Abstract: The District level Agromet Advisory Service (DAAS), likely to be implemented from June 2008, will revolutionise the way India views its weather forecast services.
The authors are Advisor, Office of Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences; Head, Agro Met and Addl DG, India Meteorological Department; and Scientist E, National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida, respectively.
Cloud seeding, a weather modification technique, involves dispersing substances such as silver iodide or salts into clouds to stimulate precipitation. Globally, it has been deployed to combat droughts...
Migration constitutes one of the most transformative forces in India’s demographic and political landscape. Internal labor mobility, particularly the movement of unskilled and semi-skilled workers acr...
The Indian Himalayan region, a geologically dynamic and ecologically sensitive landscape, is currently undergoing a transformation marked by the intersection of tectonic strain, accelerated climate ch...
The Himalayan region, often termed the "Third Pole," is facing an unprecedented glacial crisis. Glaciers that have endured for millennia are now retreating at alarming rates, driven by accelerated cli...
A continuous and integrated process of planning, organising, coordinating and implementing measures which are necessary or expedient for prevention of danger or threat of any disaster; mitigation or reduction of risk of any disaster or its severity or consequences; capacity building; preparedness to deal with any disaster; prompt response to any threatening disaster situation or disaster; assessing the severity or magnitude of effects of any disaster; evacuation, rescue and relief; and rehabilitation and reconstruction.
A threatening event or the probability of occurrence of a potentially damaging phenomenon (e.g., an earthquake, a cyclonic storm or a large flood) within a given time period and area.
Geographical areas which fall under seismic zones III, IV and V, which are vulnerable to potential impact of earthquakes, landslides, rock falls or mudflows.
Non engineered measures to reduce or avoid possible impacts of hazards such as education, training, capacity development, public awareness, communication etc.
The state of readiness to deal with a threatening disaster situation or disaster and the effects thereof.
The capacity of a system to tolerate perturbation or disturbances without collapsing into a qualitatively different state, to withstand shock and rebuild when necessary.
The determination of the nature and extent of risk by analysing potential hazards and evaluating existing conditions of vulnerability that could pose a potential threat or harm to people, property, livelihoods, and the environment.
Rapid Visual Screening is a procedure requiring visual evaluation to assess the vulnerability of buildings, by permitting vulnerability assessment based on walk around of the building by a trained evaluator. The evaluation procedure and system is compatible with GIS based city database and also permits use of the collected building information for a variety of other planning and mitigation purposes.
The structural modifications to upgrade the strength, ductility and energy dissipating ability of seismically deficient or earthquake damaged structures.
The degree of loss to a given element at risk or set of such elements resulting from the occurrence of a natural phenomenon (or man made) of a given magnitude and expressed on a scale from 0 (no damage) to 1 (total loss).