Context:

• 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.
• 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.
• It would strengthen cooperation in disaster response interventions, including deployment of response teams and mobilization of relief material to affected countries.
• Deliberations at the meeting would also aid information exchange, establishment of disaster database(s) and sharing of best practices.