“Cyclone Man of India” Wins UN Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction
Published on August 4, 2025
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has bestowed the UN Sasakawa Award 2025 for Disaster Risk Reduction upon Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
He was honored with the award at the eighth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction held in Geneva on June 5 by Mr. Kamal Kishore, UN assistant secretary-general and special representative of the secretary-general for disaster risk reduction, UNDRR.
Often referred to as the “Cyclone Man of India,” Dr. Mohapatra has headed the IMD since 2019 and is one of the three vice-presidents of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the UN agency for climate change, weather and water.
He has been instrumental in improving India’s disaster preparedness and significantly reducing casualties from tropical cyclones through advanced forecasting and early warning systems, a UNDRR statement said.
He introduced impact-based forecasting, customizing warnings for farmers, fishermen, infrastructure, and disaster managers, enhancing the IMD’s accuracy, clarity and public trust.
His efforts in reducing cyclone-related deaths extend beyond India to 13 WMO/ESCAP panel member countries around the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
Together with the WHO Sasakawa Health Prize and the UN Environment Programme Sasakawa Environment Prize, the UN Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction is one of the three prestigious prizes established in 1986 by my late father and the founding chairman of The Nippon Foundation, Mr. Ryoichi Sasakawa.
Known as one of the world’s most esteemed honors in the domain of disaster risk reduction, it is awarded to individuals and institutions that have made outstanding contributions to building disaster-resilient communities around the world.
The theme of the 2025 Sasakawa Award was "Connecting science to people: democratizing access to innovation and technology for disaster resilient communities."