Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Majhi will attend the BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction Group (DRRG) technical meeting scheduled in Puri, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari informed on Monday. “The CM will be the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony on June 4,” he told a presser.
Pujari further said that Puri has been selected as the venue for this prestigious gathering under India’s BRICS Presidency, owing to Odisha’s internationally recognised achievements in cyclone preparedness and disaster management.
The State was devastated by the 1999 Super Cyclone, which caused massive loss of life and destruction. In the decades since, sustained investments in early warning systems, community-based preparedness, resilient infrastructure, multipurpose cyclone shelters, and evacuation protocols have dramatically reduced casualties. During subsequent major cyclones like Phailin in 2013 and Fani in 2019, Odisha achieved near-zero casualty outcomes, earning praise from global bodies like the World Bank and UN agencies as a model for effective coastal disaster risk reduction.
“The state government and the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) have continuously strengthened cyclone preparedness and last-mile early warning dissemination, making Odisha an internationally acknowledged example of effective coastal disaster management,” he said quoting the BRICS document.
The Minister also spoke about Rath Yatra celebration in Puri, which witnesses huge influx of devotees. “The event is managed safely through robust preparedness measures, coordinated response mechanisms and efficient crowd management systems,” he said further quoting the document.
“For NDMA, organising the meeting in Puri provides BRICS member countries an opportunity to observe field-level best practices in coastal resilience, community participation, and multi-hazard disaster preparedness. The selection of the venue also aligns with India’s objective of promoting knowledge exchange and scalable community-based disaster management models under BRICS cooperation,” he added.
The three-day event, scheduled from June 3 to 5 will bring together delegates, policymakers, experts, and representatives from BRICS nations and partners. Delegates will arrive on June 2 for informal engagements. Side events on June 3 will cover topics including community-based disaster governance, sustainable disaster risk financing, multi-hazard early warning systems, climate-resilient infrastructure, nature-based solutions, indigenous knowledge, and technological innovations.
Technical discussions on June 4 will focus on sustainable financing and inclusive early warning systems, followed by a cultural visit to the iconic Konark Sun Temple. On June 5, sessions will address climate-resilient infrastructure, integration of traditional and nature-based solutions, and the role of science and technology, culminating in a field visit to observe rescue operations near Ramchandi Beach.
Outcomes anticipated from the meeting include strengthened international cooperation, development of technical reports and policy frameworks, identification of scalable financing models and innovations, and enhanced mechanisms for knowledge sharing among BRICS partners.
BRICS, a major intergovernmental organisation of emerging economies, includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Collectively, these countries represent nearly half the world’s population and over one-third of global GDP.
The Puri meeting marks the first in-person technical session of the BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group following a virtual preparatory meeting chaired by India’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on April 29-30, 2026. This BRICS meeting aligns with India’s 2026 chairship theme of “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” highlighting the intersection of disaster management with broader goals of sustainable development in the Global South.