The report states that in India, every natural and human-made calamity hascolossal economic consequences, unlike anywhere else in the world. Thereport, however, does not estimate the loss at the time of the recent supercyclone in Orissa as it considers the period 1988-97. On an average,disasters affected over 56 million people and killed over 5000 peopleannually, it estimated.

The report provides a comprehensive profile of disasters in the Indiansub-continent within the larger context of globalisation of the worldeconomy. The report contains detailed chapters on disasters, which arebroadly classified as natural, human-made and others. It shows thatsignificant advances in health and social and economic development have beenrepeatedly interrupted and reversed by disasters. Natural disasters such asfloods affect over 11 per cent of the area. Of the total cultivable area, anestimated 28 per cent is drought-prone. Cyclones hit the east-coast statesof Orissa and Andhra Pradesh frequently. The Himalayan region and the Deccanplateau are very vulnerable to earthquakes.

Human-instigated disasters encompass environmental issues and include thosecaused by communal and caste violence. Ethnic conflict in north-easternstates and Kashmir has caused suffering amongst generations of people. Indiaalso provides shelter to 2,40,000 refugees. Other disasters such as fire andindustrial and road accidents take a heavy toll. The breakdown of the publichealth system has resulted in the reemergence of epidemics.