India has 2% of the total land area of the world but supports morethan 17% of global population. Due to diverse geological environment and geodynamic processes, the country faces several types of geohazards including earthquakes, landslides, tsunami, glacial lake outburst floods, landslide dammed lake out burst floods etc. that affect the lives, economy and environment adversely. About 2% of the gross domestic product and 12% of the revenue is lost on an average annually due to various disasters that also kill several thousand people. Approximately 59% of the land territory is affected by earthquakes and falls in seismic zones III, IV and V where seismic intensities of VII, VIII and IX respectively may be expected. The northern part of the country comprises Himalayan belt that is geodynamically active, climatically sensitiveand severely susceptible to landslides and flash floods besides the earthquakes. Due to changing climatic conditions, rising population and unsafe development / urbanizationpractices, the incidences and impacts of these geohazards are increasing.
Keeping the above context in mind, the national disaster management authorityin Indiahas made attempts to assess the types and levels of thesedisasters that affected the country in the past and identified potential risks to different vulnerable elements based on inputs from various sectors and disciplines. The professional geologists and engineers have contributed greatly towards better scientific understanding of the geohazards and formulating effective plans forsafer sustainable development. The national level policy, guidelines, plans, programmes, projects and procedures / regulatory measures focusing on technical, administrative, financial, legal and socio-cultural issues, have targeted integration of disaster risk reduction with development.
The paper discusses the national initiatives with particular reference to earthquakes and landslides with a view to share and exchange the experiences in disaster risk reduction. It will help in learning good and bad practices for promoting disaster resistant / resilient development and nurturing a culture of risk avoidance, prevention, mitigation and preparedness at global level.
