Indian Navy hosts CHAKRAVAT HADR exercise with 8 countries

Tags: Defence

The annual humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise 'Chakrawat' began in Goa on October 9, 2023. It is a three-day event organized by the Indian Navy.

An Overview of the News

• The 'CHAKRAVAT' 9 exercise involves the participation of the three armed forces, paramilitary forces and several disaster response organizations.

• The annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise CHAKRAVAT was initiated as a result of the Prime Minister's directive during the Joint Commanders' Conference in 2015.

• CHAKRAVAT is an annual joint HADR exercise involving the participation of all three services (Army, Navy, Air Force), paramilitary forces, disaster response organizations, NGOs, academic institutions and international organizations.

• In the 2023 edition, eight countries from the Indian Ocean region are also participating, with the aim of coordinating efforts at the national level.

Objective:

• The primary goal of the exercise is to develop collective and coordinated response mechanisms to deal with humanitarian crises and natural disasters.

• Given the increasing vulnerability of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to natural disasters due to climate change, the role of the Indian Navy in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations is critical.

Challenges arising from climate change:

• Climate change has increased the risk of natural disasters in the IOR, and coastal states in the region have limited capacity to respond effectively.

• The Indian Armed Forces aims to be the 'first responder' in the region, and a whole-of-government approach is being promoted to enhance preparedness and response.

Participating Agencies:

• Apart from the three armed services, various national agencies such as the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and others participate in the exercise.

• This collaborative effort ensures a comprehensive response to disaster situations.

Joint Partnership:

• The insignia of this year's exercise represents the crests and flags of all participating agencies and countries, emphasizing the importance of joint and integrated action in HADR efforts.

Events during practice:

• The three-day exercise includes a seminar, a table-top exercise and a multi-agency capacity demonstration.

• Topics discussed at the seminar included climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, disaster response in IOR, and NGO collaboration in disaster reduction and response.

• An industrial showcase displays HADR equipment, and a multi-agency capability display displays rescue and relief exercises with lessons learned.