The Government of India is increasing the infrastructure capacity of e-panchayats to further empower village Panchayats by linking them with information and communication technology (ICT). Within this context, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) uses satellite connectivity to link village communities to mainstream development through Village Resource Centres (VRCs) which aim to fulfil the needs of village communities and solve agriculture, education, health or disaster mitigation local problems, among others. Out of 243 VRCs operating in India, ten are located across Gujarat.
AIDMI has been invited by ISRO to conduct a series of sessions on disaster mitigation. From August 2007, eight trainings for 334 participants were conducted by AIDMI, on different subjects: "Disaster Situation in the State"; the Relationship between Disaster and Development; Community based Disaster Risk Management, effective Planning of Disaster Response; Disaster Response and Quality; Community Based Disaster Risk Management and Preparedness; and Participatory Risk Appraisal Tools. Overall, these interactive sessions have been well received. Furthermore, VRCs are also responsible for providing data resources and information through technology, including Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing for Natural Resource Management and other sectors on a demand and need basis.
