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Disaster Management

The document discusses disaster management in India. It covers different types of natural hazards India faces like earthquakes, floods, droughts etc. It outlines the evolution of India's disaster management framework and provides details about the Disaster Management Act 2005 and the National Disaster Management Plan 2016. The document also provides specifics on analyzing and managing earthquakes as a natural hazard.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
18 views26 pages

Disaster Management

The document discusses disaster management in India. It covers different types of natural hazards India faces like earthquakes, floods, droughts etc. It outlines the evolution of India's disaster management framework and provides details about the Disaster Management Act 2005 and the National Disaster Management Plan 2016. The document also provides specifics on analyzing and managing earthquakes as a natural hazard.

Uploaded by

prep202021
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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2.

Disaster Management

use key words like:


• Preparedness and mitigation
◦ Risk Assessment and vulnerability analysis
◦ Structural mitigation measures
◦ Capacity building
◦ Awareness generation
• Response, Relief and rehabilitation
◦ Forecasting and warning -> early & timely information dissemination
• Recovery and reconstruction
• Regulation mechanism -> strict enforcement of laws, rules ( like building code, CRZ)
vulnerability profile:
• Earthquake - 58% in high sesimic zones
• Floods -12% (40 mha) of area prone to floods; 7.5mha affected every year
• 68% of area to drought
• 5700/7516 km prone to cyclones, Tsunami's
• 15% of Indian landmass prone to landslides
• 41,000 deaths due to heatwaves in last 50-60 years
• new threats landslides, cloudbursts, droughts, flash droughts, marine heat waves
• Disaster risks in India further compounded by ->
xchanging demographies, socio-eco conditions, unplanned urbanization, development within high
risk zones, environmental degradation, climate change, geological hazards, epidemics and
pandemics.
• Worst disasters in India:
• World Bank: 2% of GDP loss due to disasters
How to analyze: (GS3+GS1)
Disaster Risk = probability of hazard * degree of vulnerability * insufficient capability to reduce the
potential chances of risk

For a given disaster:


• Crisp definition, data & map to show vulnerability, Recent examples
• Understand the geographical phenomenon behind it (it will help in answering geography Q also)
• Check what type it is? Causes - Anthropogenic & natural
• NDMA guidelines on measures and protocol to be taken
◦ ( divide into 3 parts: pre, onset, post disaster timelines),
◦ structural measures,
◦ non-structural ( early detection, hazard mapping & vulnerability analysis, capacity building,
creating awareness, local level)
• steps taken so far ?
• what more needs to be done?
Value addition:
Committee on Finance recommendations:
1. Constitute Disaster Mitigation Fund:
2. NDRF most funds are from National calamity contingency fund, but after GST funds are shrinking
3. Increase the annual increase of funds to states to 15% (from current 5%)

Types of Hazard RISKS:


1. Geophysical: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Tsunami, landslides(this includes anthropogenic causes too)
2. Hydrological (avalanches, floods, urban floods, GLOF)
3. Meteorological (Cyclones, storms, cloudbursts)
4. climatological(extreme high temp, heat waves, cold waves, droughts, wild fires)
5. Biological (epidemics, insect/animal plagues)
6. Anthropogenic (pollution, desertification, use of pesticides and fertilizers)

Vulnerabilities:
• It is conditions of physical, social economic and environmental factors or processes which increase
the susceptibility of a community to the impact of a hazards •
• Forms of vulnerability o
◦ Economic – poorer families – live in slums and risky areas o
◦ Physical – wooden homes less likely to collapse but easy to catch fire o
◦ Social – women, children, elderly, disabled more vulnerable o
◦ Geographic

DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE: sum total of all activities, programs and measures which can be taken
before, during and after the disaster.
Pillars: Before the disaster <-> during the disaster <-> after the disaster
• Disaster Preparedness and Risk Reduction (prevention, mitigation and preparedness) -> early
warning systems, awareness campaigns, strengthening weak structures, household & community
level programmes.
• Response, Relief and Rehabilitation
• Recovery and Reconstruction

DISATER MANAGEMENT IN INDIA •


• Changed from activity based reactive setup -> proactive institutionalized structure
• • Relief based approach -> multi dimensional proactive holistic approach for reducing risk •
• Evolution of DM
◦ o Post independence – relief commissioners
◦ o 1990s – disaster mgt cell in Mo Agri
◦ o JC Pant committee- disaster mgt cell shifted to MoHA in 2002
◦ o 10th FYP- chap on DM
◦ o 12th FC- financial arrangements for DM
◦ o 2005- DM act
◦ o 2009- DM policy
◦ o 2016- DM plan

