Climate Disasters Now ‘New Normal’, Study Urges Shift To Community-Led Resilience

As climate disasters become the new normal, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies released a new study that calls for a shift from relief-centric response to community-led resilience in India. The study titled ‘Resilience: Moving Beyond Surviving Climate Disasters to Supporting Communities to Thrive’, calls for a shift in how India approaches disaster preparedness and climate impacts — from short-term, reactive relief to long-term, proactive resilience building.

Rising Climate Losses

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The report shows that climate disasters are now a ‘new normal’ in India. Floods, droughts, cyclones, and heatwaves are happening more often, affecting most districts and disrupting people’s lives, livelihoods, and essential services. With annual economic losses from climate disasters already estimated at USD 12 billion and projected to rise as events grow more frequent and severe, the report argues that incremental improvements will no longer suffice. Today, 85% of India’s districts are exposed to floods, droughts, or cyclones, and in 2023, the country experienced extreme weather on 86% of days, underscoring how frequent and widespread these disruptions have become. More than 1.8 million hectares of cropland and over 80,000 homes were damaged in 2023 alone, signalling deep and recurring economic disruption.

Vulnerable Bear Brunt

The study reaffirm that the disproportionate burden of climate disasters is borne by vulnerable groups - women, children, smallholder farmers, and low-income households- with studies indicating that it takes 19 years for poor households to recover from a major climate shock.

From Response to Resilience

It also recognises that India has made remarkable progress in saving lives through anticipatory evacuations, rapid relief mobilisation, and stronger disaster response systems — with states like Odisha and Kerala demonstrating how preparedness and community engagement can reduce mortality. It underscores that disaster response must now evolve into sustained resilience-building, equipping communities not just to withstand crises, but to recover faster, adapt, and thrive in a changing climate.

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Call for Community Agency

Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson - Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, said, “If we continue to focus only on response, we will remain trapped in cycles of relief. Disasters are not waiting to happen; they are already happening routinely yet unobserved in people’s lives. We need to rethink a roadmap where communities are not passive recipients of aid but architects of their own recovery and future- grounded in agency, equity, and dignity.”

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