DOCSLIB.ORG

Floods Again: What Can Be Loods Are the Most Common Fdisaster in India

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Floods Again: What Can Be Loods Are the Most Common Fdisaster in India 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.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Perspectives on Emergency Preparedness in South-East Asia
    Perspective Turning commitments into actions: perspectives on emergency preparedness in South-East Asia Roderico H Ofrin, Anil K Bhola, Nilesh Buddha World Health Organization Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia, New Delhi, India Correspondence to: Dr Roderico H Ofrin ([email protected]) Abstract Emergency preparedness is a continuous process in which risk and vulnerability assessments, planning and implementation, funding, partnerships and political commitment at all levels must be sustained and acted upon. It relates to health systems strengthening, disaster risk reduction and operational readiness to respond to emergencies. Strategic interventions to strengthen the capacities of countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region for emergency preparedness and response began in 2005. Efforts accelerated from 2014 when emergency risk management was identified as one of the regional flagship priority programmes following the pragmatic approach “sustain, accelerate and innovate”. Despite increased attention and some progress on risk management, the existing capacities to respond to health emergencies are inadequate in the face of prevailing and increasing threats posed by multiple hazards, including climate change and emerging and re-emerging diseases. The setting up of a “preparedness stream” under the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund in July 2016 was an important milestone. The endorsement of the Five-year regional strategic plan to strengthen public health preparedness and response – 2019–2023 by Member States was another step forward. Furthermore, ministerial-level commitment, in the form of the Delhi Declaration on Emergency Preparedness, adopted in September 2019 in the 72nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia, is in place to facilitate Member States to invest resources in the protection and safety of people and systems and in overall emergency risk management through national action plans for health security.
    [Show full text]
  • Climate Change for the Current Spike in Temperatures, As the Time Frame Represents a Relatively Limited Chunk of Data
    Heat waves Heat Wave Duration Index is that a heat wave occurs when the daily maximum temperature of more than five consecutive days exceeds the average maximum temperature by 5 °C (9 °F). A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is measured relative to the usual weather in the area and relative to normal temperatures for the season. Temperatures that people from a hotter climate consider normal can be termed a heat wave in a cooler area if they are outside the normal climate pattern for that area. The term is applied both to hot weather variations and to extraordinary spells of hot which may occur only once a century. Severe heat waves have caused catastrophic crop failures, thousands of deaths from hyperthermia, and widespread power outages due to increased use of air conditioning. A heat wave is considered extreme weather and a danger because heat and sunlight may overheat the human body. Warms up to 102 °F (39 °C). Health Impacts of Heat Waves The health impacts of Heat Waves typically involve dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke. The signs and symptoms are as follows: Heat Cramps: Ederna (swelling) and Syncope (Fainting) generally accompanied by fever below 39*C i.e.102*F. Heat Exhaustion: Fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and sweating. Heat Stoke: Body temperatures of 40*C i.e. 104*F or more along with delirium, seizures or coma.
    [Show full text]
  • An Assessment of Flood Prone States and Disaster Management Plans
    International Journal of Trend in Research and Development, Volume 6(6), ISSN: 2394-9333 www.ijtrd.com Trend of Floods in Western India – An assessment of Flood Prone States and Disaster Management Plans Amogh A. Kolvankar, Research Associate, International Centre for Technological Innovations, Kerala, India Abstract: Floods are amongst the most frequent and destructive type of disaster, causing significant damage and disrupting livelihoods throughout the world. In recent years, the effects of climate change are prominent as irregular rainfalls wreck havoc in many states across India as the major rivers overflow. It has been found that the incidences of the flood are increasing very rapidly. This paper aims to study the trends of flood across western states in India and their disaster management plans in place. Disaster management in India has very organised but administration and implementation of these programs demand more efficiency. Keywords: Natural Disaster, Flood, Flood Management, Disaster Management, Kerala Floods I. INTRODUCTION The frequency of flooding in India is more than 50% of the total number of floods occurring in Asia in each decade (Parasuraman & Unnikrishnan, 2000). India has a highly diversified range of natural features. Its unique geo-climatic conditions make the country among the most vulnerable to natural disasters in the world. It is highly prone to floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes, etc. India has a peculiar geographical setting that there are floods in some parts and droughts in other regions, and sometimes they co-exist. Over 8% of the area in India, i.e., 40 million hectares, is prone to floods. And the average area affected by floods annually is about 8 million hectares.
