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(V) Disaster Management BY Vaishali MAM

Disaster management (University of Delhi)

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 (V) DISASTER MANAGEMENT V-MAM
 DISASTER AND ITS DEFINITION :-
 defined as an event which causes (w/c) loss of
human lives and assets .
 so it is any calamity and catastrophe which
causes human injury, brings about human
causality, economic loss, infrastructure loss
etc . it for sure result into loss.
 They are not natural event
 Disaster:- {Hazard (threat/risk)+ vulnerability
(means Human exposure & susceptibility to
risk)}
 The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction (UNISDR- 2009) defines disaster as: “A
serious disruption of the functioning of a
community or a society involving widespread
human, material, economic or environmental
losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of
the affected community or society to cope using
its own resources.”
 Disasters are not “natural” events, but instead
are a function of how humans interact with their
environment
 The DM Act of India, 2005 uses the
following definition for disaster:
 “Disaster” means a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or
grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or
manmade causes, or by accident or negligence which
results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or
damage to, and destruction of, property, or damage
to, or degradation of, environment, and is of such a
nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping
capacity of the community of the affected area.
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 HAZARD AND ITS DEFINITION:-
 A hazard is a “process, phenomenon or human
activity that may cause loss of life, injury or
other health impacts, property damage, social
and economic disruption or environmental
degradation.” The origins of hazards can be
natural or human-made, and span a wide range
of environmental, technological and biological
hazards, including meteorological, hydrological,
extra-terrestrial, geological, environmental,
chemical, biological, technological and societal
factors. Common examples include storms and
floods and also less-frequent events such as
pandemics and chemical accidents
 Hazard is an event which poses a risk/threat to
human lives and assets.
 it has potential to result into loss.
 Hazard is natural.
 They arise because of two types of forces so
are categorised as
a) Geophysical hazards:- take place due to
endogenic and exogenic forces. Like
tsunami, EQ, Landslides, Volcanoes
b) Climatic hazards:- like tropical cyclones,
cloud burst, atmospheric lightening.
 Take an example of Brahmaputra flooding:-
 Its catchment receives more than 200cm rainfall in
monsoonal and all year around it has high sediment
load, and during monsoon period this load becomes
very high.
 Its valley is also a narrow river valley, during rainy
season in the steep gradients till state of Arunachal,
river does a lot of erosion and transportation of
sediments and once it reaches the Assam, gradient
becomes gentler and rivers starts doing siltation on
its river bed (deposition of sediments), consequently
height of river bed rises a little, and reduces the
channel capacity . results into flooding.
 So this is a natural hydro-meteorological
phenomenon which has occurred.
 Any river having characteristics like Brahmaputra will
behave exactly the same.
 This is definitely a hazard, and have potential to pose
a risk to human life and property.
 However, this hazard degenerates into a disaster as
people have settlements on the flood plains of
Brahmaputra
 It brings us to a conclusion that disaster is a
combination of :- hazard and vulnerability.
 Disaster:- Hazard (threat/risk)+ vulnerability (means
Human exposure & susceptibility to risk)
 VULNERABILITY AND ITS DEFINITION
 Vulnerability describes “the conditions
determined by physical, social, economic and
environmental factors or processes which
increase the susceptibility of an individual, a
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community, assets or systems to the impacts of
hazards”.
 Exposure is the “situation of people,
infrastructure, housing, production capacities
and other tangible human assets located in
hazard- prone areas”. When hazards combine
with vulnerability and exposure, disasters are
most likely to occur because exposure increases
the impacts and vulnerability reduces coping
capacity
 VULNERABILITY:- is the human dimension of
disaster and is context specific. It arises because
of following major factors.
1) ECONOMIC FACTORS:-
 Related to low income levels which reduce the
coping capacities of communities and countries.
{as people are aware about the situations of risk,
but due to poverty, they could not migrate or
resettle}
2) ADMINISTRATIVE/GOVERNANCE factor
 these are majorly of two types
a. Inadequacy of regulatory framework for
disaster management:- As every country
requires rules and regulations
 Dams and reservoirs are examples of hazard
prone infra. So they are prone to any hazard like
structure failure or collapse.
 2019:- Maharashtra had Tiware Dam, Cracks
were developed, however the maintenance was
not done by Administration. 2019 due to heavy
rain on Western Ghats of Maharashtra, this Dam
collapsed and there were massive flooding in the
downstream region and entire hamlet washed
away.
 They themselves induce earthquakes in the
regions and earthquakes are known as RIS
(Reservoirs induced seismicity). E.g:-Koyna EQ.
 Sometimes because of mismanagement of dams
and reservoirs (how, when, what quantity of
water etc), the losses get compounded. E.g 2018
Kerala floods happened. Historically heavy
rainfall happened due to Climate change in
Kerala. Post disaster assessment was conducted
by UN along with state govt of Kerala and they
found the reason for compounded loss is
mismanagement. {June,2018:-deficit rainfall was
in Kerala, so reservoirs cannot be filled, followed
by July, so state electricity board got anxious
about (whether rain comes or not) it in following
months so they filled all reservoirs of Kerala to
their maximum capacity in July itself, but rain
happened historically at record level in august
th
12-13 . ho reservoirs faced a lot of hydrostatic
pressure and water of 40 reservoirs got released
at one go now and downstream of kerala got
flooded with this water and completely washed
away}.
 So these type of dams are high risk infrastructure
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for any country, so there should be standard
Uniform operating guidelines for operation,
supervision of these dams. Now India has a Dam
Safety Act, 2021. The bill introduced in 2010, so
took India so many years to come out with a
framework to scientific management of these
dams, it is an example of inadequacy of
regulatory framework for disaster management.
This exposes the population with higher degree
of vulnerability
b. In-effective implementation of rules and
regulations concerning with disaster
management.
 however, inadequate implementation is
there
 Examples are like there are fire safety
norms, say commercial buildings should get
their fire safety clearance, however they are
operating in country without this clearance,
and fire accidents are very common in India.
This is an example of In-effective
implementation of rules and regulations
 E.g:- Munka fire happened in Delhi.
 E.g:- Morbi bridge collapse, after this
incident, Nagarpalika said that they have not
got any fitness certificate (which is needed
before starting of operation of bridge) from
us after the maintance work was done of
the bridge. But bridge was re-opened and
after 2 days they bridge collapsed.
Nagarpalika was allowing the operation
without the fitness available with the
contractor. This is an example of In-effective
implementation of rules and regulations (as
the rule is existed)
3) RAPID URBANIZATION AND POORLY
PLANNED URBANIZATION:-
 Urban areas are densely populated;
therefore there is high concentration of
people and assets in urban areas. {If it is an
uninhabited region, there will nobody be
exposed to the risk and no headline is made,
example we never see any news of an
earthquake of 6.5 magnitudes at MoR of
Atlantic. However it happens let say in delhi,
so it becomes a very big headline as urban
areas are prone to this risk due to high
concentration of people and assets }
 Example:- Corona pandemic hit the urban
areas the more.
 Poorly planned urbanization means that
there is mis-governance when it comes to
planning of urban areas and there will be
unscientific land use planning (LUP)
 Example:- Bhopal Gas tragedy, Styrene gas
leak incident at LG polymer plant of
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Vishakhapatnam , there were human which is the initial trigger for the
settlements next to these plants, that is an destabilization of hill slopes.
example of unscientific LUP.  Construction of HEPs, Hotels and resorts ,
 urban areas don’t have adequate urban connectivity infra like roads, illegal mining
infrastructure e.g drainage infrastructure and quarrying :- all this is happening in
a. storm water drainage infrastructure western Ghats.
(artificial)  Natural forest of WG have been replaced by
b. sewage drain Monocultures of Plantations
 Urban areas require both of them.  All this is beyond the carrying capacity of
Urbanization means concretization of Western Ghats, so hill cutting, hill
land, leads to poor drainage. fragmentation, large scale slope
 Therefore Urban areas also require modification had to be done.
natural drainage basins like the  2018-19:-for 2 consecutive years, abnormal
wetlands, lakes , flood plains of rivers heavy precipitation happened and attributed
 Urbanization happens in an haphazard to climate change. So Climate change is just
manner, poorly planned, there is illegal here acting as an risk amplifier (risk gets
encroachment starts to take place over compounded)
these natural drainage basins (as there is  DISASTER:- HAZARD = VULNERABILITY
no town planning).  Because of climate change:- H↑, V↑, so D will also ↑
 Examples:- Chennai, PallaiKarani  D↑:- H↑+V↑
wetland, encroachment over it has  So disasters globally are on the rise
happened and it has shank. Similarly  Question:-Vulnerability is an essential element for
happened with the lakes of the defining disaster impacts and its threats to people.
Bangalore (Bellan Dur lake and Varthur How and in what ways can vulnerability to disasters
be characterized ? discuss different types of
lake, both have shrunk)
vulnerability with reference to disasters.
 For Mumbai, flood plains of Mithi river  Answer:-
have encroached upon.
 Encroachment is possible is because of  2020THE REPORT BY UNDRR-
poor-urban governance.
 storm water drainage infrastructure
HUMAN COST OF DISASTERS-
(artificial)  (UNDRR, formerly known as UNISDR, is the focal
 Cities may not have adequate length of point of the United Nations system for disaster
storm water drain, if they have some risk reduction and the custodian of the Sendai
then may not be maintained well if they Framework, supporting countries and societies
have. in its implementation, monitoring and review of
 Now even the tier-2 cities are prone to progress. Unite Nations Office for Disaster
urban flooding because of these Reduction(UNISDR/ UNDRR) enables
reasons. communities to become resilient to the effects
of natural technological and environmental
4) ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION:- hazards and reducing the compound risks they
 Means development takes place beyond the pose to social and economic vulnerabilities
carrying capacity of a region /ecosystem within modern societies.)
