Surkashaayanam was the first of its kind of event on disaster risk reduction in the State. Recognizing the fact that disasters do not limit to political boundaries and that there are numerous replicable best practices for disaster risk reduction across the country and the world, the Government of Kerala was keen to foster sharing of experience of key global and national actors through an international workshop. It was the first event wherein disaster risk reduction was dealt comprehensively from all angles. Surakshaayanam as an event had eight days exhibition of disaster risk reduction initiatives from across the world and a two day international workshop on the topic ‘Disaster Risk Reduction and Contingency Planning’ with the slogan ‘Towards a Safer State’ from March 9th to 10th, 2012, at Kanakakunnu palace grounds in Thiruvananthapuram. The National Center for Earth Science Studies was the technical advisors of the programme.

The workshop was intended to make a better platform to interact and establish relationships with scientists and experts in hazards and disaster risk management from all over the world and to receive global inputs for the formulation of world standard scientific frameworks and policies to manage and reduce future disaster risks and threats. The workshop had fourty invited speakers including from countries such as Cuba, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, United States of America and Philippines. In this workshop, for the first time in the country, a state adopted a set of goals to work towards for achieving comprehensive disaster risk reduction in the State. These goals were adopted by the State as ‘Statement on Disaster Risk Reduction’ adopted by the International Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction and Contingency Planning. It is eight specific goals in the Statement that there after lead Disaster Risk Reduction planning in the State. The workshop paved way for the streamlining of disaster risk reduction in the State and was very crucial in ensuring that the State allocated a separate plan budget head for disaster preparedness.

With inputs from Surakshaayanam, the State formulated a five year plan for Disaster Preparedness. Based on the 5 year plan, specific annual plans are formulated and implemented.

The Technical Report and the ‘Statement on Disaster Risk Reduction’ adopted by the International Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction and Contingency Planning  found here