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Responding to Climate Emergencies

Climate emergencies—be it floods, heatwaves, cyclones, or droughts—are becoming more frequent, but their impact is not evenly felt. In rural India, these are not seasonal disruptions—they’re everyday disasters that interrupt work, education, health, and continuity.

Through our Disaster Rahat initiative and under the vision of SARRD (Societal Alliance for Resilience and Response to Disasters), Goonj responds with a blend of community-led action, sustainable material use, and a deep respect for local wisdom.

Our work is not about restoring what was lost—it’s about rebuilding with dignity and long-term resilience.

Our Approach to Climate Emergency

For over two decades, Goonj has responded to disasters with a focus on turning relief into a dignified exchange, where affected individuals actively contribute to and benefit from the recovery process.

The SARRD Lens on Disaster Response

Goonj’s disaster response framework is deeply rooted in a community-centered approach, where the focus is on empowering local communities to take the lead in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. It emphasises the importance of local knowledge, resources, and participation, ensuring that solutions are not just top-down but are co-created with those directly affected. With diverse actors across geographies, the belief remains: responding to climate emergencies must be done with dignity, commitment, and collective attention.

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We focus on the most vulnerable and marginalised communities, aiming to restore their dignity and self-respect. The framework emphasises addressing the underlying social and economic inequalities that make certain groups more susceptible to disasters. Our initiatives ensure that material support respects dignity and positions people as active participants. Inclusivity means involving all segments of society, ensuring equitable and timely access to resources.

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Our approach goes beyond immediate relief and focuses on long-term resilience by integrating disaster response with ongoing development work. We view disasters as opportunities to address chronic issues like poverty, infrastructure deficits, and environmental degradation. The SARRD framework promotes sustainable commitments and practices across society to reduce future vulnerabilities.

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While Goonj continues working deeply with grassroots communities, the SARRD alliance creates a shared space where institutions, individuals, and communities co-create solutions. From cities to villages, across sectors and skillsets—this conversational ecosystem strengthens our collective ability to respond and recover with purpose.

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Our framework is adaptable, allowing for innovative solutions tailored to the specific needs and realities of different communities. It encourages creative problem-solving using local resources, fostering innovation at the grassroots. SARRD supports proactive, flexible, and precommitted responses that evolve with changing contexts—embracing new technologies and practices that build resilience.

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Transforming Climate Emergencies: SARRD
Mitigation and Response Framework

Get Involved

Collaborate

Join the SARRD Alliance as a member. Introduce us to others who are a right fit

Email us at [email protected] and [email protected]

Commit

What you have – money, material, services, logistics, transportation, communication, etc for some familiar disasters like floods, cyclones, drought, fires, winters

Email us at [email protected] and [email protected]

To Know More

Our Work in Disasters

25 years of our Work

01

2024

Remal Cyclone Manipur, Floods in AP, Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Telangana, Tripura, (Landslides) Kerala, (DANA Cyclone) in Odisha, (Fengal Cyclone) TN and Puducherry, (Unrest) Manipur

02

2023

Cloudburst and Flashflood in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Floods in Delhi, Assam and Kerala, Gujarat (Cyclone Biparjoy)

03

2022

Floods in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, Odisha (Cyclone Yaas)

04

2021

COVID-19, Tauktae Cyclone In Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Floods in Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra, MP, Tamil Nadu

05

2020

COVID-19, Amphan Cyclone in West Bengal, Nisarga Cyclone in Maharashtra, Floods in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Telangana

06

2019

Fani Cyclone in Odisha Cyclone and Bulbul in West Bengal

07

2018

Northeast Floods, Kerala Floods, Titli, and Gaja Cyclones

08

2017

Floods in Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West Bengal

09

2016

Vardah Cyclone in Andhra Pradesh J & K and West Bengal Floods, Drought in Chhattisgarh, Drought in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, MP, Maharashtra, and UP

10

2015

Cyclonic Storm and Earthquake in Bihar, Chennai Floods, Drought in Chattisgarh, Karnataka, MP , Maharashtra and UP

11

2014

Hudhud Cyclone in Andhra Pradesh J & K and West Bengal Floods, Drought in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh

12

2013

Uttarakhand Floods, Muzaffarnagar Riots, Phailin Cyclone in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Drought in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, MP, Maharashtra, and UP

13

2012

Assam floods

14

2011

Sikkim Earthquake and Odisha Floods

15

2009

Aila Cyclone, West Bengal and Odisha

16

2008

Kosi Floods, Bihar

17

2006

Assam, Bihar and West Bengal Floods

18

2004

Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami

19

2002

Gujarat Riots

20

2001

Gujarat Earthquake

21

1999

Chamoli Earthquake and Odisha Super Cyclone

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Dignity Diary

Dignity Diary Issue 67

Dignity Diary Issue 65

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