 2018, flooding and landslides took place in 1) It confirms how extreme weather events have
Kerala, come to dominate the disaster landscape in the
 2019:- landslides took place in Kerala, Karnataka, 21st century.
MH 2) In the period 2000 to 2019, there were more
 E.g :- Western Ghats:- than 7000 major recorded disaster events
 Western ghats are ecologically fragile and claiming 1.23 million lives, affecting 4.2 billion
are economically important as well, as they people resulting in approximately US$2.97
are mineral rich, have hydroelectric trillion in global economic losses.
potential due to rivers, and have tourism 3) This is a sharp increase over the previous twenty
potential. years. Between 1980 and 1999, 4,212 disasters
 Over the years , development pressure is were linked to natural hazards worldwide
increasing on western ghats as the claiming approximately 1.19 million lives and
population is increasing. Construction on affecting 3.25 billion people resulting in
this hilly area is preceded by deforestation ,

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approximately US$1.63 trillion in economic
losses.
4) Much of the difference is explained by a rise in
climate-related disasters including extreme
weather events: from 3,656 climate-related
events (1980-1999) to 6,681 climate-related
disasters in the period 2000-2019.
5) More than 90% of the disasters in this period
(2000-2019) were climate related. Rest 10%
were geophysical.
6) The last twenty years has seen the number of
major floods more than double, from 1,389 to
3,254, while the incidence of storms grew from
1,457 to 2,034. Floods and storms were the most
prevalent events.
7) The report “The Human Cost of Disasters 2000-
2019” also records major increases in other
categories including drought, wildfires and
extreme temperature events. There has also
been a rise in geo-physical events including
earthquakes and tsunamis which have killed
more people than any of the other natural
hazards under review in this report.
8) For disasters since 2000, in low-income
countries, an average of 130 people died per
million living in disaster-affected areas,
compared to just 18 in high-income countries.
That means people exposed to natural hazards
in the poorest nations were more than seven
times more likely to die than equivalent
populations in the richest nations.
9) India specific statistics- Total number of
disasters reported in India during 2000-2019 was
321. Total number of people affected by
disasters in India during 2000-2019 was 1083
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million. And total number of deaths in the same
period due to disasters was more than 79000.
 In terms of affected countries globally, China
(577 events) and the United States of America
(U.S.) (467 events) reported the highest number
of disaster events, followed by India (321
events), Philippines (304 events), and Indonesia
(278 events) (Figure 3). These countries all have
large and heterogenous landmasses and
relatively high population densities in at-risk
areas.
 Global Assessment Report by UNDRR
 The human race has never before faced such
large and complex threats. The number of
weather and climate related disasters has more
than doubled in the last 40 years. Climate
change is acting as a risk amplifier, thus making
disaster management all the more critical
 INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS FOR
DISASTER MANAGEMENT:-
 1989:- UN declared 1990 to 1999 as the
International decade for natural disaster
reduction (IDNDR). Its aim was to generate
greater awareness among the countries for
disaster management. An International Decade
for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR),
beginning on 1 January 1990, was launched by
the United Nations. The Decade was intended
to reduce, through concerted international
action, especially in developing countries, loss of
life, poverty damage and social and economic
disruption caused by natural disasters
A. THE FIRST WORLD CONFERENCE
YOKOHAMA 1994:-
 1994:- first world conference on disaster
reduction was held at Yokohama, Japan, 23-27
May 1994. It provided Yokohama’s guidelines
for disaster prevention, mitigation,
preparedness, and disaster risk reduction
(DRR). The emphasis was given on disaster risk
reduction (DRR) from a relief centric approach
(post disaster focus).
 DRR is done prior to the disaster, therefore
Yokohama focused on both Pre and post
disaster focus.
 Means from infancy stage (before
yokohama’s), it was moving towards mature
stage
 It was based on following principles-
a) The disaster prevention, mitigation,
preparedness and relief were identified as
four elements which contribute to and gain
from the implementation of sustainable
development policies.
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b) Disaster prevention, mitigation and
preparedness are better than disaster
response in achieving the goals and
objectives of the Decade.
c) It highlighted socio-economic vulnerability.
 UN along with Japanese think tanks have been
working on this, and they came to a conclusion that
disasters were on the rise and losses were on the rise.
However, UN identified that for most of the
countries, they were using a temporary approach for
disaster management like disaster happened, loss has
occurred, forces of those countries reached over
there, carried out rescue operations, provided
medical aid and compensation to the victims. So this
was a relief-centric approach.
 Disaster management and sustainable
development are mutually reinforcing
because:-
a) Disaster management is essential to save the human
life and assets, as human capital and physical infra is
an enabler of future growth. Disasters always
undermine the growth and developmental process.
b) For uninterrupted growth:- enablers are Human
capital, economic capital, physical infrastructure
capital. If these get compromised (by disaster or any
other way), would halt the development prospects of
the future as well with present.
 Therefore UN thought that awareness needs to be
increased among the countries and UN held three
conference till date, first was at Yokohama 1994.
 Hazard cannot be controlled, we are going to target
collapsing structures and trying to reduce the risk
exposure of people is called as disaster risk reduction
means trying to reduce the vulnerability
B. THE SECOND WORLD CONFERENCE:-
HYOGO 2005:-
 2005- 2nd World Conference on Disaster
Reduction- 18-22 January 2005, Kobe, Hyogo,
Japan
 Second world conference on disaster reduction
was held at Hyogo, it adopted Hyogo framework
for action (2005-2015). Its aim was To build
resilience of nations and communities to
disasters
 It was now internationally acknowledged that
efforts to reduce disaster risks must be
systematically integrated into policies, plans and
programmes for sustainable development and
poverty reduction, and supported through
bilateral, regional and international cooperation.
 The review of Yokohama Strategy stressed the
importance of disaster risk reduction being
underpinned by a more pro-active approach to
informing, motivating and involving people in all
aspects of disaster risk reduction.
 Resilience is defined as the ability to withstand
stresses/shocks because of a disaster. It is of two
types:-
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a) Ability of a system to maintain equilibrium or
state of normalcy in its functioning in the event
of a disaster.
b) Ability of system to bounce back to the state of
normalcy whenever disruptions are caused
because of a disaster
 Yokohama focus was on DRR, but hyogo central
message was building resilience of nations and
communities to disasters i.e resilience at grass level
should be developed and countries must be resilient
as well.
 Resilience in simple words:-Systems like
administrative, communication systems, basic
services like health and education, infrastructure like
energy, power:- all of these are examples of systems
running in a country and all these seem to be working
in a seamless manner when a disaster happens that is
what a disaster is.
 E.g:- there are some countries affected by tropical
cyclones and one of the infrastructures gets affected
are the power transmission lines. So many of the
countries are going with underground system of
power transmission lines for much resilience to the
impacts of tropical cyclones
 Hyogo says that sometimes disasters are going to be
large in magnitude and there will obviously be some
impact and some disruptions will happen, so to get
back to normalcy is the resilience.
 E.g:- the Corona Pandemic, the disruptions were
bound to happen. And like in Education ,online
schooling (digital mode) happened in urban area
showing high resilience and this happened late in
rural areas showing less resilience
 The Hyogo Framework priorities for action
2005-2015 are
a) ensure that disaster risk reduction is a
national and a local priority with a strong
institutional basis for implementation;
b) identify, assess and monitor disaster risks
and enhance early warning;
c) use knowledge, innovation and education to
build a culture of safety and resilience at all
levels;
d) reduce the underlying risk factors; and
e) strengthen disaster preparedness for
effective response at all levels
C. THE THIRD WORLD CONFERENCE:-
SENDAI 2015:-
 Third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan, on
March 14- 18, 2015
 3rd world conference of disaster reduction held
at sendai (Japan), it adopted Sendai Framework
for disaster risk reduction (SFDRR), (from 2015-
2030).
 The purpose of the conference was to adopt a
concise, focused, forward-looking and action-
oriented post 2015 framework for disaster risk
reduction. For the first time it was recognised
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that addressing climate change as one of the
drivers of disaster risk, (while respecting the
mandate of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change,) represented an
opportunity to reduce disaster risk in a
meaningful and coherent manner throughout
the interrelated intergovernmental processes.
 The present Framework applies to the risk of
small-scale and large-scale, frequent and
infrequent, sudden and slow-onset disasters
caused by natural or man-made hazards, as well
as related environmental, technological and
biological hazards and risks
 This framework has provided 4 priorities for
action for a robust disaster management across
the countries.
 It has set 7 global targets which are to be
achieved by 2030.
 Sendai is a voluntary instrument, India has
signed it.
Question:-Describe various measures taken in India
for DRR before and after signing sendai framework.
How is this framework different from Hyogo
framework for action
 How is this framework different from
Hyogo framework for action:-
a) Sendai came in 2015, it is not legally binding
(voluntarily), but it encourages countries to
achieve some targets
b) Hyogo and yokohama didn’t set any targets
(they only provided guidelines and
principles) whereas sendai set targets.