    [Show full text]
  • Post-Mortem of the Kerala Floods 2018 Tragedy
    AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH ISSN (Online) - 2691-5103 Volume 1, Issue 1 ISSN (Print) - 2693-4108 Post-mortem of the Kerala floods 2018 tragedy *Pritha Ghosh Abstract After more than two weeks of relentless rain, in early August, 2018, Kerala, often referred as 'God's own country' a State at the southern tip of India, known internationally for its scenic green landscapes, tourists spots and backwaters, is left with over 1 million people in relief camps and close to 400 reported dead- the number expected to be much higher as many areas remain inaccessible. The coastal strip wedged between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats mountain chain is prone to inundation. Unusually heavy monsoon rains have got the entire State of Kerala in the grip of a massive, unprecedented flood: the last time anything like this has happened was in 1924. Even before the rains, Kerala's economy presented a mixed picture: relatively higher per capita income, but slow growth and high unemployment rates. As torrential rains abated in Kerala, the major question confronting the State and its unfortunate citizens is an assessment of the colossal loss of property, agriculture and infrastructure and the focus has turned towards the short-term negative implications and how will it rebuild its economy. There were evidently many political, economic, social and managerial lessons to take away from the disaster. The paper will describe the magnitude of the disaster in Kerala and the impact on the human population. Keywords: Kerala floods, Political lessons, Economic lessons, Social lessons, Managerial lessons, Rebuild the economy 46 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH ISSN (Online) - 2691-5103 Volume 1, Issue 1 ISSN (Print) - 2693-4108 *Research Scholar, University of Engineering & Management , Kolkata 1.
    [Show full text]
  • World Bank Document
    LEARNING FROM DISASTER RESPONSE AND PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES THE CASES OF BANGLADESH, BHUTAN, NEPAL AND PAKISTAN Public Disclosure Authorized DISCUSSION PAPER NOVEMBER 2020 Rianna Mohammed-Roberts Oluwayemisi Busola Ajumobi Armando Guzman Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized / Public Disclosure Authorized LEARNING FROM DISASTER RESPONSE AND PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES The Cases of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan Rianna Mohammed-Roberts, Oluwayemisi Busola Ajumobi, and Armando Guzman November 2020 Health, Nutrition, and Population (HNP) Discussion Paper This series is produced by the Health, Nutrition, and Population Global Practice. The papers in this series aim to provide a vehicle for publishing preliminary results on HNP topics to encourage discussion and debate. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the author(s) and should not be attributed in any manner to the World Bank, to its affiliated organizations, or to members of its Board of Executive Directors or the countries they represent. Citation and the use of material presented in this series should take into account this provisional character. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. For information regarding the HNP Discussion Paper Series, please contact the Editor, Jo Hindriks at [email protected] or Erika Yanick at [email protected]. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS The material in this work is subject to copyright.
    [Show full text]
  • Flood Disasters 2019 in Maharashtra (India), Aftermath and Revival for Natives and Tourists
    Eco. Env. & Cons. 26 (2) : 2020; pp. (693-698) Copyright@ EM International ISSN 0971–765X Flood Disasters 2019 in Maharashtra (India), aftermath and Revival for Natives and Tourists Jagadish Patil1, Manisha Shinde-Pawar1 and Rajesh Kanthe2 1 Department of Management, Institute of Management and Rural Development Administration, Sangli, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune, India 2Institute of Management, Kolhapur, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune, India (Received 28 September, 2019; accepted 30 December, 2019) ABSTRACT Nature challenged to human survival with flood-hit in Maharashtra, other states and fire in Amazon forest in August 2019. In natural disasters like flood and fire emergency alert and short time warnings may have very minute line of separation, but do not allow being proactive to this challenge. With its controllable and uncontrollable varied aftermath story, the disaster taught and forced to all elements of society to be ready to cope with all types of losses. Unfortunately, this disaster showed the lack of mind preparation to accept the alert and to take proactive measures and also deficiency of equipment. This resulted in enormous life, economic and materialistic loss damage. In light of flood and fire at different areas, this case study of disaster in Maharashtra traces to ladders engaged and endorses how to reinstate back to routine through view point for disaster management preparedness, warning and proactive response in predicator stage and revival and systematic reactive response in post disaster stage in form of relief, shelter and material for natives in Sangli and Kolhapur and tourists in Kolhapur. Key word: Disaster Management, Flood, Fire, Destination, Predicator Stage, Preparedness.