PARADIGM SHIFT IN DM
• • 2 structures for DM
◦ o 4 level hierarchical structure – NDMA, SDMA, DDMA, local
◦ o Multi-stakeholder approach – ministries, depts., community etc
• • Relief -> proactive preparedness
• • DM sustainable when mitigation is built in development process
• • Management via adequate planning and preparedness response
• • Investment in mitigation is much more cost effective than on relief and rehab

NDMA Act, 2005 Main Features:


• Features: 1. Institutional & legal, 2. Financial, 3. coordination mechanisms at National +State +
District + local levels.
• Institutional framework at National level:
◦ Disaster management division in MoHA
◦ National executive committee ( chaired by Home)
◦ NDMA
◦ National platform for disaster risk reduction (NPDRR)
◦ National institute of disaster management
◦ National disaster response force
• State level (SDMA, executive committee)
• District level ( DDMA)
• local level - PRI, muncipalities
• Financial arrangements:
◦ National disaster response fund & SDRF
◦ National disaster mitigation fund ( NDMF) -> not yet setup
• Drawbacks:
◦ Delayed, slow implementation – national plan on DM released in 2016
◦ Hierarchical, top-down, command and bureaucratic approach
◦ Performance audit by CAG in 2013- none of major projects taken by NDMA are complete
◦ Critical posts in NMDA are vacant
◦ PAC report on disaster preparedness in India in 2015-
▪ National executive committee has to meet in 3 months but failed to meet even during
disasters
▪ Mitigation funds not constituted
▪ NIDR not established
▪ 27% posts in NDRF are vacant
◦ 15th FC recommendations:
▪ setup NDMF & SDMF
▪ NDRF & SDRF to be called National dis risk management fund ( NDRMF) -> to be used for
those local level & community that reduce risks
▪ large scale mitigation to be undertaken through proper funds

National Disaster Management Plan 2016:


• aligned broadly with Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction, SDG 2015-30; Paris climate
change agreement
• 5 thematic areas for action:
1. Understanding the risks:
▪ observation networks
▪ zoning & mapping
▪ monitoring & warning systems
▪ hazard, risk and vulnerability assessment
▪ dissemination of data & info in adequate time
2. Inter-agency coordination
▪ non-structural measures
▪ providing EWS
3. Investing in DRR- structural measures -> physical infra
4. Investing in DRR- non-structural measures -> Laws, techno-legal regimes, building codes etc
5. Capacity development: Training programs, awareness, mock drills etc
• Plans for short-5yr, medium- 10yr and long term-15yr ways to deal with disasters
• Horizontal and vertical clarity among agencies and department in matrix format
• Specific roles to ministries- ex: MoEarth sciences for cyclones
• Regional development planning approach
• Major activities like EWS, information dissemination, medical care to be dome
• Ethical guidelines for media
• Limitations:
◦ Too generic o No time frame to undertake work o No mechanism to mobilize funds o No
framework for monitoring and evaluation o Unlike sendai framework does not set goals and
targets
Sendai Framework:
EARTHQUAKES:
Defn: sudden release of energy due to faults happening in earth's crust/upper mantle.
Facts/Data:
• Circum-pacific belt : 68% of earthquakes, 2nd most in Himalayan-Alpine belt
• 57% of India's land surface is in high seismic zones (entire Northeast, Himalayan states, Gulf of
Khambhat & Kutch, A&N, Lakshadweep)

