Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the French Development Agency (AFD) to implement the Himachal Pradesh-Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness Project (HP-DRRRP). The agreement, aimed at reducing the state’s vulnerability to natural disasters, was signed in the presence of Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena.
The MoU was formalized by Additional Secretary and Project Director of the PMU, Nishant Thakur, representing the Himachal Pradesh government, and Camille Severac, Deputy Director for India, representing AFD.
Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena highlighted that the HP-DRRRP is a flagship initiative under the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA). The project, backed by external bilateral funding of 100 million Euros from AFD, focuses on strengthening disaster risk management (DRM) and climate change adaptation (CCA) capabilities.
“This initiative adopts a multi-sector and integrated approach, aiming to enhance the resilience of both the government and communities to natural disasters,” said Saxena.
The project is expected to play a critical role in addressing the state’s increasing susceptibility to climate-induced disasters and fostering sustainable development in disaster-prone areas.
