'Need long-term community resilience'

Shift from relief-centric disaster model key as climate shocks grow more frequent, says philanthropist Rohini Nilekani

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As climate shocks grow more frequent and overlapping, India must urgently shift from a relief-centric disaster model to one that builds long-term community resilience, says Rohini Nilekani, Chairman of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies. In an interview with S V Krishna Chaitanya, she says that millions remain trapped in cycles of loss because systems still underestimate the everyday, human toll of climate extremes.

Excerpts:

You empha-sise that the “first mile is where samaaj networks step in”. What makes these informal networks succeed where formal systems struggle? India has a huge but under-rec-ognised asset: social capital. Nearly 60 million women are part of community groups and self-help networks. These trusted relationships activate long before formal aid arrives. People know who is missing, who needs medicines, and which route is passable. Formal systems operate at scale, and they must, but they tend to be stand-ardised. Communities, on the other hand, are deeply contextual. The shift we need is simple: resource and train these networks, and integrate their knowledge into planning.