    [Show full text]
  • CYCLONE MORA RESPONSE PLAN Cox’S Bazar—Bangladesh June — October 2017
    Inter Sector 5 JUNE 2017 Coordination ISCG Group CYCLONE MORA RESPONSE PLAN Cox’s Bazar—Bangladesh June — October 2017 335,000 8 53,000 people affected Upazilas houses destroyed incl. 105,500 UMNs affected or damaged 213,900 5 $6,750,000 people targeted Upazilas Funding requested On 30 May 2017, Category 1 tropical Cyclone Mora made landfall in Cox’s Bazar District, with a maximum wind speed of 130 km/h. Several hours later the cyclone moved north across the Chittagong Districts of Bangladesh. As of 3 June, an estimated 3.3 million people have been affected across 4 dis- tricts (Needs Assessment Working Group 72 hour assessment, 3/6/2017). Cox’s Bazar District suffered the heaviest impact, with an estimated 335,000 people affected. Among them, approximately 12,000 are extreme poor. The cyclone damaged 53,000 shelters across the district, completely destroying 17,000. The most severe impact is concentrated in Teknaf, Kutubdia, Ukhia, and Moheshkali. Six camps, where Rohingya originating from Rakhine State in Myanmar reside with a total population of 150,000 , were ravaged, suffer- ing extensive damage not only to shelters, but also to facilities on-site in- cluding clinics and latrine super-structures. Shelter and WASH needs are the urgent priority to prevent outbreak. House- hold assets including household items and food stocks were soaked and damaged in the wake of the storm, resulting in need for immediate food support and non-food items (NFI). Significant impact on crops, livestock, shrimp farms and fishing assets, especially in Teknaf - Sabrang (Shawporir Dwip) and to a lesser extent Baharchora coastal areas - will extend the need Map 1: Severity Index* for emergency support in the short term.
    [Show full text]
  • UNOSAT Bangladesh – Tropical Cyclone Mora-17 30 May 2017
    UNITAR-UNOSAT | Tropical Cyclone Mora-17, Bangladesh | Population Exposure Analysis – Update 1 UNOSAT Bangladesh – Tropical Cyclone Mora-17 30 May 2017 Population Exposure Analysis – Update 1 30 May 2017 Geneva, Switzerland UNOSAT Contact: Postal Address: Email: [email protected] UNITAR – UNOSAT, IEH T: +41 22 767 4020 (UNOSAT Operations) Chemin des Anémones 11, 24/7 hotline: +41 76 411 4998 CH-1219, Genève, Suisse UNITAR-UNOSAT | Tropical cyclone Mora-17, Bangladesh | Population Exposure Analysis – Update 1 Overview Mora-17 is a category 1 tropical cyclone which strongly affected the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh. This cyclone originally came from the Indian ocean (Bay of Bengal) at a speed of about 39 km/h. On 30 May 2017, tropical cyclone Mora-17 made landfall first on Cox’s Bazar District and a few hours later in the Chittagong Districts with a maximum sustainable wind speed of 130 km/h. The tropical cyclone is expected to move to the northeast of India in the next few hours however strong winds might still cause floods and mudslides. Based on data of the observed and predicted tropical cyclone path, wind speeds from JRC (Warning 11 issued the 30th May 2017 at 09:00 UTC), and population data from WorldPop, UNITAR-UNOSAT conducted a population exposure analysis for Bangladesh : - 10,074,699 people are living within 120 km/h wind zones, - 2,803,908 people are living within 90km/h wind zones, and - 67,435,625 people are living within 60km/h wind zones. Also included is an estimation of the population living within flood hazard zones from the last 25 years (GAR 2015) and exposed to winds of 60km/h to 120km/h speed in Bangladesh.
    [Show full text]
  • Download File
    Cover and section photo credits Cover Photo: “Untitled” by Nurus Salam is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 (Shangu River, Bangladesh). https://www.flickr.com/photos/nurus_salam_aupi/5636388590 Country Overview Section Photo: “village boy rowing a boat” by Nasir Khan is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasir-khan/7905217802 Disaster Overview Section Photo: Bangladesh firefighters train on collaborative search and rescue operations with the Bangladesh Armed Forces Division at the 2013 Pacific Resilience Disaster Response Exercise & Exchange (DREE) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. https://www.flickr.com/photos/oregonmildep/11856561605 Organizational Structure for Disaster Management Section Photo: “IMG_1313” Oregon National Guard. State Partnership Program. Photo by CW3 Devin Wickenhagen is licensed under CC BY 2.0. https://www.flickr.com/photos/oregonmildep/14573679193 Infrastructure Section Photo: “River scene in Bangladesh, 2008 Photo: AusAID” Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is licensed under CC BY 2.0. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dfataustralianaid/10717349593/ Health Section Photo: “Arsenic safe village-woman at handpump” by REACH: Improving water security for the poor is licensed under CC BY 2.0. https://www.flickr.com/photos/reachwater/18269723728 Women, Peace, and Security Section Photo: “Taroni’s wife, Baby Shikari” USAID Bangladesh photo by Morgana Wingard. https://www.flickr.com/photos/usaid_bangladesh/27833327015/ Conclusion Section Photo: “A fisherman and the crow” by Adnan Islam is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Dhaka, Bangladesh. https://www.flickr.com/photos/adnanbangladesh/543688968 Appendices Section Photo: “Water Works Road” in Dhaka, Bangladesh by David Stanley is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
    [Show full text]
  • RRP Climate Risk Assessment and Management Report