• Earthquakes >6 magnitude are stronger


Causes:
1. Faults in the earth's surface
2. tectonic movement : convergent boundaries, transform boundaries, eg. 2004 Indian Ocean
earthquake
3. volcanic activity also causes an earthquake
4. Mining, large scale petroleum extraction, artificial lakes, nuclear tests
5. Reservoir induced seismicity : pressure offered by water creates stress and percolation of water
weakens the soil structure. Eg. koyanagar earthquake.
Recent earthquakes:
1. Fukishama earthquake (Mar, 2022), 7.3 Magnitude
2. Western Sumatra Indonesia , 6.1, 19 dead
3. Afghanistan-pakistan border(june 2022), 5.9 mag, 1163 dead
4. Haiti Earthquake (Aug, 2021) , 7.2 Mag, 2248 dead
5. Sulawesi Indonesia(Jan 2021), 108 dead
Notable Earthquakes:
1. 2004 Indian Ocean -> 9.1 Mag, 2,27 lakh dead
2. 2001 Gujarat Earthquake -> 7.7 Mag, 20k dead
3. 2011 Tohoku earthquake and Tsunami -> 9.1 Mag, 20K dead
4. 2010 Haiti Earthquake -> 7 Mag, 1.6 lakh dead
Effects of Earthquakes:
1. Shaking and ground rupture -> damages properties, infratsruture, human lives lost -> great socio-
economic loss
2. induces avalanches and landslides
3. can cause fires by damaging electrical power & gas lines (eg. more deaths in 1906 san fransico
earthquakes due to fire than earthquakes)
4. Tsunami (2004), may cause floods
Disaster management:
you can't predict, do vulnerability risk and enhance the capability, preparedness, prevent and mitigate.
Six pillars of NDMA:
1. Earthquake resistant construction of new structures
2. Selective seismic strengthening and retrofitting of existing priority structures and lifeline strcutures
3. Regulation and enforcement -> establishing mechanisms to implement Building codes
4. Awareness and preparedness -> sensitization of all stakeholders. eg: creating handbooks, video
films,
5. Capacity development -> Education, training, R&D, documentation) -> target groups are elected
representatives, govt officials, professionals, urban planners, NGO, social activists, social teachers,
school children,
6. Emergency response: Incident command system through emergency operations centre
challenges:
1. Inadequate enforcement of earthquake resistant building codes and town planning bye laws
2. absence of earthquake resistant features in constructions
3. lack of formal training mechanism
4. lack of awareness

VOLCANOES:

Defn: A volcano is a vent or a fissure in the crust from which molten magma (lava) comes to the earth's
surface.
Recent Eruptions:
1. Hunga Tonga
2. Mount Semeru - Indonesia
3.

<study from notes of geography, not much from DM point of view>

TSUNAMI:
Defn: Series of large waves of extremely long wavelength and period usually generated by an undersea
disturbance or activity near the coast or in the ocean.
Facts/data: India has 2200 km of coastline, so vulnerable.
Causes:
• Large and impulsive displacement of the sea bed level.
• Earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity, meteorite impacts.
• Landslide triggered tsunamis can be a possible scenario in Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea due to
huge sediment deposition of rivers.

NDMA guidelines:
1. Tsunami Risk Assessment and Vulnerability Analysis: based on coastal land use maps and coastal
bathymetry. It suggests development of models to estimate the arrival and wave run up height of
Tsunami waves.
2. Tsunami Preparedness: Real time seismic monitoring networks and bottom pressure recorders to
record propagation of tsunami waves.
3. Structural Mitigation Measures:
• cyclone shelters, submerged sand barriers, sand dunes with sea weeds, plantation of mangroves
and coastal forests.
• development of a network of local knowledge centres
• development of break waters
• identification of vulnerable structures and retrofitting for Tsunami/cyclone resistance
4. Regulation and enforcement of techno-legal regimes: Strict impl of CRZ norms
5. Emergency Tsunami Response:
6. Ensuring Implementation.

LANDSLIDES:
Def: mass movement of rock, debris, down a slope due to the action of gravity... earthflow, mudflow,
rotational slip, avalanches are eg. of landslides
Stats: 15% of landmass is prone to landslides

Causes:
Natural:
1. Earthquakes
2. Heavy Rainfall: 2013 Uttarakhand cloudburst
3. Tectonic activity
Anthropogenic:
1. Mining -> removing the surface of earth for mineral exploration -> which loosens the grip of
material + explosions cause more heavy damage.
2. Deforestation -> loosens the grip of soil + makes the region more vulnerable
3. Infrastructure development such as Roads, railways -> development of Konkan railway in western
ghats
4. unsustainable tourism -> tourist influx in Himalayas region put more pressure on land as more infra
and amenities are needed to accommodate them
Vulnerability risks:
1. climate change -> more thn 1.5C -> melting of glaciers -> more water -> more landslides
2. Tectonically active himalayan
3. Population pressure and land use changes
4. Nature of rivers -> youthful stage -> cutting through the mountains, so much of erosion
Impacts of landslides:
1. Economic losses
2. Infrastructural damage
3. loss of lives
4. Restricts movement
5. Environmental impact -> erosion & soil loss
6. changes in the landscape
Steps Taken:
1. National landslide risk management strategy: addresses all components of landslide disaster risk
red & mgmt
• hazard mapping, monitoring & early warning systems, awareness programmes
• capacity building, training, reg,
2. Multi- Hazard conceptualisation
3. landslide remediation practices
Suggestions:
1. Effective & proper implementation of EIA
2. adaption of landslide micro zoning procedures
3. more funding to landslide planning & mitigation agencies
4. locally available trained manpower
5. promoting afforestation , construction of bunds to reduce the flow of water

