India

India country profile

BACKGROUND

India is a country in South Asia. It is the second most populous country in the world.  It is bounded by the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal. It has a diverse geography that includes mountainous terrain, northern plains, peninsular plateau, coastal plains, island groups, and deserts. The country can be divided into six physiographic regions, each with distinct geography and climate. The climate is heavily influenced by The country is influenced by the presence of the Himalayas in the northern part of the country and the Thar Desert in the west.

India’s monsoon season runs approximately from June to October, arriving later in more northerly regions and delivering over 80% of the territory’s annual precipitation. India faces some of the highest disaster risk levels in the world. It has very high exposure to flooding, including, riverine, flash, and coastal, as well as high exposure to tropical cyclones and their associated hazards. It is also exposed to drought and heat waves.

Disaster risk in India is also driven by its social vulnerability, which is driven primarily by its high levels of socioeconomic deprivation and inequality. The Coronavirus pandemic led to unprecedented negative economic, social, and political impacts, which further impacted people’s vulnerability to environmental shocks.

INFORM RISK INDEX (2022)    

Hazard and exposure: 7.4  |  Vulnerability: 4.8  |  Lack of coping capacity: 4.2 |  Total: 5.3 (high)  |  Rank: 31

HAZARDS COVERED BY ANTICIPATION    

Cyclone/Typhoon/Hurricane | Riverine Floods

EXPERIENCE ON ANTICIPATION 

• India Red Cross is currently developing early action in advance of flooding.
• Start Network is active in India. It activated an anticipatory alert ahead of a typhoon impact in May 2021, but funds were unallocated.