    Emergency Assistance Project (RRP BAN 51274-001) CLIMATE RISK ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT REPORT I. Basic Project Information Project Title: BAN (51274-001): Emergency Assistance Project Project Cost (in $ million): $120 million Location: Coxsbazar District: Ukhia Upazila (subdistrict) (21.22 N, 92.10 E) and Teknaf Upazila (subdistrict) (21.06 N, 92.20 E) Sector/Subsectors: • Water and other urban infrastructure and services/Urban flood protection, urban sanitation, urban solid waste management and urban water supply • Energy/Electricity transmission and distribution • Transport/Road transport (non-urban) Theme: Inclusive economic growth; environmentally sustainable growth Brief Description: Beginning August 2017, Bangladesh has received over 700,000 displaced persons in Myanmar as a result of events in the neighboring Rahkine State, joining around 400,000 displaced persons who had arrived in waves from Rahkine over the past decades. They are living in 32 camps in the Coxsbazar district, with over 600,000 living in the mega-camp at Kutupalong-Balukhali. The large influx of displaced persons has caused a huge strain on the local people and economy. The Emergency Assistance Project will support the Government of Bangladesh in addressing the immediate needs of the displaced persons in the Coxsbazar district with the objective to help avert the humanitarian crisis. The project scope includes the improvement of water supply and sanitation, disaster risk management, sustainable energy supply, and access roads. The south-eastern part of Bangladesh where the project is being proposed is exposed to various types of natural hazards in an extremely fragile environment with cyclone and monsoon seasons, including flooding, landslides, wind storms, lightning, fires, heat waves, and cold spells.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Security—Climate Change—Manipur: the Gate Way to South East Asia
    Journal of US-China Public Administration, May 2017, Vol. 14, No. 5, 293-300 doi: 10.17265/1548-6591/2017.05.005 D DAVID PUBLISHING Human Security—Climate Change—Manipur: The Gate Way to South East Asia Irene Salam Manipur University, Imphal, Manipur, India There are several threats to human security, but the two greatest threats appear to be—terrorism and climate change, both of which have ramifications, for every people and every nation. Manipur, a small state in North-East India, sharing a common international border with Myanmar, has and is experiencing how climate change adversely impacts human security, particularly in the current year. The traditional four seasons of the English calendar viz. winter, spring, summer, and autumn are no longer applicable to Manipur, which from the commencement of the current year has been wracked by devastating storms, incessant rain, landslides, fissures habitation being swept away by rivers which have overflowed their banks, bridges disintegrating, especially those constructed of wooden planks and bamboo. This has threatened human security, because basic needs of people especially in hill areas, food, water, housing, clothing, shelter, have dissolved as it were in a mist; water-borne diseases are on the rise, and communication even between adjoining villages has been severed, as also access to health centres, educational institutions, public transport facilities, water and power supply, social media, information. Moreover, Manipur is located in a seismic zone. Climate change takes a great toll and incidence on mortality and income. Keywords: porous Indo-Myanmar border, Trans-Asian Highway, climate change, sustainable development Manipur is a tiny state which merged into the Indian Union only in 1949.
    [Show full text]
  • Disaster Management in India: This Book – “Disaster Management In
    Disaster Management in India: Disaster Management in India: This book – “Disaster Management in India: Challenges and Strategies” - provides Challenges and Strategies a practical and realistic understanding of the evolving status of disaster management in India. The book discusses techno-legal systems for disaster management and their real-life effectiveness based upon the author’s own professional experience as well as available literature including studies, reviews and audits reports. A case study of the 2001 Bhuj Earthquake conducted by the author is at the nucleus of the book and provides a clear understanding on how interdependent sub-systems (social, organisational, infrastructure) can fail during sever incidents, and the consequences thereof. Lack of resources, lack of coordination, and poor communication are endemic to severely damaged disaster environments like the 2001 Bhuj earthquake and are very commonly seen across the world. What is more important for the future is that new methods are being evolved that overcome the potential risks posed by such initial conditions for improving organizational performance. Lessons from the 2001 Bhuj earthquake highlighted in this book are still relevant and provide directions for well-designed future interventions. The book critically examines performance status of disaster management in R. K. Dave, the post DM Act 2005 period and identifies many relevant issues and challenges – including development of effective institutions for disaster risk management. At the end, the book proposes intervention strategies for strengthening and improving disaster management systems keeping in mind the latest developments and best-practices suited to Indian conditions. Drawing on the author’s decades of experience both in the domains of disaster management and technology, the book PhD, MSHS, MBA, BE provides tips on - Emergency Operations Center design and development; Media integration into DM, emergency Resources Management systems development and Crowd management.
    [Show full text]