The Indian state of Assam is highly prone to disaster and climate risks. A burgeoning population and haphazard planning further drive up the vulnerability of Assam's cities to such risks.
This issue of Southasiadisasters.net focuses on the theme of Emergency Management Exercises (EMExes) in Assam. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) recently organized a series of EMExs across several cities of Assam. The objective of such exercises was to bring together various actors such as state and regional emergency responders, educational institutions, hospitals, health care professionals, humanitarian agencies, government departments, non-government organisations, civil society organisations and professionals from emergency management-related fields - to assess the cities' disaster preparedness and resilience, acquire new skills for emergency management and mass casualty events, and to develop a multi-disciplinary, inter-stakeholder, coordinated response during emergencies.
This issue's contents includes: (i) Journey from 2012 to 2015: A Sincere Effort in Improving Preparedness for Emergency Response; (ii) Child Centered DRR–The Thematic Focus in GEMEx 2015; (iii) Scaling Down the Idea of EMExs in Districts of Assam–the Approach of ASDMA; (iv) GEMEx, 2015: Learning Emergency Ways of Working of the Public Health Work Force; (v) Redefining Ownership–School Based Disaster Risk Reduction a Reality in Axom Jatiya Vidyalay; (vi) When Disaster Reduction Became a Reality–the Story to Share; (vii) Making Emergency Preparedness 'Walk the Talk'–Mission EMEx of Assam Reaches Nalbari; (viii) Lakhimpur Emergency Management Exercise (LEMEx), 2016 and (ix) Dhemaji Emergency Management Exercise (DEMEx), 2016.
Some of the best thinkers, researchers, experts, and activists, including Mihir R. Bhatt with AIDMI Team; Lt Gen NC Marwah, PVSM, AVSM (Retd) Member, National Disaster Management Authority, New Delhi; Kripaljyoti Mazumdar, Project Officer, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), Assam Secretariat, Dispur, Assam; Sunny Buragohain and Barnali Singha, Program Coordinator, Doctors for You NERO Office, Guwahati and Md. Rafiqul Islam, Subject Teacher (English), Govt. Gurdon HS School, Nalbari.
This issue highlights the recently held EMExs from the various cities of Assam such as Guwahati, Nalbari, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Sibsagar, Darrang, and Sonitpur. Preparedness and coordination are crucial for an effective response to emergencies. Read on to know more on how these EMExes are helping in inculcating a culture of preparedness among the first responders to disasters in Assam's cities.