Sendai became action oriented.
c) Sendai when it happened in 2015, same
time, Paris agreement came up, SDGs were
also adopted. And all three were mutually
reinforcing because disaster management is
actually climate adaptation. Sendai
recognised how climate adaption is
important for disaster management (Hyogo
and Yokohama didn’t take climate into
consideration)
 Sendai Framework aims to achieve the
following outcomes over the next 15 years-
a) Substantially reduce global disaster mortality by
2030, aiming to lower the average per 100,000 global
mortality rate in the decade 2020–2030 compared to
the period 2005– 2015;
b) Substantially reduce the number of affected people
globally by 2030, aiming to lower the average global
figure per 100,000 in the decade 2020–2030
compared to the period 2005– 2015;
c) Reduce direct disaster economic loss in relation to
global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030;
d) Substantially reduce disaster damage to critical
infrastructure and disruption of basic services, among
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them health and educational facilities, including
through developing their resilience by 2030;
e) Substantially increase the number of countries with
national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by
2020;
f) Substantially enhance international cooperation to
developing countries through adequate and
sustainable support to complement their national
actions for implementation of the present Framework
by 2030;
g) Substantially increase the availability of and access to
multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk
information and assessments to people by 2030.
 More importantly, the Framework has
adopted following four priority areas
a) Priority 1: Understanding disaster risk.
 Implies identifying hazard prone areas of the country
through hazard zonation mapping and also asserting
vulnerability profile of a country, also called as
Hazard risk vulnerability assessment (HRVA).
 vulnerability is context specific and is of following
major types
a. economic vulnerability
b. physical vulnerability related to infrastructure
like power, communication etc.
c. social vulnerability related to demographic
attributes like age, gender etc. (women, children,
Physically disabled, older are more vulnerable, so
are first to be rescued)
 so Hazard is geography specific and identifying hazard
is known as Hazard zonation mapping. like east coast
is most vulnerable for cyclones in India, zone can be
identified. So, hazard is based upon the physiography
of the region
 Vulnerability is context specific means it is situational
and it is circumstantial.
b) Priority 2: Strengthening disaster risk
governance to manage disaster risk.
 Governance refers to the legislative and regulatory
framework along with institutional and financial
arrangements for disaster management.
 governance broadly is functions, functionaries and
funds , i.e. is the role and responsibilities for
management
 For example we have NDM Act2005. The Act specifies
what are the authorities in country responsible for
DM and what are they mandated to do.
 1999:- Odisha was hit by Super cyclone (named
as 1999Super-cyclone), India's cyclone earning
warning systems were not very advance. IMD
provided a warning time of 2 days, however, Odisha
govt failed to understand the disaster is.
unfortunately this cyclone proved to be catastrophic
as it had 260km/hr (maximum recorded wind speed),
and continued for 48hours and when this was
happening , CM was on holiday, so no one in the
administration had any clue of how the rescue and
relief is to be carried out. First line of relief of was in
food packets and water packets, dropped off airily by
a foreign NGO, not by ODISHA and Indian govt, total
10,000 people died and entire Odisha seen like a sea
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of floating dead bodies from the air. failure of
governance was seen as govt had not done any
recusal work
 {Note:- Naming of Cyclone for entire Indian ocean
region started in 2005-06, based upon wind speed
they are named and categorised, like super cyclone is
when wind speed exceeds 222km/hr}
 2013:- ODISHA:- PHAILIN (super cyclone) again
hit the Odisha , IMD was able to make a forecast
about it and provided warning 3-4 days in advance,
CM Naveen P, took steps prior the cyclone hit and the
entire administration got into action and Odisha
carried out largest ever evacuation drive (of world)
for DM, in 24 hours 1million people were evacuated ,
mortalities happened in 2 digit numbers as compared
to 1999, just because of the governance
 so good governance mitigates and bad compounds
the loses
c) Priority 3: Investing in disaster risk reduction
for resilience.
 Investing in DRR for resilience, DRR comprises of
following measures
a. Structural measures:-
 Refers to engineering solutions to reduce the
disaster risk.
 e.g seismic shock absorbers for EQ resilient
infrastructure.
 e.g tsunami walls or sea walls for coastal regions
 e.g:-most of the buildings constructed in Japan
have seismic shock absorbers fitted inside the
foundations of buildings, so when EQ rays travel
through this, the shock absorbers absorb the
energy of EQ and reduces the chances of collapse
of the building, this engineering solution is called
as structural measure
b. Non-structural measures:-
 they are further of two types
1) techno legal framework:- which mandates
compliance with structural measures
2) bio-shields:-ecosystems which reduce the
risk of disasters like mangroves, coral reefs,
wetlands, flood plains of rivers, forests over
the hill slopes
d) Priority 4: Enhancing disaster preparedness for
effective response and to “Build Back Better” in
recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
 Disaster preparedness refers to state of readiness to
face a disaster and to carry out efficient rescue and
relief operations,(means how ready we are to face
something which is about to happen) it includes the
following
a. Installing multi-hazard early warning systems
which provide warning about an impending
disaster e.g:- tsunami , cyclone, floods early
warning system
b. Capacity building with logistical and human
resources to carry out timely and effective rescue
and relief operations. Like you need staff for
evacuating, firefighting etc e.g cyclone shelters ,
fire tenders, fire safety staff, firefighting staff,
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disaster response forces (like NDRF), the para
medic staff to treat the injured
 UN has now dedicated funds for installing this
early warning systems among different countries
……..1st class ended, 2nd started…….
 DISASTER MANAGEMENT INDIA
 Understanding the Disaster risk = Hazard risk
vulnerability assessment (HRVA).
 India is a hazard prone country of the world due
to its geography
 Based on origin of disaster in India they are
classified as
a) Natural disasters = originate because of
hazards like Tsunami, Earthquakes, Landslides,
Heat waves
b) Man-made disasters: - which originate
because of human error or human negligence.
We call them as CBRN i.e. Chemical, Biological,
Radiological & Nuclear. E.g:- Bhopal gas tragedy
is chemical disaster, Covid is biological
 HAZARD, RISK AND VULNERABILITY
PROFILE OF INDIA:-
 India is vulnerable to both natural and man-
made disasters (CBRN disasters). As per GFDRR,
India is one of the top 10 countries in the world
which are disaster prone. As per UNISDR, India
was 4th in list of top 10 countries with highest
number of disasters between 2005 to 2014
a) India's long coastline of nearly 7,500 km
consists of 5,400 km along the mainland,
132 km in Lakshadweep and 1,900 km in the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The coastal
regions are vulnerable to tropical cyclones;
storm surges; coastal erosion and
submergence; and tsunamis. About 10 per
cent of the World's tropical cyclones affect
the Indian coast.
b) Floods affect an average area of around 7.5
million hectares per year (as temporal and
spatial variability is there in India due to
monsoonal climate). According to the
National Commission on Floods, the area
susceptible to floods was estimated in 1980
to be around 40 million hectares
c) Nearly 59 percent of India’s territory is
vulnerable to earthquakes. Seven states in
North East (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh,
Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and
Meghalaya), the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands, parts of three states in the
North/North-West (Jammu and Kashmir,
Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Gujarat are in
Seismic Zone V.
d) Landslides occur in the hilly regions of India
such as the Himalaya, North-East India, the
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Nilgiris, Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats. It
is estimated that 30 percent of the World’s
landslides occur in the Himalayan ranges.
e) Snow avalanches occur in several stretches
of the Himalayan range with the following
areas being more vulnerable: Western
Himalaya – the snowy regions of Jammu and
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh.
f) Droughts affect vast areas of the country,
transcending State boundaries. A third of
the country is drought prone (of total
geographical area). Recurrent drought
results in widespread adverse impact on
people’s livelihoods and young children’s
nutrition status. It affects parts of Rajasthan
(chronically), Gujarat, Maharashtra, MP, UP,
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Andhra
Pradesh.
 FROM 1999, THERE WERE E THREE
,MAJOR DISASTERS IN INDIA
a) 1999:- odisha super cyclone
b) 2001:- Gujarat Earthquake in Bhuj (massive=
more than 7magnitude, mortality was 6000-
7000)
c) 2004:- Indian ocean Tsunami (regional disaster
triggered by earthquake under ocean and total
mortalities across these countries are 2.5 lakh)
 So in 2005 National disaster management Act
was enacted by the parliament which provided
legislative framework for DM for the entire
country (India)
 It created a Multi-tiered institutional
framework comprising of NDMA (National DM
Authority), SDMA (State DMA) and DDMA
(District DMA) at center , state & district level
respectively
 NDMA is responsible for making the policy, plan
& guidelines for DM for the entire country for
both natural and CBRN disasters
 SDMA and DDMA are responsible for
implementation of the plan at the state and the
district level respectively
 Till-2005:- it was the responsibility of state govt.
(as mostly police did the relief work till 2005 and
compensation was given majorly by state govt
and sometimes compensated by central govt)
 NDMA: - headed by PM:- policy, plan. Guidelines
{first policy given in 2009, first plan in 2016 then
revised in 2019)
 SDMA :- headed by CM :- implementation
 DDMA :- headed by District Magistrate :-
Implementation
 Disaster management can be better done at
decentralized manner i.e. mapping for HRVA
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must be done at micro level and small level. As
some plan can work for coastal areas which will
not work for himalayan states of India. So we
need a decentralized plan and plan needs to be
customized at state and then district level . so
disaster management should be better served
locally
CURRENT AFFAIR:- JOSHIMATH CASE
 Land subsidence problem was there
 Read from internet
 Misra committee report:- says this place has
debris of landslide accumulated and formed this
place.
 NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT
ACT, 2005-
 The Disaster Management Bill was introduced in
Parliament in May 2005 and finally enacted in
December 2005.
