INTRODUCTION ABOUT THIS ISSUE Floods Again: What Can Be loods are the most common Fdisaster in India. According to the World Resources Institute Done Differently in South Asia? (WRI), India tops the list of 163 nations affected by river floods in loods are age old but must South floods in forests and manage forests terms of number of people. As FAsia's response to floods be age to reduce floods in South Asia. Women several parts of the country face the old as well? South Asia is now leaders in Nepal are thinking and fury of floods this year, it is worth emerging to be a leader in reducing reflecting on this overlap from a examining what are reasons for disaster risk. Such regional efforts leadership point of view. India's high exposure to flooding were well received by Asian and what can be done differently countries in the recent Asian The Fourth area is ongoing activities to mitigate the adverse impact of Ministerial Conference on Disaster around DRR road maps. DRR road this recurrent catastrophe. This Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) held in maps do not adequately address issue of Southasiadisasters.net is Delhi in November 2016. issues of rampant and repeated titled 'Foods Again: What Can be floods and how to reduce flood Done Differently' and examines all The ongoing floods in Assam in the impact as well as its causes. A road these issues. North East of India and Gujarat in map for flood prone areas such as the West of India offer an Assam or Gujarat in India is There are several reasons for opportunity to re-look the flood overdue. Hazard specific action plans India's enhanced vulnerability to response in South Asia. are overdue at the sub-national floods. For instance, the county level. The challenge of receives 75% of its entire rainfall Therefore, this issue of mainstreaming floods in South over a short monsoon season (June- Asia's DRR road maps is widely September). Similarly, 12% of Southasiadisasters.net enlists what India's land area is considered can be done differently. Cyclones are shared in civil society members in prone to floods which makes one such area. Floods and cyclones Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. flooding a perennial phenomenon go hand-in-hand and the recent in at least five Indian states of cyclone Mora in Myanmar offered Fifth, is it smart for a city to be Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Uttar an opportunity to look at floods flooded: have water logged roads Pradesh and West Bengal. More recovery in an urban setting. New and partially submerged housing importantly, due to the advantages ways must be found to deal with colonies? Smart City infrastructure offered by living close to rivers, floods in cities and towns that propel investments in India offer an there has been a historic trend of South Asia's economic growth. What opportunity to reduce risks, if not overpopulation in India's is needed is "new dimensions" that all, at least flood risks faced by its floodplains. Climate change has David Sanderson and others offer in economic hubs and low income compounded this problem even the recent book titled, "Urban communities. more. All these factors interplay Disaster Resilience". with each other to precipitate Sixth, relief offered after floods is not regular flooding in the country to The second area is dams. A large new to South Asia. What is new is disrupt the lives of 4.85 million number of dams are built in South possible and now pioneering use of India's every year. Asia, and many more are being cash transfer in such relief. ECHO built to irrigate and mange floods. South Asia has done effective work However, there are a lot of But are these dam safe from floods? in cash transfer after floods with its mitigation measures that can be adopted to reduce the debilitating Are they safe enough to protect the partners in Odisha in India in 2014. impact of floods in India. Chiefly, development and progress that they And the direction is promising. district disaster management plans are supposed to spawn. (DDMPs), forestry, cash transfers The above six are not the only ways for flood relief, newer technology Third, obvious but not well to deal with floods differently in for early warning and capacity recognized area is floods and South Asia. But the above are some building of line departments on forestry in South Asia. Forests slow of the key ways that need urgent and climate change represent an entry down run-off and thus reduce floods. additional attention while dealing point to mainstream flood Floods wash away forests. Both with floods in South Asia. preparedness in the country. Read on impact each other and yet there is – Mihir R. Bhatt to know more. – Kshitij Gupta no clear direction on how to manage 2 southasiadisasters.net July 2017 FLOODS AGAIN Floods in India in 2017 s India is lashed by an above It is already known that 83 people State Disaster Management Anormal monsoon, several have died this year due to these Authority (ASDMA) has done states of the country are suffering floods and close to 1.5 million have effective work in evacuating people from a flood situation. The most been displaced in Assam and and shifting them to relief camps adversely affected states include Arunachal Pradesh.1 According to the from some of the most flood affected Gujarat, Assam, Odisha, and Andhra United Nations' Global Assessment districts in the state. Such efforts are Pradesh. As photos and videos of Report (GAR), India loses close to praiseworthy but the larger problem inundated streets and submerged US $ 7 billion on account of floods of flooding needs to be tackled houses from different parts of India on average annually. Given the great through proper preparedness and make rounds on the electronic and human and economic costs incurred mitigation measures. According to print media, it is high time to ask by the country due to the wrath of the World Resources Institute (WRI), some important questions. Questions the floods, it is imperative to build India has most number of people in like 'What makes floods in India so resilience to it. This resilience can the world exposed to the risk of destructive and debilitating' need to be built up in many forms. flooding. (See the graph below captures be answered. Similarly, given the that) widespread death, destruction and In the face of this disaster, the displacement brought by the floods National Disaster Response Force Given the enormity of the problem, it is important to ask why isn't there (NDRF) and the Indian Air Force there needs to concerted efforts in a statewide mechanism for better (IAF) have rescued 400 people making the country better prepared preparedness. stranded due to floods in different for these recurring floods. A robust parts of Gujarat. Similarly, the Assam way of mitigating the impact of 1 http://www.firstpost.com/india/monsoon-alert-8-dead-in-floods-across-india-more-rains-in-store-says-weather-forecast- 3824715.html July 2017 southasiadisasters.net 3 floods is through preparedness at the changing climate has been a major Disaster Management Authority's sub-national levels. India already has contributing factor for all the (OSDMA) humongous evacuation of a National Disaster Management Act, increase in the frequency and 52,000 exposed people during which mandates all the districts in intensity of floods. However, the Cyclone Phailin in 2013. the country to prepare an annual line departments of the government District Disaster Management Plan possess only a limited Ever since 1987, the All India Disaster (DDMP). However, most of the understanding on this issue. Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) has times, these DDMPs are seen as an Capacity building of these line worked ceaselessly to build the instrument to facilitate post-disaster departments on understanding the resilience of the country's poor and response and relief operations. concepts and impacts of climate vulnerable communities. In this change can also lead to better journey, AIDMI has found that These DDMPs in fact represent an preparedness and response to floods DDMPs represent an entry point for opportunity to mainstream and at the sub-national levels in the starting preparedness work against institutionalize preparedness against country. disasters of all kinds, particularly floods in the country. Key systems floods. It is hoped that more such as water supply, health, power, Leveraging technology for better scientific DDMPs which integrate communication, housing and forecasting and issue timely climate change with disaster agriculture need to be taken into warnings is key to mitigating the concerns and along with laying out account when planning for flood impact of floods. In this respect, provisions for building up the preparedness as they are all affected investing in more sophisticated capacities of line departments will by floods. This can be done well if the technology for accurate prediction become the norm in the country. hazard and risk mapping of potential and setting up of a robust network Such pro-active measures will go a disasters is scrupulously conducted. for early warning dissemination is long way in making India resilient imperative. Early warning has the to the risks of flooding. There is a considerable body of potential of savings millions of lives – Kshitij Gupta scientific evidence that suggests that as evidenced from Odisha State WHILE RESPONDING TO MORA CYCLONE Responding to Cyclone Mora's Impact s Cyclone Mora made landfall of the latest World Humanitarian Aat Cox's Bazaar in Bangladesh, Summit a reality. This book can I could think of no better book than provide a robust Road Map for "People, Aid and Institutions in doing so.