As most people still live in rural areas, community radio can be the best way to reach out to them in times of catastrophe
Due to its unique geographical and socio-economic factors, India is prone to almost all types of hazards and disasters. About 59 per cent of Indian landmass is prone to earthquakes of moderate to very high density. Close to 5,700 Km out of the total 7,516 Km long coastline receive cyclones and tsunamis. Approximately 12 per cent,i.e. over 40 million hectares of landmass face urban floods and river erosion. 68 per cent of India's cultivable area is vulnerable to droughts and the hilly areas are at risk from landslides and avalanches. India is also vulnerable to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) emergencies and other man-made disasters. Disaster risks in India are further compounded by increasing vulnerabilities related to changing demographics and socio-economic conditions, unplanned urbanization, development within high-risk zones, environmental degradation, climate change, geographical hazards, epidemics, and pandemics. According to the World Bank estimates, direct losses from natural disasters have been estimated to amount to up to 2 per cent of India's GDP. It is ranked 7thin the Global Climate Risk Index 2021.
The large-scale disasters mentioned above keep on visiting one part or the other or the country, time and again, often overwhelming the capacities of the Governments, not only for an effective response but also for long-term recovery and reconstruction. During these disasters, the role of timely communication and passing on crucial information before striking disaster (pre-disaster), at the time of disaster (during a disaster), and after the disaster (post-disaster) is very important. Past experiences indicate that the communication infrastructure and networks during times of disasters are destroyed and become ineffective. However, the medium of radio, especially the Community radios survive the onslaught to play a crucial role in disseminating timely information in their communities and thereby saving lives and valuables. Disaster management is a continuous and ongoing process happening all year round and not only when disasters strike. Similarly, community radios are also working with their communities all year round. It'severyday medium, making it one of the perfect tools for community engagement and participation-based disaster management.
The role of Community Radios is tremendous in natural calamities. A community radio station with a reach of 15-20 Km becomes highly powerful with the integration of mobile telephony in real-time. Community Radio stations function with the basic belief, "from the people, for the people,by the people". In this sense, community radios are an effective communication tool to reach out and serve the poorest community and share vital information in their languages/dialects. The community radios are also significant for development initiatives, awareness campaigns for nature conservation, agriculture, regional culture, and education, contributing to the development of the community. During the time of natural disasters and emergencies, it has proved to be the most effective means to disseminate preparedness and relief-related information packed in their dialect. It helps in developing strategies and building awareness so that the communities can prepare better in advance, at the time of disaster and after the disaster. There are some instances in Japan and other countries in which community radios became the prime vehicle for information sharing for communities during disaster emergency relief as well as post-disaster recovery. Community radios also play an important role in disaster risk reduction, especially in pre-disaster preparedness and mitigation through awareness raising, and targeting different community groups.
However, the participation, involvement, and ownership of the local community are extremely important for the effective role of community radio in disaster management. This can be demonstrated in two instances. In 2004, during the Indian Ocean Tsunami, Anna Community Radio in Chennai which was the first Community Radio in the country provided an effective platform to share the grievances of the affected people of Southern India by broadcasting information about relief support, camp locations, precautions to be taken, etc. Another instance was in June 2013, when Uttrakhand faced multi-day cloudbursts. There was a state of panic because all modes of communication were lost. This natural disaster demonstrated the effectiveness of community radio as a tool of effective communication in disaster management in Rudraprayag district which was the most affected area. The community radio Mandakini Ki Awaaz worked with the People's Power Collective, assisted the community by building awareness, created confidence amongst the community.
They worked as a team to identify those who needed help within the community; connected with them to tell their story; reached out to them and connected them with aid agencies.
(Panwar is a senior journalist and Chairman, Panwar Group of Institutions, & president, Community Radio Association of India. Tarun is Director, Zone 4 Solution, India. The views expressed are personal.)