 As per the Act, “disaster management” means a
continuous and integrated process of planning,
organising, coordinating and implementing
measures which are necessary or expedient
for—
a) prevention of danger or threat of any
disaster;
b) mitigation or reduction of risk of any disaster
or its severity or consequences;
c) capacity-building;
d) preparedness to deal with any disaster;
e) prompt response to any threatening disaster
situation or disaster;
f) assessing the severity or magnitude of
effects of any disaster;
g) evacuation, rescue and relief;
h) Rehabilitation and reconstruction.
 The salient features of the Act are-
a) It created an institutional mechanism for
effective disaster management at national, state
and district level.
b) The multi-tiered framework comprised of
National Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA), with Prime Minister as the Chairperson
at the national level. State Disaster Management
Authorities (SDMA) and District Disaster
Management Authorities (DDMA) will be headed
by respective Chief Ministers and District
Collectors respectively.
c) Other major responsibilities of NDMA include- (a)
lay down policies on disaster management; (b)
approve the National Plan; (c) approve plans
prepared by the Ministries or Departments of the
Government of India in accordance with the
National Plan; (d) lay down guidelines to be
followed by the State Authorities in drawing up
the State Plan; (e) lay down guidelines to be
followed by the different Ministries or
Departments of the Government of India for the
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purpose of integrating the measures for
prevention of disaster or the mitigation of its
effects in their development plans and projects;
(f) coordinate the enforcement and
implementation of the policy and plan for
disaster management.
d) The Act also requires Central Government to
constitute National Executive Committee to
assist the National Authority in the performance
of its functions under this Act; have the
responsibility for implementing the policies and
plans of the National Authority and ensure the
compliance of directions issued by the Central
Government for disaster management in the
country.
e) It shall be the responsibility of every Ministry or
Department of the Government of India to take
measures necessary for prevention of disasters,
mitigation, preparedness and capacity building in
accordance with the guidelines laid down by the
National Authority.
f) Central Government shall also constitute
National Institute for Disaster Management. It
will be responsible for planning and promoting
training and research in the area of disaster
management, documentation and development
of national level information base relating to
disaster management policies, prevention
mechanisms and mitigation measures.
g) The Act also provided for constitution of a
National Disaster Response Force for the purpose
of specialist response to a threatening disaster
situation or disaster.
h) The Central Government may constitute a
National Disaster Response Fund for meeting any
threatening disaster situation or disaster. The
National Disaster Response Fund will be applied
by the NEC for meeting expenses for emergency
response, relief and rehabilitation, in accordance
with the guidelines laid down by the Central
Government in consultation with the NDMA.
i) The Central Government may constitute a
National Disaster Mitigation Fund for projects
exclusively for the purpose of mitigation. The
NDMF shall be applied by the NDMA and shall be
as recommended by the Finance Commission
from time to time.
j) Every Ministry or Department of the Government
of India shall make provisions, in its annual
budget, for funds for the purposes of carrying
out the activities and programmes set out in its
disaster management plan.
 NATIONAL POLICY ON DISASTER
MANAGEMENT, 2009:-
 It’s vision is to build a safe and disaster resilient
India by developing a holistic, proactive, multi-
disaster oriented and technology driven strategy
through a culture of prevention, mitigation,
preparedness and response.
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 The objectives of the National Policy on
Disaster Management are:
a) Mainstreaming disaster management into
the developmental planning process.
 means every planning should be disaster
sensitive. It also means DM should be made part
and parcel of development of country, it must
not be made post development matter etc. like
DM cannot be taken up as post facto basis,
retrospective basis etc.
 DM must be integrated with all other
developments projects like education, health,
infrastructure
 DM is in none of the list of state, center or
concurrent list. It must be in the concurrent list,
but parliament argument that it must not be
th
separated from 7 schedule (developmental
subjects). So there is a purpose to not made it
separate.
b) Establishing institutional and techno-legal
frameworks to create an enabling regulatory
environment and a compliance regime.
c) Ensuring effective mechanism for
identification, assessment and monitoring of
disaster risks.
d) Promoting a productive and proactive
partnership with the media for disaster
management.
 NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT
PLAN (NDMP), 2016 (later revised in
2019):-
 Given to make sure the 2009 policy implementation.
As per the plan disaster management in India is
defined as “a cyclical continuous and systematic
process of planning and implementing measures to
reduce the impact of disasters”.
 The National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP)
provides a framework and direction to the
government agencies for all phases of disaster
management cycle.
 First we need to have HRVA in any disaster then
followed by MPRR (Mitigation, Preparedness,
Response, and Recovery)
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1. Mitigation:-
 here means to reduce the risk of disaster.
For natural disasters mitigation means
disaster risk reduction (DRR = structural +
non-structural)).
 However, In India we have both Natural +
CBRN disaster. CBRN in India are completely
preventable so mitigation for CBRN in India
means prevention means the can be
completely prevented to get happened
2. Preparedness
 Means 4th priority of Sendai is taken care of
by this step. Means preparing for installing
multi-hazard early warning systems (EWS) and
capacity building
 Priority 4: Enhancing disaster preparedness
for effective response and to “Build Back
Better” in recovery, rehabilitation and
reconstruction.
 Disaster preparedness refers to state of
readiness to face a disaster and to carry out
efficient rescue and relief operations,(means
how ready we are to face something which is
about to happen) it includes the following
a) Installing multi-hazard early warning systems
(EWS) which provide warning about an
impending disaster e.g:- tsunami , cyclone,
floods early warning system
b) Capacity building with logistical and human
resources to carry out timely and effective
rescue and relief operations. Like you need
staff for evacuating, firefighting etc e.g
cyclone shelters , fire tenders, fire safety
staff, firefighting staff, disaster response
forces (like NDRF), the para medic staff to
treat the injured
3. Response
 After disaster , to do rescue and relief operations
but it is a short term measure
4. Recovery
 It is building back after the disaster.
 Infrastructure + life of people Need to be
build back
 Reconstruction:- building back of
infrastructure
 Rehabilitation:- building back of people’s
lives. Sometimes providing, homes, medical
counseling, education, employment etc all
comes under rehabilitation.
 Sendai says when the countries and
communities are recovery, their aim should
be build back better (BBB) (and must
integrate it with DRR). As per sendai
framework aim of every recovery process is
to Build Back Better (BBB). It can be done by
integrating recovery with structural +
nonstructural measures of DRR
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 NDMP-2016’s vision is to ‘make India disaster
resilient, achieve substantial disaster risk
reduction, and significantly decrease the losses
of life, livelihoods, and assets – economic,
physical, social, cultural, and environmental – by
maximizing the ability to cope with disasters at
all levels of administration as well as among
communities.’
 Salient features of the Plan-
1) It is in accordance with the provisions of the
Disaster Management Act, 2005, the guidance
given in the National Policy on Disaster
Management, 2009.
2) The NDMP is consistent with the approaches
promoted globally by the United Nations, in
particular the Sendai Framework for Disaster
Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
3) It covers all the four stages of disaster
management.
4) The NDMP is a “dynamic document” in the sense
that it will be periodically improved keeping up
with the emerging global best practices and
knowledge base in disaster management.
5) The Plan also identifies certain regions / areas
requiring special attention for disaster
management-
a) Himalayan Region spanning more than one
State
b) Coastal Tracts covering more than one State
and UTs
c) Riverine Areas spread over one or more
States
d) North East Region consisting of all eight
States
e) Union Territories, Islands and Marine Assets
located in one or more State and UTs
f) Arid and Semi-Arid Regions
6) As per the Plan, there is categorization of
disaster situations into three levels-
 Level-L1: The level of disaster that can be
managed within the capabilities and
resources at the District level. However, the
state authorities will remain in readiness to
provide assistance if needed.
 Level-L2: This signifies the disaster situations
that require assistance and active
mobilization of resources at the state level
and deployment of state level agencies for
disaster management. The central agencies
must remain vigilant for immediate
deployment if required by the state.
 Level-L3: This corresponds to a nearly
catastrophic situation or a very large-scale
disaster that overwhelms the State and
District authorities. Require Union Govt
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support. Examples:- Kerala floods, the disaster risk is the very first priority of the
Uttrakhand disasters, Covid pandemic sendai framework. it depends upon the
 Note:- (The categorization of disaster situations geographic and vulnerability profile of a region
into levels L1 to L3 finds no mention in DM Act  For example:- HRVA of landslides in India reveals
2005. Further, the DM Act does not have any that Indian Himalayan region and western Ghats
provision for notifying any disaster as a ‘national are the most landslides prone regions in the
calamity’ or a ‘national disaster’.) country
PAST YEARS’ QUESTIONS  Himalayas are landslide prone because of
 Disaster preparedness is the first step in any a) Geological Factors
disaster management process. Explain how  Slope profile:- steep gradient (more than 30O)
 Tectonic setup:- himalayas are seismic zone-5
hazard zonation mapping will help disaster
 Nature of rock :- soft sedimentary rocks of
mitigation in the case of landslides. youngest fold mountains of the world
 Points to be noted for Answer:-
b) Climatic factors
 Note:- Word preparedness here means EWS and
 Himalayas are prone to cloud burst leading
Capacity Building but here it means just readiness crop failure
and to get ready is to do HRVA
c) Human Factors /Anthropogenic factors
 In this question They are trying how HRVA links
 Deforestation followed by major construction
with DRR of landslides. And the way to answer
of infrastructure
this questions if to give definition in intro about
 Western Ghats are landslide prone because of
the hazard
a) Geological Factors
 HRVA of landslides-
 Slope profile:- steep gradient (more than 30O)
 Natural factors- Landslides occur in the hilly
b) Climatic factors
regions of India such as the Himalaya, North-East
 prone to cloud burst leading crop failure
India, the Nilgiris, Eastern Ghats and Western
 heavy rainfall
Ghats. It is estimated that 30 per cent of the
c) Human Factors /Anthropogenic factors
World’s landslides occur in the Himalayan ranges.
