Managing indigenous and scientific knowledge for resilience building

Purpose - The purpose of this research is to highlight issues related to the management of indigenous and scientific knowledge, and the approach towards transferring these from one community to another, to therefore reduce risk in communities living with multiple hazards and disasters in cyclone, flood, earthquake and drought prone regions of India. Design/methodology/approach - A case study based approach and secondary research have been used to understand the disaster‐related problems and the mitigation strategy. Lessons are drawn from Indian scenarios such as Orissa super cyclone, Bhuj earthquake, etc. Findings - The study highlights a few important points for practising managers/officers. Rural telecentres need to evolve for relief and rehabilitation work. Indigenous knowledge is more in tacit form; therefore, a carefully designed strategy would be needed to manage this. Practical implications - The study focuses on many practical issues related to disaster management in India. These issues are derived from past experiences. Originality/value - The research provides insight to researchers and practising officers/managers. Newer insights have been presented on tacit‐knowledge management and use of scientific understanding on the management of natural disasters.