Projects
Climate Resilience and Heat Trends in Kerala (2022-2024)
Rapid urbanization and development have increased Kerala’s vulnerability to heatwaves, necessitating urgent action. In collaboration with the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) and Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), GeoHazards Society (GHS), GeoHazards International (GHI), and Woodwell Climate Research Center conducted a series of initiatives from 2022-2024 to assess heat risks, develop mitigation strategies, and disseminate critical findings. The project included online training programs for local government professionals, the development of heat projection maps to update the State’s Heat Action Plan, and a consultation workshop bringing together key stakeholders. (Click here for the report)
Additionally, multilingual IEC materials on heat stress, available in Malayalam, Hindi, Bangla, and English, were released by Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan in January 2025. These resources provide practical heat protection tips for vulnerable groups and can be downloaded for free here. (English, Bangla, Hindi, Malayalam, Assamese)
Work with The National Institute of Disaster Management and GIZ
Policy Support for Mainstreaming DRR and CCA in Urban Development Plans
This project, part of the "Enabling Cities on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for Sustainable Urban Development in India" initiative, focuses on enhancing Coimbatore's urban resilience to climate-induced hazards. Supported by NIDM and GIZ, it integrates Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) strategies into Coimbatore's Master Plan 2041.
Key activities include a comprehensive gap analysis of policies and disaster management plans, stakeholder consultations, and state-level workshops at TNIUS. The project emphasizes gender-responsive and inclusive planning to address vulnerabilities and empower all citizens. By aligning with global frameworks like the SDGs and the Sendai Framework, this initiative aims to create equitable, sustainable, and resilient urban spaces that benefit everyone, regardless of gender or socioeconomic status.
Work with WHO SEARO and WHO Nepal
The WHO SEARO and WHO Nepal have developed a mobile phone as well as web- based pplication called HSI+ for hospitals in Nepal in partnership with GeoHazards Society. The HSI+ App combines the rapid assessment of structural, non-structural and emergency and disaster management of the hospital under Hospital Safety Index along with the basic contents of a hospital Disaster Management Plan. The App helps hospital administrators understand the strength and weaknesses in their hospital (structural, non-structural and emergency and disaster management) and also develop the basic hospital Disaster Management Plan. The application was field tested in four provincial health facilities of Nepal followed by training-cum-demonstration workshop in Kathmandu Valley. The HSI+ App was uploaded onto the portal of Ministry of Health, Nepal to make hospital safer at local, national and regional levels in Nepal.
GHS partnered with its sister concern GHI and WHO SEARO to prepare three different checklists on fire safety in health facilities to help such facilities prepare for fire incidents. During COVID-19 a number of fire incidents across the globe in various health facilities lead to extensive damage to life and property that triggered this intervention from GHS to help prepare health facilities globally. As part of the project, GHS went and did assessments in various hospitals in Nepal and Maldives and trained a group of resource persons to use these checklists in their own facilities. Besides this, GHS also conducted a series of hospital fire safety webinars for these two countries and SEARO regional office. GHS recently conducted two tabletop exercises in Patan Hospital in Nepal and Hulhumale Hospital in Maldives as part of the project. Currently, GHS is working on developing the previous version of HSI+ app into a free android app that will be available globally.
GHS staff member along with GeoHazards International conducted a 3-day workshop on the use of Customized Hospital Safety Index for Nepal and Fire Safety Checklist. The tools were then tested with the trainees in four different provincial hospitals (in Kathmandu, Janakpur, Bharatpur, and Lumbini) over two weeks. GHS and GHI facilitated and provided handholding support to the trainees during the project.
Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation
School Safety
Partnering with the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, GeoHazards Society initiated the School Disaster Management Programme (SDMP) Project (2023-2024) to enhance disaster resilience in 25 schools. The project facilitated comprehensive training, established disaster management committees, formed 3 School Emergency Response Teams (ERT), provided training for School ERTs, prepared hazard, resource, and evacuation maps, developed a handbook for ERT training in Basic Life Support in Malayalam, and conducted a mock drill in each school. Through these efforts, the project empowers schools to effectively manage emergencies, prioritizing the safety of students and staff.
Hospital Safety
GeoHazards Society in partnership with the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation conducted a 3-day Hospital Disaster Preparedness Program for several hospitals under the Corporation. The hospitals were brought together and hosted at the Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences where the hospital administrators were briefed about several hazards the health facilities in Thiruvananthapuram are vulnerable to. The administrators were then informed about several ways they can prepare and mitigate for such hazards. On day 2, the participants were sensitized and introduced to developing a hospital disaster management plan. The participants were shared a template developed by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority and were briefed on how to fill and use the template for addressing several different kind of emergency scenarios.
The participants were also involved in hazard identification exercise where they walked across the health facility and identified several hazards based on the learning from the training. the participants also got a hands-on experience on how to use and operate a fire extinguisher in case of a fire.