 Deforestation followed by major construction
Landslides are also common in Western Ghats.
of infrastructure (+ illegal mining)
 Anthropogenic induced vulnerability-
 Note:-
deforestation for rapid urbanization and
 Himalayas are naturally (inherently) prone to
development over hill slopes. Sprawl of urban
landslides , they are predisposed to landslides
infrastructure and dams over hills. It causes
(around 30% of landslides of world happen in
concretization of hill slopes.
Himalayas).
 Discuss the structural and non-structural
 Whereas, western Ghats were never naturally
measures for landslide mitigation. (inherently) prone to landslides until human
a) Non-structural Measures-
factors contributed (as they are hard rock and
 Land use zonation based on HRVA.
has very dense vegetation making it not
 Developing guidelines for proper site
prone to landslides, so Human factors
selection for human settlements, amenities
increased the vulnerability of landslides in
and other infrastructure for landslide prone
Western Ghats),
regions. Ensuring enforcement of guidelines.
 So both Structural and non-structural
 Regulations and building codes for human
measures are important but more non-
settlements and other buildings.
structural measures need to be implemented
b) Structural Measures-
in Western ghats landslides and structural
 Soil stabilization techniques.
must be more done in Himalayan regions for
 Improving infrastructure, roads and land
landslides
stabilization work.
 HRVA of landslides in India, reveals that
 Constructing multi-hazard shelters
Himalayas due to geological and meteorological
 SAMPLE ANSWER factors are pre-disposed to landslides (as per
 intro Ministry of earth sciences around 30% of
 Landslides are defined as geological hazard having landslides of world happen in Himalayas),
a sudden downslope movement of rock, debris whereas the western Ghats with their hard rocks
and earthen material under the direct influence and dense vegetation & forest are vulnerable to
of gravity landslides more due to anthropogenic
 Body interferences {However for both the regions
 Hazard zonation mapping which is understanding climate change and human activities have

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compounded the landslide risk) existing National Plan of 2016 has been revised
 This assessment facilitates in implementation of enhancing it considerably improving the approach
DRR measures for landslide mitigation. For and adding new dimensions.
 Considering the significance of climate change
Himalayan region, landslide mitigation will
impacts on frequency and intensity of disasters,
require both structural and nonstructural
Climate Change Risk Management has been included
measures whereas for western Ghats , non- as a new and sixth thematic area for disaster risk
structural measures assume greater significance management in the responsibility framework.
as human factors are primarily responsible  The existing five thematic areas-
 The structural measures for landslide mitigation
a) Understanding Risk
comprise of b) Inter-Agency Coordination
a) slope stabilization through stone pitching c) Investing in DRR – Structural Measures
b) soil stabilization through wire netting d) Investing in DRR – Non-structural Measures
 The non-structural measures for landslide e) Capacity Development
mitigation are  INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
a) Land use zonation based upon HRVA and
developing scientific guidelines for FOR DM UNDER THIS PLAN:-
construction in these regions = techno legal  As per national DM Act 2005 primary responsibility to
framework undertake rescue, relief operations in the event of a
disaster if of the state govt which works in
b) Re-vegetation or aforestation over the
collaboration with district level authorities
denuded hill slopes = Bio-shield
 The central govt only supplements their efforts by
 Sendai:- Priority 3: Investing in disaster risk providing logistical and financial assistance if needed
reduction for resilience. by the state govt
 Investing in DRR for resilience, DRR comprises of  STATE LEVEL
following measures a) SDMA
a) Structural measures:-  DDMA
 Refers to engineering solutions to reduce the b) SEC
disaster risk. c) SDRF
 e.g seismic shock absorbers for EQ resilient  Basic Institutional Framework for Disaster
infrastructure. Management
 e.g tsunami walls or sea walls for coastal regions
 e.g:-most of the buildings constructed in Japan
have seismic shock absorbers fitted inside the
foundations of buildings, so when EQ rays travel
through this, the shock abso
rbers absorb the energy of EQ and reduces the
chances of collapse of the building, this
engineering solution is called as structural
measure
b) Non-structural measures:-
 they are further of two types
1) techno legal framework:- which mandates
compliance with structural measures
2) bio-shields:-ecosystems which reduce the risk
of disasters like mangroves, coral reefs,
wetlands, flood plains of rivers, forests over
the hill slopes
 SOURCES FOR EXAM
 Read news and disasters in news make a list of them
and for those disaster prepare these all steps
 Step-II:- look at NDMA website and go on Resources
section  click on Guidelines  Links to PDFs for
many disasters for all major ones
 NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT
PLAN 2019:-
 A Disaster Management Plan needs to be a dynamic
and actionable document, which needs to be updated
and revised periodically. Keeping this in mind, the

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 NDMA:- headed by PM and nominated ministers Inevitably, the most vulnerable groups suffer
are also part of it, Nominated by PM. NDMA more than others. Addressing the enormous
makes policies, plans and provides guidelines challenges of social marginalization, social
 NIDM:- more like a thin tank, does research on exclusion and other inequities are beyond the
subjects domain of DRR. However, DRR must take
 NDRF:- specially trained force with 16 battalions cognizance of social realities to ensure that
deployed across country for carrying out rescue, every possible effort is made to make DRR as
relief operations in event of disaster. In northern socially inclusive as possible.
India two battalions are at Ghaziabad and  The Disaster Management Act 2005 prohibits all
Amritsar. Each battalion has more than 1000 forms of discrimination – be it based on sex,
personnel and if disaster is severe , help of caste, community, descent or religion – in any
armed force is also taken activities related to disaster risk reduction,
 CCS:- handles disasters having security disaster relief or humanitarian assistance to the
implications for the country. It is assisted by affected people. The preamble of National Policy
NCMC of Disaster Management 2009 notes that the
 NODAL MINISTRIES FOR MANAGEMENT & economically weaker and socially marginalized
MITIGATION OF DIFFERENT DISASTERS- sections, women, Scheduled Castes and
Disaster Nodal Ministry/Department Scheduled Tribes tend to suffer more during
1 Biological Min. of Health and Family Welfare disasters. A community’s vulnerability to disaster
(MoHFW) depends on the social, cultural, economic and
2 Chemical , Min. of Environment, Forest sand political environment.
Industrial Climate Change (MOEFCC)  In the Indian context, the added emphasis on
3 Civil Min. of Civil Aviation (MoCA) social inclusion in the NDMP for DRR will be on
Aviation the following-
Accidents a) Gender-based Vulnerabilies
4 Cyclone/ Min. of Earth Sciences (MOES) b) Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
Tornado
(SC&ST)
5 Tsunami Min. of Earth Sciences (MOES)
c) Elderly
6 Drought/ Min. of Agriculture and Farmers
Hailstorm/ Welfare (MOAFW) d) Children
Cold wave/ e) Persons with Disabilities (PWD)
Frost/  FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR
Pest attack
7 Earthquake Min. of Earth Sciences (MOES)
DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN INDIA
8 Flood Min. of Water Resources (MoWR)
1. The Financial Commission makes
9 Forest fire Min. of Environment, Forests, and recommendations regarding financing of
Climate Change (MOEFCC) disaster risk management also, amongst other
10 Landslides Min. of Mines (MoM) subjects being dealt by it. The 13th Finance
11 Avalanche Min. of Defence (MoD) Commission (FC-XIII) has given its
12 Nuclear, Dept. of Atomic Energy (DAE) recommendations for maintaining National
Radiological Disaster Response Fund and State Disaster
Emergencies Response Fund in accordance with the DM Act
13 Rail Min. of Railways (MOR) 2005. The FC-XIV has taken them forward and
Accidents made recommendations regarding National
14 Road Min. of Road Transport and Highways Disaster Response Fund and State Disaster
Accidents (MORTH) Response Fund.
15 Urban Min. of Urban Development (MOUD)
2. With regard to setting up of a separate fund for
floods
disaster mitigation, the FC-XIII did not
HAND-OUT MATERIAL recommend for the same, but observed that “As
 SOCIAL INCLUSION IN DISASTER far as disaster mitigation is concerned, we
believe that it should be a part of the plan
MANAGEMENT- process and that the expenditure therein should
 Disaster management could become unfair by be met out of the plan resources of the
being blind to prevailing inequities. Existing respective ministries of the Union and the
socioeconomic conditions mean that disasters States.” The FC-XIV did not make any
can lead to dissimilar outcomes even for what recommendation on the Mitigation Funds.
may seem demographically similar communities. 3. The DM Act 2005 has clearly mandated upon the

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Government to ensure that the funds are
provided by the Ministries and Departments
within their budgetary allocations for the
purpose of disaster management.
4. The state government is primarily responsible
for undertaking rescue, relief and rehabilitation
measures in the event of a natural disaster. At
times, its efforts need to be strengthened and
supplemented with Central assistance. Providing
financial assistance for disaster preparedness,
restoration, reconstruction and mitigation in the
event of a natural disaster are not part of
National Disaster Response Fund’s mandate. In
the event of a calamity of a severe nature,
where the requirement of funds for relief
operations is beyond the funds available in the
State’s State Disaster Response Fund account,
additional Central assistance is provided from
National Disaster Response Fund.
