Important for UPSC Prelims: International Relations | Disaster Management
Context
- Under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs hosted the 3rd BRICS Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in New Delhi on 24 July 2026.
Key Highlights of the Meeting
- Chair: India (BRICS Chairship 2026)
- Host Organisation: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
- Venue: New Delhi
- Reaffirmed commitment to implement the BRICS DRR Work Plan (2025–2028).
- Theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
Major Outcome
- Unanimous adoption of the BRICS Joint Statement on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).
- Reaffirmed the commitment of Member Countries to implement the BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Work Plan (2025–2028).
- Agreed to strengthen cooperation for building resilient and sustainable societies.
India’s Five Priority Areas
- Science & Technology
- Early Warning Systems
- Resilient Infrastructure
- Nature-based Solutions
- Community Resilience
Major Discussions
- Climate-smart and Disaster-resilient Infrastructure
- Innovative financing for resilient development
- Emerging technologies
- Institutional cooperation
- Capacity building and knowledge sharing.
Evolution of BRICS DRR Cooperation
| Year | Development |
| 2016 | Udaipur Declaration recognised DRR as an important area of BRICS cooperation. |
| 2024 | Kazan Declaration strengthened cooperation on disaster resilience and supported the BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction Group (DRRG). |
| 2025–28 | Adoption of the BRICS DRR Work Plan. |
| 2026 | 3rd BRICS Ministerial Meeting adopted the BRICS Joint Statement on DRR. |
About BRICS
- BRICS is an intergovernmental grouping of major emerging economies.
- Originally formed: 2009 (BRIC); South Africa joined in 2010, making it BRICS.
- India was the BRICS Chair in 2026.
Current BRICS Members (2026)
- As of 2026, BRICS comprises 11 member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Indonesia
Important BRICS Institutions
- New Development Bank (NDB) – Headquarters: Shanghai, China.
- Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) – Financial safety mechanism to address short-term balance of payments pressures.
Important BRICS Declarations
- Ufa Declaration (2015) – Operationalisation of the NDB and CRA.
- Udaipur Declaration (2016) – Strengthened cooperation on Disaster Risk Reduction.
- Kazan Declaration (2024) – Emphasised disaster resilience and supported the BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction Group (DRRG).
Conclusion
The meeting reinforced BRICS’ commitment to disaster resilience through stronger cooperation, innovation and implementation of the BRICS DRR Work Plan (2025–2028).
| Important CTC from this article for UPSC 1. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) 2. BRICS |