MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL DISAS-TER IN SOUTH ASIA A REGIONAL APPROACH

This article argues for a regional framework to manage environmental disasters in South Asia, where cyclones, floods, droughts, and earthquakes routinely cross borders. It outlines shared capabilities in forecasting, data exchange, and early warning, and proposes interoperable standard operating procedures for evacuation, relief logistics, and health surveillance. The piece underscores the value of pre-negotiated mutual aid compacts that clarify customs clearance, overflight, and landing rights for relief shipments. It emphasizes public communication, shelter design, and resilient infrastructure as front-line investments, and it highlights how joint drills and shared training academies professionalize response. The core claim is that predictable, apolitical cooperation saves lives and lowers recovery costs while reinforcing regional trust.

The body maps hazard profiles and seasonal patterns, linking them to preparedness calendars. It then specifies a modular toolkit: common alerting protocols, river-basin coordination for reservoir releases, and surge procurement frameworks for food, water, and medical supplies. Logistics sections address last-mile delivery, staging areas, and civil-military coordination under unified command. Health modules propose vaccination catch-ups, vector control, and rapid diagnostic networks to prevent post-disaster outbreaks. Governance chapters recommend joint situation reports, transparent needs assessments, and accountability mechanisms to mitigate diversion risks. The article concludes with a roadmap: codify data-sharing MOUs, finance a regional contingency fund, and institutionalize annual exercises that audit readiness against realistic scenario injects.