India
India Committed To Strengthening Global Cooperation On Disaster Risk Reduction: PM’s Principal Secretary
By: News18 India
Published: 27 October 2026
Photo / Illustration: Haldwani Times News Desk
<p>Dr P. K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, on Tuesday called for a comprehensive approach to disaster risk reduction, emphasising that the next decade must focus on protecting development and reducing economic losses alongside saving lives.</p>
<p>Addressing the Meeting of Senior Officials on Disaster Risk Reduction, convened by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and co-chaired by India and the United Kingdom, he highlighted the growing interconnections among climate change, urbanisation, infrastructure expansion and environmental degradation.</p>
<p>He observed that while improvements in early warning, preparedness and emergency response have helped save lives, economic losses remain high. He called for moving beyond departmental silos towards a holistic understanding of risks and their cascading consequences.</p>
<p>Referring to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Dr. Mishra called for its accelerated implementation through 2030 and greater investment in prevention, mitigation and institutional capacity. He highlighted India’s efforts under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, including the Ten-Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction (2016) and the amendments to the Disaster Management Act in 2025.</p>
<p>Emphasising that disaster financing must deliver measurable outcomes, he called for resilient infrastructure, stronger urban institutions and greater integration of nature-based solutions into development planning.</p>
<p>Dr. Mishra stressed the importance of artificial intelligence, machine learning and multi-hazard early warning systems, underlining that warnings must trigger timely action and financing. He also called for advance planning of recovery mechanisms to ensure that reconstruction reduces, rather than reproduces, existing vulnerabilities.</p>
<p>Reaffirming India’s commitment to international cooperation, he highlighted the establishment of the G20 Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction during India’s G20 Presidency in 2023 and continued efforts to strengthen global collaboration in this area during its BRICS Chairship.</p>
<p>Concluding his address, Dr. Mishra outlined three priorities: a better understanding of emerging and interconnected risks; more effective investment in resilience across public finance, infrastructure, cities and natural systems; and stronger institutions supported by practical international cooperation.</p>
<p>He called for consolidating the achievements of the Sendai Framework and accelerating its implementation through 2030, emphasising that the next decade must demonstrate the ability to protect not only lives but also the assets, infrastructure and development that communities build.</p>
<p>Dr. P. K. Mishra outlined three main priorities: achieving a better understanding of emerging and interconnected risks, executing more effective investments in resilience across multiple sectors, and building stronger institutions supported by practical international cooperation.</p>
<p>India's initiatives under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi include the Ten-Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction introduced in 2016 and subsequent amendments made to the Disaster Management Act in 2025.</p>
<p>India established the G20 Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction during its G20 Presidency in 2023 and has continued to strengthen global collaboration in this area through its BRICS Chairship.</p>
