Summary:
The book launch event, titled “Disaster Planning and Governance in India: Expert’s Experiences and Insights” was held on Tuesday, May 27th 2025, at India International Centre (IIC) at 5:30pm. The book is co-edited by Dr. Sunita Reddy and Shri Anil Kumar Sinha, bringing together knowledge and firsthand experiences from India’s evolving disaster management landscape.
The evening began by a formal welcome by Dr. Usha Mujoo Munshi, Chief Librarian at IIC. Dr. Anshu Sharma, Co-founder of SEEDS Technical Services, moderated the session, opening with a tribute to Shri P.P. Srivastava, who was a key figure in India’s disaster management efforts which was then followed by the felicitation of dignitaries.
Prof. Ian Davis, an eminent scholar and Visiting Professor at Kyoto, Lund and Oxford Brookes Universities, joined online to appreciate the efforts by the contributors and share his perspective. He emphasized the importance of integrating local knowledge with global frameworks for disaster resilience and appreciated India’s growing capacity in disaster governance.
The event started by featuring reflections from the book’s editors:
- Sunita Reddy, Associate Professor at JNU and Founder Chair of Anthropos India Foundation, shared her insights on the significance of the book in filling a crucial gap in disaster studies literature. She enlightened us with her journey from the ideation of the book to the publishing.
- Shri Anil Kumar Sinha, IAS (Retd.), Former Vice Chairman of BSDMA, elaborated on the motivation behind the book, highlighting the need for accessible resources that combine academic rigour with field-based knowledge.
An insightful address by Prof. Dhananjay Singh, Member Secretary at ICSSR, followed. He stressed the importance of policy-oriented research in disaster governance and the role of collaborative academic-practitioner efforts in shaping effective disaster policies.
The author’s reflections session featured contributions from:
- R.K. Bhandari, Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering,
- Shri K.M. Singh, Vice President of Policy Perspective Foundation,
- V.K. Sharma, Senior Professor at IIPA and Vice Chair of the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority.
They discussed India’s journey in disaster management, from reactive approaches to proactive risk reduction, community engagement and institutional strengthening. They underscored challenges like resource constraints, the need for interdisciplinary capacity building and the integration of disaster planning into broader development frameworks.
The session also saw insights from Shri A.K. Mangotra, IAS (Retd.), former Secretary (Border Management), DG (DGSSD) and Dr. Chandrani Bandyopadhyay Neogi, Associate Professor, Department of Urban Planning, SPA Delhi, who emphasized the role of spatial planning in building resilient urban systems.
An open house session followed with the audience engaging with the speakers in a lively Q&A.
The event concluded with closing remarks by Dr. Sunita Reddy and Shri Anil Kumar Sinha, who reiterated the need for a holistic, inclusive and context-specific approach to disaster governance in India. Dr. Anshu Sharma delivered the vote of thanks, acknowledging the contributions of all speakers, authors and attendees. The book stands as a critical resource, combining policy insights, field experiences and academic perspectives to guide future disaster management efforts in India.
