MANAGEMENT OF DISASTER THROUGH KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY ON SAMBALPUR DISTRICT, ODISHA

Abstract

Odisha is one of the hazard-prone state and suffers both natural and man-made hazards extensively threatening millions of lives and causing large-scale losses. Disaster management in India also saw a paradigm shift after 2002 from – the ‘humanitarian relief and rehabilitation of victims to the ‘holistic management of disasters’ viewpoint. The present research addressed this absence of information related to hazards and disasters affecting the district-level Sambalpur. This research aimed to find out some aid in the management of disasters at the district level by collecting and synthesizing all related information about disasters that occur in Sambalpur using an integrated approach. The research used publicly available tools as well as data from credible sources (e.g., government reports). To full-fill the aim, the research compiled information about disasters in the Sambalpur district and prepares a spatial database. Based on socio-economic factors – population density and working population, exposure of the blocks was calculated. Risk and exposure to it assisted in making a vulnerability map of the district at the block level. Based on vulnerability, blocks were prioritized for the policy-makers to ease their management in pre-during and post-disaster situations. The result of this paper would assist policy makers to take proper and quick decisions for the management of the blocks making their management efficient and effective and it could be replicated for other districts of Odisha and India.