The program was concluded with a tabletop exercise where a disaster scenario was presented to the hospital and the hospital disaster management committee was asked to respond to the evolving scenario. The tabletop exercise was highly appreciated by the participants as it highlighted the potential hazards and the capacity of the health facility.
Inclusive Disaster Preparedness-Safety for All
GeoHazards Society prioritizes mental health in disaster preparedness, recognizing its crucial role in supporting individuals, especially people with disabilities. With support from Mariwala Health Initiatives (MHI), we're actively fostering a culture of climate and disaster resilience and are supporting institutions catering to people with disabilities in four states of India where we are helping the institution, the people with disabilities and their caregivers to be better prepared and equipped to handle several disasters and ensure lower levels of stress and better mental wellbeing. You can read the project report by clicking here.
Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) of 400 School Buildings in Tripura
GHS has been working with the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management in Government of Tripura to execute Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) of school buildings in 400 schools selected under the Nation School Safety Programme.
Developing Messages for Protective Actions to Take During Earthquake Shaking
What people should do during an earthquake shaking to protect themselves from injury or death? Is “Drop, Cover, Hold On” always the safest response, particularly where the buildings are seismically vulnerable?
GeoHazards Society along with its International Partner worked with experts from different parts of the world to work out evidence-based guidance to
- Describe the process of developing effective messages
- The key considerations for creating such messages that serve in different contexts. This project was supported by USAID.
Download
Protective Actions to Take during Earthquake Shaking document
Papers written based on the project
Design and Implementation of an Earthquake Risk Management Program in Aizawl City (2013-2017)
Aizawl is the capital city of Mizoram, a state in the North-Eastern part of India and has been built on steep slopes of the young mountains of the lower Himalayas. This city has a population of 291,822 (Census 2011) and is considered to be one of the most hazard-prone cities in the region. The city faces an exceptionally high per-capita lethality potential, due to a vast number of two to ten-story collapse-risk concrete buildings built on steep, landslide-prone slopes.
Aizawl has few local technical resources to provide the guidance needed to address its problems in a meaningful way. A project has been launched with the Disaster Management & Rehabilitation Department – Design and Implementation of an Earthquake Risk Management Program in Aizawl City, Mizoram, India – Reducing Risk, Raising Awareness and Limiting Predictable Losses under which GHS will work towards the earthquake and landslide safety of the Aizawl city in partnership with the Government.
Under the project, we are also working closely with the Aizawl Municipal Council (AMC) to study the existing building Bye-Laws and the Master plan and recommend modifications with the long term goal of reducing disaster risk in the city. We assisted AMC in setting up a landslide policy committee that has met several times and worked out a Road Map to Safety with long term strategies to reduce risk available here.
Earthquake scenario created on Aizawl city
Main Scenario
Appendices
Assessment of Shelter in post Phailin Cyclone for UNDP (2013)
The cyclone Phailin and the extraordinary response of the Government at all levels, non–governmental organizations and the community themselves is among the few success stories of disaster mitigation and preparedness across the world in recent times. In this time the GHS team helped UNDP India as a technical consultant to evaluate the condition of the housing and Technology Demonstration Units (TDUs) constructed after 1999 Super Cyclone.
End of project report
Mw 8 Mandi Earthquake Scenario: Multi-State Exercise and Awareness Campaign (2012-13)
Earthquakes can happen anywhere anytime. The seismic zoning map shows a large part of Indian landmass is vulnerable to moderate to severe seismic hazards. Hence, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) decided to conduct a hypothetical scenario-based simulation exercise for three North Indian states. GHS helped the project with technical and coordination support.
End of project report
Hospital Safety Workshop series (2012)
Hospitals are critical facilities that have a very important role during the response to a disaster. However, in India, most hospitals are not well prepared for natural and any human-induced hazards that will affect both the hospital and the community they serve. These hospitals need practical guidance on how to improve the robustness of their facility systems and organizational preparedness to help them remain functional after an event like a strong earthquake. WHO India helped GHS to organized workshops in five hospitals across the country. The programs were organized in Shimla, Guwahati, Aizawl, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram.
Project End Report
Documentation of the Demonstration Housing Project at Amethi, Uttar Pradesh (2011)
Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC) did a program to provide housing to the masses applying low-cost technology. As a part of the program, a Demonstration Housing Project has been started at Raipur Phulwari, Amethi. GHS did an assessment to find out the technical viability of the housing project.
End of project report
Documentation of Seismic Retrofitting of MCD School Buildings at New Delhi
Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC) retrofitted a masonry load-bearing school building owned by Municipal Corporation of Delhi. GHS conducted the documentation work for the report which can be useful for Practicing Engineers, Architects, Public and Private agencies involved in seismic strengthening, repair and maintenance of the building.
Click here to view the report.
Lajpat Nagar
Vivek Vihar