Due to its geophysical and climatic conditions, India is exposed to multiple hazards and is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. According to Global Climate Risk Index it has remained in the top 10 worst affected countries by disasters for three straight years since 2018. Between 1987-88 and 2008-09, India has spent nearly 10572 million US$ on relief for people affected by natural calamities. Its average annual relief expenditure is 481 million US$.

According the 2015 Global Assessment Report on DRR, India’s average annual loss from floods is estimated to be 7.4 billion US$. Over 97 million people in India are currently exposed to extreme floods.

Around 68% of the country is drought prone in varying degrees. According to the Em-Dat database, in terms of number of people affected by drought since 1900, India ranks first globally. Since 1999 Odisha cyclone, country has witnessed multiple disasters including, tsunami, cyclones, storm surges, flash floods and earthquakes.

It has made simultaneous and significant progress to strengthen its capacities in disaster management. It has put in place very exhaustive instruments in form of acts, policies, plans and guidelines to manage disasters better. It is well supported by an equally efficient institutional systems and a strong political will which is reflected well through its commitments to the Sendai framework, COP and the PM’s 10-point agenda. Its journey from 1999 Odisha cyclone to 2014 cyclone Phailin is well acclaimed globally for preventing human casualties.

However, with the increased frequency and severity of disasters, it is important to continue to invest in emergency preparedness and response strategies for a more rapid, predictable and effective response at the onset of, or in anticipation to, an emergency. Institutional capacities would need constant adaptation to the changing risk landscape and socio-economic vulnerabilities.

Capacities in thematic sectors including food and nutrition, shelter, water sanitation and hygiene, health etc. are crucial as it caters to the most essential lifesaving needs post emergency. Food assistance generally emerges as the most essential lifesaving need that requires immediate attention after every disaster, as disaster disrupts all crucial dimensions of food security including food availability, access, utilisation, and stability. Post emergency, food security and nutrition are more complex than merely provisioning for the immediate and short-term food aid.

Nutrition sensitive response includes layers of technical aspects in food aid and assistance which cuts across sectors including WASH, health, shelter etc. Food and nutritional requirement vary significantly among different group. Humanitarian assistance for people with special needs such as, pregnant and lactating women, infant, elderly, patients including malnourished and those diagnosed with HIV and AIDs etc., will have to be designed and implemented differently.

The sector, therefore, requires a holistic and scientific approach to design the food relief and assistance programme so that it addresses the short-term lifesaving needs through immediate relief and safeguards long term outcomes of food and nutrition security.

The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) with technical support from United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has conducted the capacity needs assessment with the objective to identify the current and latent capacities along with the capacity gaps so that, the capacity strengthening framework are designed to be more strategic to strengthen the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) programmes.

The study report on ‘Mainstreaming Food Security and Nutrition in Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacity and Needs Assessment’ in itself is a starting point, expected to improve the understanding on current capacities and gaps, but at a more strategic level, in the long term, it is expected to contribute towards the following result areas:

1. Improved institutional capacities for Food and Nutrition Security (F&NS) response in emergencies in India
2. Government Policies and programs are more inclusive and adaptive to meet F&NS needs of all marginalized community in emergency.
3. Improved learning platforms enable cooperation for learning exchange, replication and scale-up.

Findings from the capacity needs assessment study will contribute to the capacity intervention strategies and will contribute to the institutional learning and empowerment. It will inform the capacity and information gaps along with potential structural and policy reforms in the sector aimed at mainstreaming food security and nutrition in the emergency preparedness and response in India.

While in a humanitarian context it is extremely important to make provisions for the short term and immediate needs of food, it is equally important to understand if, food and nutrition security, is also included as a long-term outcome and backed adequately through direct and deliberate action in pursuit of these outcomes.

63% of the respondents stated that ‘the current emergency relief efforts incorporate food relief and assistance as a short-term relief measure as a key lifesaving approach,’ and 5% respondents were of the opinion that the current structures of Emergency Preparedness and Response does not include food security and nutrition as a significant component or outcome.

This indicates a potential area of exploration, where efforts can be taken to look at the plans and policies at various levels from an approach which looks at food security and nutrition as an explicit long-term outcome along with the lifesaving short term relief measures. It is a 5 key pre-requisite for the agenda of mainstreaming food security and nutrition in the emergency preparedness and plans.

Although, largely the current institutional capacities are fairly highlighted as a positive, there are few areas of opportunities which may further strengthen the existing capacities. In comparison to the disaster management plans, respondents identified a larger scope to bring focus of food security and nutrition in plans and policies on climate change adaptation and mitigation. Considering the current context of climate change and it may be an extremely important element to factor and mitigate the risk and fragilities induced by climate change.

Nearly 42% of respondents have expressed need for bringing more consultative and participatory processes in formulation of plans and policies. Nearly one-fourth of the respondents, highlighted the need for regular trainings and refresher trainings on specialised themes under food security and nutrition in emergencies are not conducted. 16% responses highlights need for a stronger inter-departmental coordination for food relief and assistance programme in emergencies.

The report also assesses aspects including staff deployments, surge plan and resource pool, staff capacities and orientation and also looks into the structure of India Disaster Resource Network (IDRN) and its role in effective and timely humanitarian response.

30% of the respondents do not agree that core staff are officially assigned duties to manage food and nutrition security in emergencies. Nearly same number of respondents state that departments do not have surge plan and roster of skilled human resource for quick deployments for food relief and assistance during emergencies.

Maintaining a surge plan or a roster of skilled human resource deployed during emergencies to manage direct food assistance and provide support in subsequent phases is a necessary measure as it can save response time in resource mobilisation and can also significantly aid the capacity strengthening strategy for the roster members.

Nearly 26% of the respondents highlight need for staff orientation on guidelines for nutrition sensitive food procurement in emergencies. And 24% respondents bring attention to the need for humanitarian logistics plan for quick transportation and distribution of direct food relief.

29% of the respondents’ supports the statement that adoption of multi-hazard risk assessment techniques while formulating the prepositioning strategies of food relief supplies are needed. India being a multi-hazard prone nation with vast geographical boundaries, the prepositioning strategies must be framed based on multi-hazard risk approach.

Emergency food supplies must not only be located at accessible distance but also need to be free from the exposure of hazards. Around 27% respondents agree that the prepositioning of food relief contingency stock are not always done in places which are safe and accessible in disasters. This may potentially impact disaster response and could be minimised through a risk informed prepositioning strategy.

One of the key composite indicators by NITI Aayog which will have an impact on human development index of aspirational districts is health and nutrition. Health and nutrition count for 30% of the weightage under ‘Transformation of Aspirational 12 Districts’ - National Health Mission as inequalities in health outcomes continue persists across these districts till date.

In-spite of such efforts by the state, 34% respondents state that specific provisions are not included to meet dietary and nutritional requirement of backward tribal population, particularly from aspirational districts vulnerable to disaster risks.

32% of the respondents agreed that quantity and quality of food relief contingency stock could be improved and nearly same number of respondents opined that composition of stock could be determined based on nutritional requirement of vulnerable group and people with special dietary needs. Around 29% of the respondents emphasised on the need of minimum standards guidelines and training on these guidelines.

The full report can be accessed here