Dr Dileep Agnihotri
University of Lucknow and Uttar Pradesh Disaster Management Authority have signed a historic agreement to actualize the Honourable Prime Minister’s Ten Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Management.
Prof Alok Kumar Rai Vice Chancellor, University of Lucknow, and Lt General RP Sahi, Honourable Vice Chairman UP SDMA said while signing this agreement that this association is a mile stone for actualisation of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Management including Covid-19. The main purpose of this agreement is to develop and integrate Disaster Management issues into the curriculum and activities of Universities and associated colleges. There is also a need for sensitizing, updating and guiding the educators, researchers, students and all those engaged in inclusive development, knowledge and capacity building on the issues of sustainability and help to develop their disaster resilience.PM’s Ten Point Agenda envisages following salient features including Pandemics like Covid 19 etc. to be taken up by all Departments of the State and District Level as applicable: All development sectors must imbibe the principles of disaster risk management.
Work towards risk coverage for all-starting from poor households to SMEs to multi national corporations to nation-states.
Encourage greater involvement and leadership of women in disaster risk management.
Invest in risk mapping globally. For mapping risks related to hazards like earthquakes, we have accepted standards and parameters.Leverage technology to enhance the efficiency of our disaster risk management efforts.Develop a network of universities to work on disaster issues.
Utilise the opportunities provided by social media and mobile technologies.
Build on local capacity and initiative.
Opportunity to learn from a disaster must not be wasted. After every disaster, there are papers on lessons that are rarely applied.
Bring about greater cohesion in the international response to disasters.
A network of the Universities can play a key role in factoring in disaster management in implementation of the plans for achieving Sustainable Development Goals for overseeing, monitoring, and analysing the indicators of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in accordance with National Disaster Management Plan 2019 and to suggest mid-course correction if required. Also, sustainable development needs to be disaster resilient and be adaptive to climate change impacts.
Prof Sheela Misra, Professor at Dept of Statistics was appointed as nodal officer on behalf of University of Lucknow to coordinate the activities under the purview of this MOU. UPSDMA designated Dr Bhanu, Convenor Inter Agency Group and Secretary PGVS as nodal officer on behalf of UPSDMA to coordinate the activities.
The expected outcome of this MOU shall be in networking with other Universities and educational institutions to make them understand and practice on Prime Minister’s Ten Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Management bringing forth mutually agreed relevant documents through analysis of Primary and Secondary Data, conducting relevant studies and building the capacity of students, faculties and staff in relation to disaster resilience. Both nodal officers are expected to develop a plan of action within a week.