5. As per Section 47 of the DM Act 2005, Central
Government may constitute a National Disaster
Mitigation Fund for projects exclusively for the
purpose of mitigation. This Section has not been
notified by the Government so far. The FC-XIV
did not make any specific recommendation for a
mitigation fund.
6. Section 49 provides states that every Ministry or
Department of the Government of India shall
make provisions, in its annual budget, for funds
for the purposes of carrying out the activities
and programmes set out in its disaster
management plan.
 15TH FINANCE COMMISSION ON
DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT
 Union: States Ratio- The ratio of contribution by
Union and States to the State-level allocations
for disaster management recommended by FC-
XIII should be maintained. Thus, States are to
contribute 25 per cent of funds of SDRF and
SDMF except the NEH States which shall
contribute 10 per cent, and the rest is to be
provided by the Union Government.
 Mitigation Fund-
 It should be set up at both the national and State
levels, in line with the provisions of the Disaster
Management Act.
 It should be used for those local level and
community-based interventions which reduce
risks and promote environment-friendly
settlements and livelihood practices.
 Allocation Criteria-
 In a significant departure from the past, in our
Report for the Year 2020-21, we had
recommended a new methodology, which is a
combination of-
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a) capacity (as reflected through past expenditure),
b) risk exposure (area and population) and
c) hazard and vulnerability (disaster risk index)
 for determining State-wise allocation for disaster
management. This shall be continued for the five
year award period from 2021-22 to 2025-26
also.
 Allocation of disaster management funds to
SDRMFs should be based on factors of past
expenditure, area, population, and disaster risk
index (which reflect States' institutional capacity,
risk exposure, and hazard and vulnerability
respectively).
 SDRMF-
 Total States allocation for SDRMF should be
subdivided into funding windows that
encompass the full disaster management cycle.
 Thus, the SDRF should get 80 per cent of the
total allocation and the SDMF 20 per cent.
 The SDRF allocation of 80 per cent should be
further distributed as follows:
a) Response and Relief – 40 per cent;
b) Recovery and Reconstruction – 30 per cent; and
c) Preparedness and Capacity-building – 10 per
cent.
 NDRMF-
 The allocation for the NDRMF should be based
on expenditure in previous years.
 The allocation for the NDRMF should also be
subdivided into funding windows similar to that
of States' allocation for disaster management.
 Hence, the NDRF should get 80 per cent of the
total allocation for the NDRMF, with further
division into 40 per cent for Response and Relief,
30 per cent for Recovery and Reconstruction and
10 per cent for Preparedness and Capacity-
building.
 The NDMF should be allotted 20 per cent of the
total allocation for the NDRMF.
 THE NATIONAL CYCLONE RISK
MITIGATION PROJECT
 The Government of India has initiated the
National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project
(NCRMP) with a view to address cyclone risks in
the country. The National Cyclone Risk
Mitigation Project seeks to minimize
vulnerability in the cyclone hazard prone states
and Union Territories of India and make people
and infrastructure disaster resilient, in harmony
with conservation of coastal ecosystems.
 Project Objectives : The Project development
objective of the NCRMP is to reduce
vulnerability of coastal communities to cyclone
and other hydro meteorological hazards through
a) improved early warning dissemination
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systems zone management); ensuring compliance with
b) enhanced capacity of local communities to CRZ management rules; preserving and restoring
respond to disasters bio-shields like mangrove forests.
c) improved access to emergency shelter, 3. Preparedness before cyclones- quick and
evacuation, and protection against wind effective evacuation of people and livestock
storms, flooding and storm surge in high upon receiving cyclone warnings; information
areas dissemination to the last mile; providing
d) strengthening DRM capacity at central, state adequate shelter and basic amenities to people
and local levels in order to enable in cyclone shelters.
mainstreaming of risk mitigation measures 4. Post cyclone response and recovery. The
into the overall development agenda. recovery must focus on Build Back Better.
 National Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA) under the aegis of Ministry of Home
 GLACIAL LAKES OUTBURST
Affairs (MHA) will implement the Project in FLOODS (GLOFs) +
coordination with participating State  National Disaster Management Authority’s
Governments and the National Institute for (NDMA) Guidelines for Glacial Lake Outburst
Disaster Management (NIDM). Floods (GLOFs) & Landslide Lake Outburst
 The Project has identified 13 cyclone prone Floods (LLOFs)
States and Union Territories (UTs), with varying  Moraine dammed lake & Supra glacial lake
levels of vulnerability. These States/UT have
further been classified into two categories-
 Category I: Higher vulnerability States i.e.
Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Tamil Nadu
and West Bengal.
 Category II: Lower vulnerability States i.e.
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa,
Pondicherry, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu,
Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
 DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE FOR
CYCLONES IN INDIA
1. Understanding cyclone risk OR HRVA of
cyclones-
a) Preparing detailed maps to delineate coastal
regions vulnerable to cyclones using satellite
imagery.
b) Monitoring of cyclone prone areas for any
shoreline changes with SLR due to climate
change.
c) Installing Doppler Weather Radar Systems for
advance information about severe weather.
d) Establishing EWS and SWAN for information
dissemination to the last mile.
2. Mitigation/ DRR/ Cyclone Risk Management-
a) Climate change risk management to understand
enhanced risk due to global warming, the
shoreline changes with SLR.
b) Structural measures for cyclone risk reduction
include ensuring compliance with relevant  Flooding caused by them (glacial lakes) is GFOFs.
building codes; incorporating cyclone resistant This floods water  earthen Material i.e.
features in critical infrastructure; constructing
Landslide + it is also be caused by Cloud Burst.
coastal embankments to prevent coastal
 Example:- 2013:- Uttrakhand Floods
intrusion of saline waters during storm surges;
constructing multi-purpose cyclone shelters for  In Upstream of Kedarnath valley has a glacier
people and livestock evacuated. names Chorabari glacier and has a glacier lake ,
c) Non-Structural measures for cyclone risk 2013 there was cloud burst along with GLOF
reduction include ecologically sound land-use  Because of climate change Glacier lakes are
zonation; evolving codes and regulations for land increasing in size
use planning in coastal areas (coastal regulation
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 GLOFs- An Introduction
 A GLOF is a type of flood occurring when water
dammed by a glacier or a moraine is released
suddenly.
 When glaciers melt, the water in these glacial
lakes accumulates behind loose naturally formed
'glacial / moraine dams' made of ice, sand,
pebbles and ice residue. Unlike earthen dams,
the weak structure of the moraine dam leads to
the abrupt failure of moraine dam on top of the
glacial lake, which holds large volume of water.
 Some of the glacial lakes are unstable and
particularly moraine dammed lakes are
potentially susceptible to sudden discharge of
large volumes of water and debris which causes
floods downstream. A catastrophic failure of the
dam can release the water over periods of
minutes to days causing extreme downstream
flooding.
 These floods pose severe geomorphologic
hazards and can wreak havoc on all manmade
structures located along their path. Much of the
damage caused during GLOF events are
associated with large amounts of debris that
accompany the floodwaters.
 Flash floods and GLOFs have killed thousands in
many parts of the world. Some of the largest
events have occurred in the Indian Himalayas,
such as the Kedarnath disaster in Uttarakhand
(2013) and Parechu river flash floods in Himachal
Pradesh (2005).
 Despite these losses, disaster risk management
related to GLOFs has not been mainstreamed
into development policies and programmes.
With the objective of mainstreaming disaster
management of GLOFs and LLOFs into
developmental planning, NDMA has released
these guidelines in October 2020.
 The guidelines given by NDMA for management
of GLOFS and LLOFs have followed the basic
standard continuum of disaster management as
given by the National Disaster Management Plan
2009.
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A. Hazard Risk Vulnerability Assessment of
Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) for GLOFs &
LLOFs- Hazard Assessment, Mapping,
Cataloguing & Preparing Lake Inventories
 It is potential occurrence of a natural or human-
induced physical event. In case of GLOFs and
LLOFs, these can occur because of the following
causes-
a) Seismic Risks- The Himalayan arc is young
and tectonically active. IHR lies in Seismic
Zones IV and V making the region highly
prone to earthquakes.
b) Climate Change Risks- The IHR is facing
critical challenges while coping with the
adverse effects of climate change. Variability
of monsoon rains and seasonal snow-glacier
melt have often led to unpredictable flash
floods, rock-falls, debris flows, avalanches,
GLOFs, landslides, soil erosion. The most
recognizable impacts of global warming in
this environment are -
 Disappearance of mountain glaciers
 Expansion of large glacial lakes
 Formation of new glacial lakes
c) Other Geophysical Hazards- This combined
with other disturbances such as avalanches
and falling boulders is making the glacial
lakes vulnerable to breaches, unleashing
sudden, potentially disastrous floods in the
nearby communities.
 As per the guidelines, conducting hazard
mapping is the first step in disaster management
of GLOFs. This is done through disaster
cataloguing of past catastrophic mass
movements and preparation of lake inventories.
B. Exposure & Vulnerability Assessment
 It is typically assessed based on an inventory of
anthropogenic elements that could be adversely
affected by hazard (villages, habitations, roads,
bridges, critical lifelines, hydropower stations,
heritage sites, sacred places, schools, hospitals,
military infrastructure etc.) located within the
run-out path of potential flood and mass
movement events.
 Vulnerability is highly context specific, and can
vary significantly as physical vulnerability
(housing infrastructure), social vulnerability (age,
gender, education, etc.) and economic
vulnerability.
