New Delhi

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) signed an MoU on Saturday with three research institutes to strengthen disaster management policy research in the country, officials said.

The partnership aims to establish a collaborative framework for academic programmes, capacity building, policy research, and communication in disaster management and risk reduction, they said.

The NDMA, Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), and CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR) signed the MoU, according to a statement.

Dinesh Kumar Aswal, a member of NDMA, said, "This MoU is a significant step toward fostering a strong bridge between scientists and policy professionals to address the complex and evolving challenges associated with disasters."

As part of the collaboration, while NDMA, the apex body for disaster management policies, will provide strategic direction and domain expertise, AcSIR, a research university, will help with academic programmes and research initiatives.

Manoj Kumar Dhar, director of AcSIR, said, "This MoU opens new avenues for the students and researchers to develop innovative, research-based solutions to disaster management challenges. It will help nurture a new generation of experts dedicated to strengthening India's disaster resilience framework towards Viksit Bharat 2047."

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CSIR-NIScPR will host the academic programmes and drive policy research, and public engagement on disaster management policy research.

The coming together of NDMA, AcSIR, and CSIR'“NIScPR "represents a significant step toward embedding scientific research, science communication, and evidence-based policymaking into India's disaster management ecosystem," an official said.