The Government of India has approved an allocation of ₹507.37 crore to strengthen community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) initiatives across 20 states, marking a significant step toward enhancing grassroots preparedness and resilience against natural hazards. The funding aims to empower local communities by placing them at the centre of disaster prevention, preparedness, and response efforts.
The approved programme focuses on building local capacities to identify risks, prepare contingency plans, and respond effectively to disasters such as floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, and droughts. By prioritising community participation, the initiative seeks to reduce dependency on post-disaster relief and instead promote proactive risk mitigation and resilience-building measures.
Key components of the programme include training community volunteers, strengthening early warning dissemination, developing evacuation and shelter plans, and integrating disaster risk awareness into local governance structures. Special emphasis is being placed on vulnerable populations, including women, children, elderly citizens, and persons with disabilities, ensuring that disaster preparedness measures are inclusive and equitable.
Officials highlighted that community-led disaster risk reduction has proven globally to be one of the most cost-effective approaches to minimizing loss of life and property. Local communities, when adequately trained and equipped, are often the first responders during emergencies, making their preparedness critical to reducing disaster impacts.
The funding will be implemented in collaboration with state disaster management authorities and local institutions, ensuring alignment with state-specific risk profiles and development priorities. The initiative also supports India’s broader commitments to climate resilience, sustainable development, and international frameworks on disaster risk reduction.
As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of disasters, the government’s investment in community-based resilience reflects a strategic shift from reactive disaster response to preventive and adaptive risk management. The programme is expected to significantly strengthen disaster preparedness at the grassroots level and enhance long-term resilience across participating states.
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