 Vulnerability assessment is undertaken
simultaneously with hazard mapping. Following
parameters are studies for this as per the
guidelines-
a) Population (population density grids or
census data)
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b) Cultural heritage sites
c) Tourism sites and hotels
d) Forest area
e) Agricultural land area
f) Wetland areas
g) Transport infrastructure, including
strategically important roads
h) Hydropower stations
C. Risk Reduction & Mitigation Measures
 A prerequisite for successful, effective and
sustainable risk management and risk reduction
is a comprehensive and detailed site- specific
risk assessment.
 Risk reduction measures can be distinguished
into structural and non-structural measures.
 Structural Measures-
 These typically involve the construction of
remediation structures, either at the lake itself,
or at the settlements or infrastructure
potentially affected. Such structural measures
have the potential to be very effective for risk
reduction.
 Examples of structural measures for GLOF &
LLOF include-
a) Lowering the lake level by siphoning or pumping-
It directly influences the hazard potential of a
lake, as it reduces the volume of the lake (and
thus the potential flood volume and peak
discharge).
b) Reinforcing dam with a façade and/or increasing
the dam- It is a suitable option for the hazard
reduction of lakes dammed by moraine and
other unconsolidated material. Reinforcing the
dam with a stone façade provides protection
against erosion and the initiation of a breach
formation.
 Non-Structural Measures-
 These are in many cases cheaper and faster to
implement. As they often aim at a reduction of
exposure and/or vulnerability, they can be
effective not only for GLOF and LLOF related
risks, but for the reduction of multiple risks.
Exposure can be reduced in following ways-
a) Evacuation in case of an event- this is a short-
term measure to minimize the casualties during
such an event.
b) Spatial Planning & Land-Use Management- It
considers hazard maps of all relevant processes
for spatial planning. It includes restricting
constructions and development in GLOF/LLOF
prone areas.
 There are no widely accepted procedures or
regulation in India for land-use planning in the
GLOF/LLOF prone areas. Such regulations need
to be developed concerning the increased risk of
future GLOF/LLOF events.
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 In the high hazard zone, the construction of any
habitation should be prohibited. Existing
buildings are to be relocated to a safer nearby
region and all the resources for the relocation
have to be managed by Central/State
governments. New infrastructures in the
medium hazard zone have to be accompanied by
specific protection measures. Retrofitting
techniques to strengthen the weak structures
should be implemented in order to protect
existing infrastructure.
D. Monitoring Measures & Early Warning
Systems
 These may include the following-
a) Remote Sensing Techniques- Monitoring of
such glacial lakes is done using remote
sensing techniques by institutions like
National Remote Sensing Centre. The entire
GIS database on glacial lakes and water
bodies over Himalayas mentioned above is
available with CWC.
b) Field Investigation of Critical Lakes- Field
investigations including topographical and
bathymetric mapping, hydro- meteorological
observations, and geological, geophysical
and glaciological surveys may be carried out
for high priority/vulnerable lakes. Drones
and other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
provide powerful tools for efficiently
combining on-site field work and remote
sensing techniques.
c) Precipitation Threshold for Landslides- In
addition to above, a combination of
precipitation thresholds and river stage
monitoring can be considered for the
monitoring of landslide dammed lakes.
 Monitoring is only half the job done and is
accompanied by Early Warning Systems. One of
the most promising options for efficient and
effective disaster risk management is the
implementation of Early Warning Systems
(EWS).
E. Awareness & Preparedness
 The awareness about GLOFS and LLOFs needs to
be enhanced. Awareness generation through
participatory approach is best. It can be done
using-
a) Use of local mass media
b) Use of posters, wall paintings and hoardings
c) Toll-free numbers or mobile apps for GLOFs
and LLOFs
d) Automated alert services upon activation of
EWS
e) Creating village task force for conducting
such programs
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 Preparedness is essential to provide quick and
effective response upon receiving early
warnings. Following points should be focussed
on for disaster preparedness for GLOFs and
LLOFs-
a) Medical preparedness- by creating trained
medical first responders; having patient
evacuation plans; emergency routes and
medical mock drills; and medical disaster
management plans.
b) Community Preparedness- Preparedness of
local communities is contingent upon the
awareness amongst them for such disasters.
Simulation exercises, mock drills and
awareness programmes for the GLOF/LLOF
prone district need to be developed and
made an essential part of the preparedness
programme.
F. Capacity Development
 The complexity of disaster management for
GLOFs requires an interdisciplinary approach
with a collaboration of engineers, hydrologists,
geo-morphologists, modelling experts, remote
sensing specialists, infrastructure planners and
builders, environmentalists and sociologists, and
authorities at local, state and national level. In
addition, it is essential to develop experiences
from events and situations and to document and
analyse cases and extract lessons learnt to
develop best practices.
G. Response & Relief
 This is the first step after the occurrence of a
mishap. It includes emergency search and rescue
operations and providing emergence relief.
SDMA/State Government is one among the early
responders and must work in close cooperation
with local government/nongovernment bodies
and agencies in the region to provide aid and
relief at the earliest.
 CONCLUSION
a) There is a need to identify the gaps exiting in
the process and fill them by having
guidelines as the benchmark.
b) Governance is pivotal for robust disaster
management and enforcement of existing
rules and regulations is the key. The techno-
legal regime comprising of model building
bye-laws (2016) and regulations for land use
zoning for natural hazard prone areas rests
upon good governance.
c) Research and development into the
changing dynamics of Himalayan
environment due to tectonics and climate
change becomes essential for managing
disasters in the region.
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 SEISMIC HAZARD MAP OF INDIA
 The country has been classified into different
zones indicating the intensity of damage or
frequency of earthquake occurrences. These
zoning maps indicate broadly the seismic
coefficient that could generally be adopted for
design of buildings in different parts of the
country. These maps are based on subjective
estimates of intensity from available information
on earthquake occurrence, geology and
tectonics of the country. The Indian seismic
zoning is a continuous process which keeps
undergoing changes as more and more data on
occurrence of earthquakes becomes available.
 Considering the recorded history of earthquakes
in the country, seismologists have classified 59%
of the land mass of India as prone to
earthquakes of different magnitudes - 11% in
very high risk zone V, 18% in high risk zone IV
and 30% moderate risk zone III. The capital cities
of Guwahati and Srinagar are located in seismic
zone V, while national capital of Delhi is in zone
IV and the mega cities of Mumbai, Kolkata and
Chennai are in zone III. 38 cities with population
of half a million and above each and a combined
population of million are located in these three
regions.
 ‘Uttarakhand Bhookamp Alert’, a first-of-its-kind
application in India has been launched ( in 2021)
by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Roorkee with the view to provide alerts about an
impending Earthquake and give timely warning
to the people, who are unfortunately stuck
somewhere during the quake. With this,
Uttarakhand has become the first state in the
country to avail the facility of such an application
and therefore, the lifeguarding mobile
application has been launched by the
Uttarakhand government on 4th August 2021.
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 A real-time Earthquake Early Warning tool
 Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) is a real-time
earthquake information dissemination system
that will issue warnings before any significant
tremors take hold of any area. Along with this,
the application aims to provide an expected time
of arrival of the earthquake, as well as, the
intensity of the tremor to prevent any loss of
life. The basis upon which the Earthquake Early
Warning system works is the speed of the
seismic waves, which propagate after the
release of stress from fault movement. The EEW
system exploits the advantage by taking note of
the strong ground shaking which is caused by
waves that travel at about half the speed of the
primary waves and at a much slower speed than
electromagnetic signals. A few seconds to a
minute can be gained with the system,
depending on how close a person is to the
epicenter. For example, during an earthquake in
a hill district, people in Dehradun would get
about 15 seconds to evacuate.
 Uttarakhand Bhookamp Alert app is the only app
in the world that locates people who are stuck
somewhere during the unfortunate natural
calamity and therefore, send their information
to the Disaster Response Force.
 Furthermore, the government is focusing its
efforts towards creating awareness and
managing the rescue operations by putting in
sirens to alert the public, especially in urban
areas.
 This path-breaking project has been sponsored
by the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management
Authority (USDMA). The mobile application is
designed in two versions that are compatible
with both Android and iOS platforms.
 NEED OF THE APPLICATION
 The state of Uttarakhand is prone to seismic
waves and hence, the mobile application will
help the authorities to carry out rescue
operations during the earthquake effectively.
The hills of Uttarakhand are often hit with mild
earthquakes and it is important to note that
more than 51 mild earthquakes have hit the
state since 2015.
 Further, an earthquake of 6.8 magnitudes ravaged
Uttarkashi in 1991, killing over one thousand people.
