Giving life to lifeline buildings in India

Hospitals are a lifeline to the community. In any disaster, not only is the local hospital a place of shelter, it is also the ‘last stand’ against allowing the often devastating impact of a disaster from becoming an even more tragic human disaster. In many countries however, these places of shelter would not withstand the impact of a severe natural hazard.

Delhi’s hospital community came together in March to answer the call to reduce vulnerabilities in their facilities and prepare for the eventuality of an earthquake hitting their city. 

The workshop, which was organized by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in partnership with Swiss Re and US-based NGO GeoHazards International, stressed the significant merit in risk management before an earthquake, putting the focus on pre-event planning efforts.  Indian and international experts gave examples of preventative measures that can radically reduce the impact of a disaster, including ensuring emergency systems are in place and can cope with the aftermath of a major earthquake, assessing what needs to be done to ensure buildings and their contents are stabilised to withstand what nature throws at them. 

Through the workshop, Swiss Re joined forces with like-minded leaders to encourage action on this critical need, with Dhananjay Date, head of Swiss Re's India service company and Alok Kumar, Natural Hazard Expert explaining the role of insurance and reinsurance as a pre-planning option.  Just as risk awareness, disaster planning, building codes, zoning, awareness of economic impact and a culture that is ready to invest in reduction measures are critical factors of pre-event planning, so too is re/insurance as a financial risk mitigation tool that ensures economic losses of a disaster will be paid for, enabling rapid relief and recovery after an event.  

As a global company, with unparalleled expertise in risk management, Swiss Re has a strong commitment to helping people, institutions, and entire countries in mitigating the risk associated with natural and other disasters.  "We are firm advocates of proactive risk mitigation – i.e., helping disaster-prone areas pre-plan to better protect themselves before an event strikes, and not only wait until after a disaster to channel aid and funding," said Date.

To further this commitment and advance the understanding of the risks associated with natural disasters, Swiss Re will continue to identify opportunities to participate in encouraging dialogue and action in the communities in which it operates. 

 

Links

Press release

GeoHazards International

Delhi Earthquake Safety Initiative for Lifeline Buildings

 

For more examples of Swiss Re's work in the community, click here.

 

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