Natural Hazards and Disaster Management

Biography

Biography: Amardeep Bhardwaj

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: Viewed from a global perspective, amongst all the agencies available to mankind to combat disasters, the military has repeatedly proved itself to be the most capable. However, a few probing questions reveal the true state of affairs: how optimally are the military forces trained, equipped, organized and mandated for DM? Within the ‘training’ domain itself, are adequate number of servicemen being trained, is their education & training institutionalized, is the requisite training infrastructure in place, have training requirements been scientifically deduced, is the curriculum purposeful, is formal certification being provided, are the training institutes accredited and finally, how effective has the training proved in actual disaster operations? Truthful answers to these questions reveal the extent of the problem.

Addressing the Problem: There is a dire need to graduate from a ‘nation-specific’ to a trans-national perspective, so as to develop a globalised approach to disaster response and relief. Moreover, the military needs to get far more specialized in training and equipping itself for such complex and delicate operations. The paper outlines a bouquet of options for each military to choose from so as to optimize itself for DM.

Recommendations and Conclusion: To bring about the desired transformation the paper identifies a number of different ‘Pathways’ or ‘Approaches’. It also suggests curricula for ‘higher’ levels of education and training of the military. Further, it discusses the ‘Training Vistas’ relevant to the military and makes a strong case for it to be trained in consonance with the tasks or duties assigned to it during DRR/HADR. It concludes by showcasing a number of innovative and ‘out of the box’ solutions to significantly upgrade the military’s efficiency in executing disaster relief operations.