Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) will sign two important Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and CivicDataLab (CDL) on September 2, aimed at strengthening disaster risk assessment, data management, digital infrastructure and data-driven decision-making in the state.
The two partnerships are expected to pave the way for a more coordinated, data-driven and risk-informed disaster management system in Odisha.
Under the first MoU, OSDMA and UNDP will undertake a comprehensive Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (HRVA) across all 30 districts of the state.
A key component of the initiative will be the development of a state-owned, GIS-enabled HRVA platform for OSDMA. The platform will enable data-driven assessment of various hazards and provide a comprehensive understanding of hazards, exposure, vulnerability and overall disaster risks.
The system is expected to support evidence-based planning and decision-making at different levels of administration, strengthening the state’s capacity for disaster preparedness, mitigation and risk reduction.
The second MoU, between OSDMA and CivicDataLab, will be a non-financial agreement aimed at developing a framework for Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Odisha.
The initiative will not involve the creation of another standalone digital platform. Instead, it seeks to establish an integrated and interoperable data ecosystem through which disaster-related data can be collected, managed, shared, coordinated and effectively utilised.
The combined impact of the two initiatives is expected to provide a stronger foundation for risk-informed governance, anticipatory action, disaster preparedness, mitigation and resilient development planning in Odisha.
The United Nations Development Programme has been working in India since 1951 in various areas of human development, including disaster management. It has extensive experience in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Community-Based Disaster Preparedness (CBDP).
UNDP has also maintained a long-standing partnership with the Government of Odisha and has supported the state in strengthening disaster preparedness, resilient housing, climate resilience, community-level capacity building and resilience through various initiatives.
The organisation has also undertaken an HRVA study in areas under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Drawing on this experience and expertise, UNDP and OSDMA will undertake the comprehensive HRVA covering all 30 districts of Odisha.
CivicDataLab is a research organisation working to strengthen data-driven governance and public welfare through the intersection of data and technology.
It has significant experience in Disaster Risk Reduction and Digital Public Infrastructure and has worked with the Assam State Disaster Management Authority on disaster risk reduction initiatives.
Its Intelligent Data Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDS-DRR) initiative in Assam integrates hazard, vulnerability and other critical datasets to support data-driven disaster management planning and decision-making.
The proposed partnerships are expected to further strengthen Odisha’s efforts towards building a resilient, technology-enabled and data-driven disaster management ecosystem.
