Readers Response

Growing up, I would spend time with my grandparents in Khagaria – one of the flood-prone districts of Bihar. I have, therefore, witnessed and experienced floods first-hand. Reading this magazine brought back childhood memories of those annual flood events. My daughter recently gave me the latest issue of Know Disasters. I was amazed to see this kind of magazine in the public domain. It stands out above the rest. I appreciate the magazine for its simple yet defining approach and broad perspective on diverse topics related to disasters.

I liked the arguments in the article on ‘India’s Disaster Response Mechanism’ authored by Colonel Razzaque Adil that was published in the March-22 issue of Know Disasters. The United States follows a similar approach, realizing the victims were the first responders, not the police, etc. This caused a shift in training and educating the public on emergency preparedness to incorporate the up to 72-hour delay in response from major disasters and a (roughly) up to 10-minute response gap is rapidly evolving emergencies such as active assailants. The training helped to reemphasize the need to learn first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). I also liked the fact that the article included modulating plans, keeping them adaptable and flexible in any situation.

I liked each and every article published in the March-22 issue as analysing the gender dimension in resilience, recovery, response and Impact of disaster is very important. Differential gender roles mainly created by societal norms led to discrimination of men and women in every sphere of life. The theme Gender and Disasters is so interesting and insightful and will help to increase awareness to focus more on gender dimension in policy making for disaster management.

I compliment the entire team of publishers and editors for their efforts on very relevant topics and areas which they have selected with pictorial views. This magazine always comes with a good range of topics related to DRR and climate change issues. Their analysis has been made sectorally. However, this could have been more interesting by increasingly linking the issues with socio-economic-political- legal aspects from an interdisciplinary point of view. Though overall it’s very informative and interesting to read for a common person.

We are delighted to share a few insightful views received as feedback about the previous issues from different sections of society. We take note of these suggestions and will try to ensure that they are incorporated in the forthcoming issues. I have gone through the very comprehensive paper on the 15th Finance Commission that appeared in the September issue of Know Disasters magazine. It would be good if you could, in due course, cover the status of implementation of these recommendations of the Finance Commission. The other articles in the magazine are also very well analysed and comprehensive. Congratulations to the authors and the editorial team.

Know Disasters is just superb! The magazine has reputed authors and writers who cover many aspects of disaster management. The news and book review sections are very informative. The motivational article by a TISS faculty is also quite interesting. Above all, your short article explaining the greater cyclonic vulnerability of the Bay of Bengal is the icing on the cake. The magazine has all the attributes of an internationally-acclaimed magazine.

We are delighted to share a few insightful views received as feedback about the previous issues from different sections of society. We take note of these suggestions and will try to ensure that they are incorporated in the forthcoming issues. In my eyes, KNOW DISASTERS is the first magazine I have studied related to disasters. I have learned a lot about disasters, such as how disasters and development are interlinked and how SDGs, climate change and disasters are interconnected. Satendra Singh’s article on forest fires and climate change and their impact on each other gave me great insight into this area; so is Ahmad Rashiq’s article on groundwater crisis and the traditional and modern methods of water conservation like johads (khadin), bhungroos or holiyas, baolis, kunds or kundis, naulas and rainwater harvesting. Komal Priya Singh’s article conveyed the need for equality even during disasters. Persons with disabilities are a crucial section of our society and, we have to include them in development processes. The article on the 15th Finance Commission – A Game-Changer for Disaster Finances in India, takes a very holistic and comprehensive approach to the financial structure for disaster management in India.