THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR,
AUGUST 31, 2026
The Odisha government
will sign two separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and CivicDataLab on September 2 to
strengthen disaster risk assessment, data management, digital infrastructure
and evidence-based decision-making in the state, officials said.
The two strategic
partnerships are aimed at creating a more data-driven, coordinated and
risk-informed disaster management system in Odisha, they said.
Under the proposed
MoU with UNDP, the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) will
undertake a comprehensive Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (HRVA)
across all 30 districts of the state.
The initiative
envisages development of a state-owned, GIS-enabled HRVA platform for OSDMA,
which will facilitate data-driven assessment of various hazards and provide a
clearer understanding of hazard exposure, vulnerability and overall disaster
risk.
The platform is also
expected to support evidence-based planning and decision-making at different
levels of administration, according to the officials.
The second MoU, with
CivicDataLab (CDL), will focus on developing a framework for Digital Public
Infrastructure (DPI) for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Odisha.
The proposed
initiative will not seek to create another standalone digital platform.
Instead, it will focus on building an integrated and interoperable data
ecosystem through which disaster-related data can be collected, managed,
shared, coordinated and utilised more effectively.
Officials said the
convergence of the two initiatives would provide a stronger foundation for
risk-informed governance, anticipatory action, disaster preparedness,
mitigation and resilient development planning in the state.
UNDP, which has been working in India since 1951, has extensive experience in disaster risk reduction and community-based disaster preparedness. Its partnership with the Odisha government includes initiatives relating to disaster preparedness, resilient housing, climate resilience, community-level capacity building and strengthening resilience through local interventions. UNDP has also undertaken a Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment in the area under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, and its experience is expected to contribute to the proposed statewide assessment in Odisha.
CivicDataLab, a research institution working at the intersection of data and technology, has experience in strengthening data-driven governance and public welfare. The organisation has also worked with the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, where its Intelligent Data Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDS-DRR) initiative integrates hazard, vulnerability and other critical datasets to support evidence-based disaster management planning and decision-making.
