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Dissertation Title: Problems of Urban Flood Mitigation in Megacities of India

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Dissertation Title: Problems of Urban Flood Mitigation in Megacities of India © 2010 Monalisa Chatterjee ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Resilient Flood Loss Response Systems for Vulnerable Populations in Mumbai: A Neglected Alternative by Monalisa Chatterjee A Dissertation submitted to the Graduate School-New Brunswick Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of, Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Geography written under the direction of James K Mitchell and approved by ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ New Brunswick, New Jersey October 2010 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Resilient Flood Loss Response Systems for Vulnerable Populations in Mumbai: A Neglected Alternative By MONALISA CHATTERJEE Dissertation Director: James K Mitchell This dissertation examines different methods of sharing and redistributing flood losses borne by poor populations in Mumbai, India. It focuses on practices that are adopted to shift losses between economic classes and within specific populations at risk. It also develops a basis of knowledge about the impact of globalization on the vulnerability of poor communities in cities and calls for the development of hazard mitigation and economic assistance devices that can be applied at the micro level with a view to becoming sustainable means of reducing the burden of risks. Multiple levels of analysis are employed. Information from interviews and discussions with government officials, and other influential informants in community development and planning organizations is combined with documentary evidence, to explain the nature of socio-economic and environmental challenges experienced by different groups. This sets the context for two in-depth surveys of fifty households each in slum settlements that are severely affected by flooding. Data collected include the extent and impacts of ii flooding, formal (official) mitigation methods employed and the range of informal support systems used by individual families to recover from the consequence s of floods. Results show that local loss redistribution systems are extremely diverse but significantly effective in addressing important concerns about survival that are overlooked in public policy measures. Most are not integrated into the systems of flood hazard mitigation employed by public agencies and other institutions. Household vulnerability fluctuates over time and with different stages of the hazard cycle (preparedness-recovery- reconstruction). The loss redistribution systems are strongly shaped by inherent social characteristics of local communities and changing economic factors of affected households. In conclusion the results argue that though marginalized informal population in third world cities are affected by downward pressures of ongoing socio-economic and environmental processes at different levels of society, using the same processes they sometimes develop the capability to acquire networks of support that increase the range of their alternatives of environment risk reduction. Suggestions for improving public policy in light of these findings are included. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their belief in me while I went through this process. First, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my advisor Prof. James K Mitchell for his guidance, support and patience throughout my years at Rutgers. Second, I am extremely grateful to Robin Leichenko and Dave Robinson for their consistent support and encouragement. I want to thank members of my dissertation committee – Robin Leichenko, Thomas Rudel, Trevor Birkenholtz, and Lee Clarke for their helpful suggestions and critical feedback. I hope to have many opportunities to work with them in the future. *** The dissertation would not have been possible without the help of many people during my fieldwork in Mumbai. In particular I am thankful to the residents of Prem Nagar and Jari Mari who generously shared their experiences and opinions with me. I also want to acknowledge the support of members from Greater India Friendship, Kesav Gore Samarak Trust, Bombay Urban Industrial League for Development and Jagruti Kendra. In addition I am grateful to all government officials, members of NGOs, professors and researchers from educational institutions for sharing their views and contributing to my research. *** I owe the completion of this dissertation to the amazing support of my family and friends. I want to thank my parents, sister and Vineet for being my pillars of emotional support. I am grateful to my friends and colleagues, Rosana, Za and Purba for keeping me focused by sharing their experiences and giving me constant encouragement. iv DEDICATION To my parents, for their unconditional love and support v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION………………………………………….………….. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………....……iv DEDICATION………………………………………………………………………….....v TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………….………...…………..……………….….vi LIST OF TABLES…………………….……………………………………………..........x LIST OF ILLUSTRATION………….......………….…………......…………………......xi Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 Study Rationale ................................................................................................................... 2 Addressing Knowledge Gaps and Policy Myopia .............................................................. 5 Organization of Dissertation ............................................................................................... 6 Chapter 2: Theory and Methodology .............................................................................. 9 Conceptual Framework and Theoretical Linkages ........................................................... 14 Conceptual Diagram ......................................................................................................... 16 Research Strategy.............................................................................................................. 22 National Level Analysis ............................................................................................. 23 Urban Scale Methodology ......................................................................................... 25 Chapter 3: Dealing with Disasters in India .................................................................. 29 Hazards in India ................................................................................................................ 29 Hazard Impact in India...................................................................................................... 33 Deaths ........................................................................................................................ 35 Affected Populations .................................................................................................. 36 Cost ............................................................................................................................ 37 Hazards in Urban Areas .................................................................................................... 40 Priorities in Development Planning .................................................................................. 42 vi Approach to Disaster Management ................................................................................... 47 Gaps in the Emerging Disaster Policies of India .............................................................. 54 Failure to perceive the changing relations between society and nature ................... 55 Narrow Approach to Development ............................................................................ 56 Existing and Emerging structures in Society ............................................................. 57 Problems of Integration and Coordination ............................................................... 60 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 61 Chapter 4: Mumbai - The Ever and the Never Changing .......................................... 63 Physical Setting ................................................................................................................. 63 Mumbai in Transition ....................................................................................................... 66 Socio-Economic Transformations ............................................................................. 67 Political Movements .................................................................................................. 70 Ecological Transitions ............................................................................................... 73 Impact on Informal Sector – Changing for the Worse ...................................................... 78 Slum Development Policies ....................................................................................... 81 Stagnant Civic Society ...................................................................................................... 87 Changing Local Patterns of Hazard .................................................................................. 89 Chapter 5: Flood Alleviation Policy in Mumbai .......................................................... 93 Floods in Mumbai ............................................................................................................. 94 Impact
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