Harshan T.P., a Ph.D. candidate from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, made a presentation on the limitations of measuring the impact of a disaster at a local level. The presentation was based on his doctoral study.

Harshan began his presentation by explaining the complexities in choosing a region to study the impact of disasters. This was followed by a discussion on the different types of studies – impact studies, where direct and indirect damages of a disaster are assessed; and vulnerability studies, where potential risks of regions are assessed – that are generally used to measure impacts of disasters along their limitations. He argued that while vulnerability studies are useful in assessing the potential damage in a region, they are rarely connected with the actual impact of a disaster. Impact studies, on the other hand, are more effective for the purposes of planning and providing relief.