A Panel Discussion on
Uttarakhand Flood Disaster 2.0: From Analysis to Action
Organized by IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute, India Water Portal Tarun Bharat Sangh Google Maps and Google Earth images of the disaster location.
Chamoli district, Uttarakhand Glacier range: Nanda Devi
GIF source: Raj Bhagat Palanichamy, World Resources Institute www.impriindia.com North India floods Malpa Landslide Forest fires Country’s worst disaster since the 221 deaths in Malpa of 2004 Tsunami. About 5700-6000 were 46 fires were reported covering reported dead in the state. Kedarnath Pithoragarh district around 71 hectares and 2 people died. temple was partially destroyed 2012 2016 2021
1998 2013 2020 Himalayan flash floods Forest fires Tapovan disaster/Rishi-Ganga flood
10 confirmed deaths and 38 4,538 hectares (11,210 acres) of Believed to have been caused by a landslide, an missing in Uttarakhand. Houses, forest burnt down and seven people avalanche or a glacial lake outburst flood. At bridges and National Highway dead. Caused due to heat waves. least 56 people are confirmed to have been washed away in different districts killed and more than 190 are missing www.impriindia.com The temperature increase by about 1.3°C in Hindu Kush Himalayas during 1951–2014 has led to microclimatic changes and faster glacial retreat in the state. Over 85% of districts in Uttarakhand are hot spots of extreme floods and associated weather events - CEEW study, 2020
● The Uttarakhand Disaster Recovery Project Vision 2030 (World Bank Assisted), 2013 ➔ Reduce, avoid and remove GHG ● The Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (ADB Assisted), emissions 2013 ➔ Increase adaptive capacity by diversification of livelihoods. ● Post 2013 deluge, Supreme Court appointed expert committee ➔ Increasing adaptive capacity by (headed by Ravi Chopra) for the existing and under construction promoting secondary and post- Hydro electric power plants, 2014 secondary education.
● The Uttarakhand Green Energy Cess Act, 2014 ❏ State does not have capacity to ● Uttarakhand Action Plan on Climate Change, 2014 quickly respond to large scale Concerns climate hazards like an effective at early warning system for glacial ● Supreme Court appointed a ‘High Powered Committee’ to look Institutional outbursts, Real time monitoring. level ❏ Little integration of climate over the environmental and sociological impact of the ongoing change measures into state Char Dham project, 2019 policies.
www.impriindia.com Environmental Concerns and know-how – Uttrakhand Disaster
Environmental Concerns • Global Warming • Deforestation • Weakening of Mountains
Awareness • Understanding the dependency • An economic growth model verses mountain character of State
Technical Know How - fragile, geologically dynamic Himalayas • Huge push to hydro power projects • Infra-structure expansion • Dam constructions • Large number of power and mining projects • Unplanned and exploitative tourism • Diversion of rivers • Weak implementation of environmental laws
www.impriindia.com Issues at Hand - Uttarakhand disaster
Industries/ hydel power Projects/ Infra ● Policy paralysis ● Implementation issues ● Responsibilities of stakeholders Excessive Over human Major Exploitation/ concerns ● Monitoring and transparency interference Tourism
What is critical environment or economic growth? Global How to move forward? Warming/ Deforestation
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