In 1999, another 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck
Chamoli, killing more than 100 people. It was
estimated that the largest earthquake in the region
occurred over two centuries ago, in 1803, with a
magnitude of 7
 RECENT INITIATIVES FOR DISASTER
MANAGEMENT:-
1. The Coalition for disaster resilient
infrastructure (CDRI)
 It was announced by PM of India in UN’s climate
action summit held in New York 2019
 It is a partnership b/w UN , National Govts
Financing mechanism like multi-lateral
development banks, private sectors and think
tanks
 It aim is to develop synergies b/w developed and
developing countries for building disaster
resilient infrastructure
 It focuses upon three types of infrastructure
a) Economic infra i.e. telecommunication,
transport, energy and water
b) Social infra:- health & education
c) Ecological infra:- ecosystems
 For example:-
 Bogi Beel Bridge on river Brahmaputra in
Assam is made Earthquake resilient
 In coastal areas of Odisha , there are
underground power transmission lines
 Knowledge , technology and finance , three
enablers are required for this (PM Modi’s main
aim is to collaborate on these)
 CDRI is another example of India’s leadership in
disaster Management
 CDRI is also important for India as India is such
country where this much of the infrastructure is
going to be developed
 Any country can be a part of CDRI
2. IRIS (Infrastructure For Resilient
Island states):-
 Jointly launched by India + UK + Australia +
Small Island Developing states (SIDS) at CoP -26
Of UNFCCC held in 2021 at Glasgow
 Its aim is to develop disaster resilient infra by
providing easy access to Knowledge, finance and
technology to the SIDS which are particularly
vulnerable to Climate Change
 SIDS are almost 58 countries like Fiji and because
of climate change they are facing tropical
cyclones and many other disasters
 CDRI and IRIS is for resilient infra, CDRI is for
everybody and IRIS mainly for SIDS
3. PM’s 10-point agenda on DRR
 10 Point Agenda on DRR was given by PM Modi
at the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster
Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016, which was held
in New Delhi. The all-inclusive agenda presents a
holistic approach to disaster risk management
and addresses a whole range of issues, from
community preparedness to use of technology
and international cooperation. The Prime
Minister’s 10-point agenda on DRR is -

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1) All development sectors must imbibe the
principles of disaster risk management.
2) Work towards risk coverage for all-starting
from poor households to SMEs to multi-
national corporations to nation states.
3) Encourage greater involvement and
leadership of women in disaster risk
management.
4) Invest in risk mapping globally. For mapping
risks related to hazards like earthquakes we
have accepted standards and parameters.
5) Leverage technology to enhance the
efficiency of our disaster risk management
efforts.
6) Develop a network of universities to work on
disaster issues.
7) Utilise the opportunities provided by social
media and mobile technologies.
8) Build on local capacity and initiative. {it
means everybody should be competent for
DM, like in India Home ministry conducts
training programs for local govts)
9) Opportunity to learn from a disaster must
not be wasted. After every disaster there are
papers on lessons that are rarely applied.
10) Bring about greater cohesion in international
response to disasters
TOPIC:- URBAN FLOODS:-
 What is Urban Flooding?
 Urban flooding is the inundation of land or
property in a built environment, particularly
in more densely populated areas (like cities),
caused by rainfall overwhelming the capacity of
drainage systems.
 Unlike rural floods (Heavy rain over a flat or
low-lying area), urban flooding is not only
caused by just higher precipitation but also
unplanned urbanisation (catchments) that:
a) increases the flood peaks from 1.8 to 8
times
b) increases the flood volumes by up to 6
times.
 WHAT ARE THE REASONS OF URBAN
FLOOD INDIA:-
1. Encroachments on Drainage Channels:
 In Indian cities and towns, due to increased land
prices and less availability of land in the city
centre. New developments are coming up in
low-lying areas, usually as encroachments over
lakes, wetlands and riverbeds.
 Ideally, the natural drains should have been
widened (similar to road widening for increased
traffic) to accommodate the higher flows of
stormwater.
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 But on the contrary, there have been large scale
encroachments without widening the natural
drains. Consequently, the capacity of the natural
drains has decreased, resulting in flooding.
2. Climate Change:
 Exacerbated by changing climate, resulting in
extreme events. The climate change has caused
an increase in the frequency of short duration
heavy rainfall leading to higher water run-off.
 NASA studies indicate that the urban heat
island effect also results in increased rainfall
over urban areas that in turn leads to flooding.
 Whenever the rain bearing clouds pass over the
urban heat island, the hot air pushes the clouds
up, resulting in highly localised rainfall which
may sometimes be of high intensity.
3. Unplanned Tourism Activities:
 Water bodies have been used as an attraction
for tourism development for decades. Water
plants that reduce the runoff speed are being
removed from rivers and lakes for maintaining
tourism activity.
 Throwing non-bio degradable matter into the
rivers and lakes during religious and cultural
activities reduces the water quality. In the event
of floods, the suspended particles and
pollutants overflow into the cities posing health
risks.
 Example: Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam, Kerala
polluted from oil spillage from boats.
4. Uninformed Release of Water from Dams:
 Unplanned and sudden release of water from
dams and lakes lead to floods in an urban area,
without giving the public enough time to
respond.
 Example: Chennai Floods 2015 due to release of
water from Chembarambakkam Lake.
5. Illegal Mining Activities:
 Illegal mining of river sand and quartzite for use
in building construction deplete the natural bed
of the rivers and lakes.
 It causes soil erosion and reduces the water
retention capacity of the waterbody increasing
the speed and scale of water flow.
 Example: Jaisamand Lake- Jodhpur, Cauvery
river- Tamil Nadu.
 WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF
URBAN FLOODING?
a) Loss of Life and Property:
 Urban floods are often associated with loss of
life and physical injury either directly due to the
effect of floods or indirectly due to infections by
water-borne diseases spreading during the
inundated period.
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 Urban flooding has localised impacts like
structural damage to buildings, property, crops.
Besides, it causes disruptions of water supply,
sewerage, power and transmission lines,
communication, traffic- road and railways and
other infrastructure.
b) Ecological Impacts:
 Trees and plants are washed away during
extreme flood events and riverbank erosion is
caused by high-speed flood water.
c) Impact on Animal and Human Health:
 Stagnation of stormwater in the localities,
and contamination of consumable water leads to
various health problems resulting in
plagues/epidemics.
 The sewage and solid waste washing into houses and
neighbourhoods also causes a variety of diseases to
spread.
d) Psychological Impacts:
 Loss of shelter and relatives creates emotional
turmoil in the mental health of the stranded.
The recovery process in case of such incidents is
a tiresome process and time consuming that
often leads to long lasting psychological trauma.
 WAY FORWARD (IN GENERAL AND
FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT)?
a) Developing Blue Green Infrastructure:
 Blue Green Infrastructure is an effective way of
providing a sustainable natural solution to urban
and climatic challenges.
 Water management and robust infrastructure
development should be emphasised equally, in
order to create more pleasant, less stressful
living environments.
 Also, ensuring every building in the city shall
have Rainwater Harvesting as an integral
component of the building utility
 Blue indicates water bodies such as rivers and
tanks
 Green indicates trees, parks, and gardens.
b) Flood vulnerability Mapping:
 Identification of the vulnerable areas can be
done by analysing topography and historical
data of inundations at city level.
 Maintaining a record of all the water bodies and
wetlands at city and village levels is equally
important for flood- avoidance, tolerance and
resilience.
c) Effective Water-Shed Management:
 Construction of flood walls, raised platforms
along flood prone river basins, timely cleaning
and deepening of drainage channels should
be taken up along the whole river basin instead
of just the urban areas.
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 Bioswales can be made along roadsides so that
rainwater from the road flows towards them and
percolates into the ground.
 Also, catchment areas of water bodies need to
be maintained well and should be free from
encroachment and pollution, thus keeping the
course of water free from obstructions.
d) Disaster Resilient Public Utility:
 Public facilities like hospitals and schools and
basic services such as food, water, health and
sanitation should be made disaster resilient.
 They should be located or relocated such that
they are able to function without hindrance
during inundations.
e) Sensitization and Rehabilitation:
 Awareness should be created about flood
preparedness and mitigation measures along
with response drills.
 Educating residents on the risks involved in
illegal constructions along drains and water
bodies is necessary. The government should also
consider relocation of the poor to other areas.
f) Institutional Arrangements –
 It is essential to form a unified flood control
implementing agency at city level, which will
include city administrative officials, doctors,
police, fire-fighters, NGOs, and other emergency
services providers.
SOLUTION IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT
 Solutions:-
a) require DRR (structural + Non-structural)
 Structural
 Adequate storm water drainage and
should be properly maintained
 Non-Structural
 Scientific land use planning
b) Sponge cities
c) EWS :- early warning systems (Mumbai,
Chennai, Guwahati have these systems.
Mumbai EWS called as iFLOWS, Chennai
EWS is called as cFLOWS
 SPONGE CITIES (A SOLUTION FOR
URBAN FLOODS):-
 (to be understood in context of urban flooding
and water management challenges of urban
areas of India)
 A Sponge City is a city that has the capacity to
mainstream urban water management into the
urban planning policies and designs. It should
have the appropriate planning and legal
frameworks and tools in place to implement,
maintain and adapt the infrastructure systems to
collect, store and treat (excess) rainwater. In
addition, a “sponge city” will not only be able to
deal with “too much water”, but also reuse rain
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water to help to mitigate the impacts of “too
little” and “too dirty” water.
 Primarily as a response to the increasing flood
impacts, the Chinese Central Government called
for widespread uptake of the Sponge City
approach across China in 2013 and provided
financial support to foster implementation of
this approach in a selection of pilot cities. At
present, the Sponge City approach is gaining
ground and becoming more and more accepted
by city governments.
 In India, we need a mission that mitigates flood
risk and provides a pathway to water security.
The most promising idea across the world at this
time appears to be the idea of “sponge cities”.
The idea of a sponge city is to make cities more
permeable so as to hold and use the water
which falls upon it. Sponge cities absorb the rain
water, which is then naturally filtered by the soil
and allowed to reach urban aquifers. This allows
for the extraction of water from the ground
through urban or peri-urban wells. This water
can be treated easily and used for city water
supply. In built form, this implies contiguous
open green spaces, interconnected waterways,
and channels and ponds across neighborhoods
that can naturally detain and filter water.
……..2nd class ended, All classes done

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