A Road to Long-term Recovery for Odisha

Garima Jain, Vineetha Nalla, Teja Malladi, Nilakshi Chattareji, Nihal Ranjit  | 2019

Abstract

Odisha’s coastline has faced the brunt of several cyclonic events over the past 20 years – the most recent being Cyclone Fani, which made landfall on 3 May 2019. Being a relatively poor state in India, with deep-rooted socio-economic and physical vulnerabilities, Odisha is still recovering from earlier losses and systemic impacts caused by previous storms. While loss of life has reduced dramatically over the years, owing to improvements in early warning systems and preparedness, approaches to long-term recovery are still limited to shelter and rehabilitation projects and mason training programmes. Very little attention has been devoted to other critical developmental deficits in the region.

This report is an outcome of a field study conducted between 20-24 May 2019, after Cyclone Fani. As a subset of ongoing research and practice engagements, it records observations made during the visit and initiates discussions on long-term recovery processes required for the region. This study aims to answer the following questions: (i) What are the long-term implications of the event on the people and the region, and what recovery needs of the affected population need to be prioritised? (ii) What capacity-building measures are required to revitalise people’s abilities to restore their full potential to lead productive, creative lives in accordance with their needs and interests? (iii) What areas of study need to be explored to further understand specific recovery needs by regions or sectors?

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24943/arltro.2019