DM vs DRR: Are We Just Managing the Mess? Santa is losing his mind trying to learn what he thinks is a brand-new disaster framework. Banta steps in with an LPG cylinder and a plate of jalebis to prove that Disaster Risk Reduction isn’t a new cycle—it’s just the common-sense lens we forget to use.
Disaster risk reduction
The Drainage Channel That Choked the Hill
When “Progress” Creates the Next Landslide: Santa is celebrating a routine new development project until Banta points out that the new drainage channel is aimed directly at an unstable slope like a water cannon. Discover why DRR must be integrated into normal developmental budgets, not just emergency funds.
The Groundhog Day Retaining Wall
The Merry-Go-Round of Rebuilding: Santa is proud of his new concrete wall, built with “extra cement” after the floods. Banta reveals why rebuilding a mistake is still a mistake, and how ignoring DRR during the reconstruction phase guarantees future failures.
Santa’s Rollercoaster Ride with “Temporary Experts”
Experienced, expert and dedicated manpower is an asset for any organisation and investment on Human Resource need not be considered a financial liability and is a must for ensuring institutional memory and continuity.
Banta’s Buried Treasure and the Resilient Disco
A story about a man who thinks the best disaster plan is a shovel, and the friend who has to explain that you can’t dance away an earthquake. Banta declared his disaster plan: “I’ve buried my life savings in the backyard!” Santa sighed, “That’s not a plan, Banta. That’s a treasure map for the local mice.”
Understanding Ourselves to Build a Safer Future
To build a safer future we need to understand our psychological and cultural biases and prepare a strategy to overcome these so as to infuse resilience in our communities.
Unraveling the Complex Web of Landslide Vulnerability and Resilience
The Himalayan landscape holds a dangerous secret. This article unravels how our own choices—not just climate change—are turning natural hazards into preventable catastrophes, and offers a blueprint for a safer future.
The Ghost of Gohna Tal and the Scientist’s New Compass
As authorities begin a risky, controlled breach of the lake on Yamuna, Banta channels the ghost of Gohna Tal – a 19th-century success story of monitoring and early warning to deliver a powerful lesson on why our modern approach to disaster management is dangerously flawed.
The Scientist’s New Compass
To stop being disaster detective and try becoming community doctor, was Banta’s advise to the brilliant young scientist and he was quick to grasp and launch a new mission.
The Chisoti Cataclysm: A Clarion Call for a New Era of Himalayan Safety
Cataclysms of Dharali and Chisoti are tragic lessons. These are not just about rain; these are about a ticking time bomb in the glaciers, and our failure to act.