries

A judgement by a Bhopal court has brought the worst gas tragedy into spotlight. It has galvanized the media and the government into action. A …

Flat in 20 days

Global climatic anomalies allied with local weather conditions produced the most freakish hailstorms in central and north India in February and …

How to contain Himalayan tsunamis

The Himalaya has one of the most fragile topographies among mountain ranges of the world on account of being the youngest. Even though its phase …

Future shock

As the world continues to pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the global temperatures could rise by 3°C by mid-century, says a soon-to-…

'Natural disasters are shaped by social and economic inequality'

Down To Earth speaks to historian Ben Kingsbury, who, in his book An Imperial Disaster: The Bengal Cyclone of 1876, says natural disasters are …

Earthquakes don't kill, our collapsing structures do

The evidence from Italy and other earthquakes is damning: structures are not generally earthquake-proof

How to assess disasters: 8 Indian states adopt global standards

Separate window by 15th finance commission for carrying out Post-Disaster Needs Assessment

Early action can mitigate impact of disaster; Africa sets an example

A pilot project in three African countries shows how vulnerable communities can survive climate disasters if early actions are taken

Why women need to be at the heart of disaster response: Lessons from Odisha Super Cyclone

Women are not only the most affected during and after disasters but also often act as first responders

Photo-copy

If this is world's best in photojournalism, then it is shocking. Make no mistakes. Most of the photographs, featured at the Annual World Press …

Hurricane Fiona’s legacy: How studying storm impacts can help us better prepare for future events

Studies tell us that relying solely on historical data for protecting our coastal communities can lead to a significant underestimation of …

Thailand’s new early warning technology to protect 70 million from disasters

The country suffered economic loss due to natural disasters from 2009-2018 to the tune of $46,055,161  

Centre announces Rs 940 crore, but Tamil Nadu yet to learn from disasters

As floods in Tamil Nadu cause a financial dent and Chennai is declared a disaster zone, a look at the rescue efforts and what’s missing in …

Nairobi Declaration set to fast track disaster risk reduction work

Sendai Framework aims to substantially reduce disaster risk and losses in lives and livelihoods 

India releases first ever national disaster management plan

The plan spells out the roles of all tiers of the government, including panchayats and urban local bodies

Lok Sabha discusses losses due to natural calamities since 2012

Only 59 per cent of the funds allocated for relief operations were actually released in 2015 as compared to 77 per cent in 2012

Hurricane Matthew is just the latest unnatural disaster to strike Haiti

At least 1,000 people perished when Hurricane Matthew battered Haiti last week, destroying houses and displacing tens of thousands