THE IMPACT OF NATURAL DISASTERS ON DEVELOPMENT OF INDIA

Abstract

This paper focuses on the linkage between India’s economic development and natural disasters, and ventures to outline a framework for thinking about this connection. The short-term effects of natural disasters are well documented, however the long-run impact of disasters on economic growth and development continue to be a subject of debate. The paper outlines the available knowledge of the long-term economic impact of natural disasters on the Indian economic development. It also extract links between disasters, resource management and conflict. The paper argues that India being a developing country, where disasters happen to occur with remarkable frequency, need to develop more sturdy adaptation and responding capability to natural disasters as part of development planning. The paper highlights the need for more work on the relation between climate change and the frequency of disasters (climate change being the ultimate disaster, aggravates natural disasters and its frequency ) and a brand new way of looking at natural disaster resilience as an essential part of, rather than as an add-on to economic growth and development strategy.