Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Meet on Disaster Risk Management

GS 3: Disaster Management

Why in News?

The Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is organising a meeting of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Cluster Group on Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in New Delhi.

Highlights:

Indian Ocean Rim Association is an inter-governmental organisation and has many disaster-prone countries among its 22 members and nine dialogue partners. DRM is one of its priority areas and its Action Plan (2017-2021) has specific goals to improve resilience in IORA countries.

  • The two-day meeting will feature interactive sessions and will focus on development of a draft Work Plan for DRM in IORA.
  • It will also deliberate on the need for establishing a DRM Core Group to take forward the
    agreed objectives under the Work Plan.

IORA action plan (2017-2021):

Under the IORA Action Plan 2017-2021, the development of DRM in IORA has been given focused direction. The Cluster Group on DRM, chaired by India for a period of two years, is tasked with leading the formulation of a Work Plan for this Priority Area, with the aim to enhance cooperation and develop resiliency in the IOR.

  • The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is sometimes called the “World’s Hazard Belt” as it is prone to disasters, both natural and man-made. Natural disasters under the group of Climatological (cyclones and droughts), Geological and Tectonic (earthquakes and tsunamis) and Hydrological (floods and tidal surges) origins are very common and reoccurring phenomena in the region.

According to the UN ESCAP, around 50% of natural disasters occurring in this region are climatogenic and seismogenic in nature.

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