From Vulnerability to Resilience: The Role of Panchayati Raj Institutions in Disaster Risk Governance in Kinnaur District, Himachal Pradesh

Abstract This paper examines the pivotal role of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the disaster risk governance (DRG) framework of Kinnaur District, Himachal Pradesh, a region characterized by extreme geo-climatic vulnerability and significant anthropogenic pressures. While national and state legislation, including the Disaster Management Act of 2005, legally empowers PRIs as ‘local authorities’ for disaster management, a significant gap exists between their statutory mandate and operational capacity. The research finds that PRIs possess invaluable local knowledge for conducting Hazard, Vulnerability, and Capacity Assessments (HVCAs) and are the primary responders during crises due to Kinnaur’s geographical isolation and frequent infrastructure failures. However, their effectiveness is severely hampered by systemic challenges, including logistical barriers, inadequate technical training, constrained financial autonomy, and regulatory conflicts with large-scale development projects that exacerbate local risks. The study highlights a paradox where PRIs are constitutionally central to DRG yet are operationally marginalized. It concludes that achieving transformational resilience in Kinnaur requires a paradigm shift from reactive recovery to proactive risk reduction. This necessitates empowering PRIs with genuine institutional, financial, and regulatory autonomy, ensuring the integration of risk mitigation into local development planning, and building their capacity to function as independent, capable managers of local risk.