Each state needs a well-informed action plan for disaster readiness Premium Vinod Thomas, Chitranjali Tiwari Read Full Story The spike in recent years in extreme calamities, topped by the covid outbreak, spotlights the urgency of better disaster preparedness in Indian states and the Centre. Health pandemics like covid and climate hazards like the Uttarakhand floods or Delhi heat waves have differing origins, but they spotlight common gaps in readiness. With extreme health and climate disasters set to continue, these events must be seen as regular occurrences rather than one-off acts of nature. Bloomberg ranks Singapore highest in covid resilience, based on fatality rates, test rates and vaccination rates. Drawing on its experience with Sars and Influenza A, the Singapore government has prioritized disaster preparedness in its investments. One indication of this priority is that the government has built up digital infrastructure and engineering capabilities that can be deployed before, during and after calamities strike. For example, tools for contact tracing, like SafeEntry and TraceTogether, are enabling Singapore to respond swiftly to the spread of covid. A suite of digital tools is helping disseminate information and enabling government agencies to better coordinate and manage the crisis.