Vinod Bhat
New Delhi: Under India’s BRICS Chairship in 2026, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, is hosting the BRICS Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) on 24 July 2026 in New Delhi. The Ministerial Meeting of DRR Group will be chaired by Minister of State (Home) Shri Nityanand Rai. This Ministerial Meeting marks a significant milestone in the evolution of BRICS cooperation on disaster risk reduction, reflecting the growing recognition that disasters pose systemic risks to sustainable development, climate resilience, economic stability and human security. The Ministers and Head of Delegations from 10 of the BRICS Member countries are participating for showing their commitment for DRR.
The BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction cooperation has progressively evolved from the Udaipur Declaration (2016), which established a Joint Task Force on Disaster Risk Management, to the Kazan Declaration (2024), which institutionalized the BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction Group (DRRG) and adopted the BRICS DRR Work Plan (2025–2028). Building upon this strong foundation, India’s Chairship has further elevated cooperation through a practical, implementation-oriented and action-driven agenda, reinforcing BRICS as an important platform for advancing disaster resilience among emerging economies.
Guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” the Ministerial Meeting culminates a year-long process of intensive technical consultations and consensus-building among BRICS Member Countries.
The High-Level Policy Dialogue on the theme Advancing Climate Smart and Disaster Resilient Infrastructure Systems: Partnerships, Innovation and Financing for Resilient Development will be conducted during the session.
BRICS Member Ministerial Roundtable on the theme: Accelerating Implementation of the BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction Work Plan (2025–2028) will provide an opportunity for Ministers to exchange views on accelerating implementation of the BRICS DRR Work Plan, strengthening institutional cooperation and identifying future areas of collaboration.
The Ministers will adopt the BRICS Joint Statement on Disaster Risk Reduction, reaffirming the collective commitment of BRICS Member Countries towards strengthening disaster resilience, enhancing cooperation, promoting innovation, supporting sustainable development and implementing the BRICS DRR Work Plan (2025–2028).
India’s Leadership
India’s Chairship reflects its long-standing commitment to strengthening global disaster resilience through inclusive governance, institutional capacity, science-based policymaking and international cooperation.