FLOODS:
Defn: Flood is a state of high water level along a river channel or on the coast that leads to inundation of
land.
Facts/Data: 40mHa area is flood prone (12% of India's total area)
Recent eg:
• 2022 May Assam floods -> around 150 got killed.
• 2021 July western MH floods -> 250 killed.
Causes:
• Natural:
◦ Heavy Rainfalls
◦ Heavy sedimentation carried by rivers
◦ Frequent change of course of rivers (Eg: Kosi in Bihar)
◦ lack of lakes in the riverine system which can store the water.
• Anthropogenic:
◦ Deforestation: Vegetation facilitates percolation of water. So, now water becomes obstruction free
and flow with greater speed into rivers
◦ Unscientific agricultural practices
◦ colonization of flood plains and river beds
◦ Interference in drainage systems : Drainage congestion caused by badly planned construction of
bridges, roads, railway tracks, canals hampers the flow
◦ Poor water and sewage management:
NDMA Guidelines:
• Structural Measures:
◦ Reservoirs, Dams and water storage mechanisms
◦ Embankments, Flood walls
◦ Dredging of rivers, channel improvement and Desilting
◦ Drainage improvement
◦ Catchment area treatment with afforestation and watershed management
◦ Drainage Improvement
• Non-Structural measures:
◦ Flood Plain Zoning: to regulate land use in flood plains to restrict damage due to floods
◦ Flood forecasting and warning
◦ Integrated water resource management
• capacity building
• Awareness generation
URBAN FLOODS:
How diff from normal floods?
• Urbanization leads to developed catchments which increase flood peaks from 1.8-8 times and flood
volumes by 6 times
• Densely populated -> so people are more vulnerable
• centres of economic activities -> key infrastructure.
• caused by excessive run off due to overburdened drainage and unregulated constructions.
Urban Flood risk in India (from NDMA website):
A special feature in India is that we have heavy rainfall during monsoons. There are other weather
systems also that bring in a lot of rain. Storm surges can also affect coastal cities/ towns. Sudden release
or failure to release water from dams can also have severe impact. In addition, the urban heat island
effect has resulted in an increase in rainfall over urban areas. Global climate change is resulting in
changed weather patterns and increased episodes of high intensity rainfall events occurring in shorter
periods of time. Then the threat of sea-level rise is also looming large, threatening all the coastal cities.
Cities/towns located on the coast, on river banks, upstream/ downstream of dams, inland cities and in
hilly areas can all be affected
Causes:
Apart from Natural meteorological causes
• Anthropogenic causes:
◦ Change in land use pattern : surface ceiling due to urbanisation, defo leads to urban canyon
topography
◦ Occupation of flood plains, encroachment of wetlands in cities
◦ Urban Heat Island effect -> so probability of more rainfall in the cities
◦ Intensified and short duration-ed rains due to climate change effect.
◦ Improper disposal of solid waste: eg: plastic waste acts as blockages obsrtucting the flow
through drainage
◦ sudden release of water from dams
• Hydrological factors like synchronization of runoffs from various parts of watershed, natural surface
infiltration rate and presence of impervious cover,
NDMA guidelines:
• Early Warning systems and communication: Integrate them with urban planning -> doppler radars
• Design and effective management of urban drainage:
◦ catchment as basis of design.
◦ removal of solid waste and proper collection at the source itself.
• Vulnerability analysis and risk assessment
• Urban flooding cells to be constituted within MoUD which will coordinate all UFDM at national levle
• Response : Emergencey operation centres, Incident response team, flood shelters, search and rescue
operations, emergency logistics
• capacity development, awareness generation and documentation.

GLOF:
some terms:
Avalanche: Rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as hill or mountain.
Moraine: Material left behind by a moving glacier. Moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated
debris, sometimes referred to as glacial till, that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice
sheet.
Glacial lake: lakes formed by trapping of melt water from the glacier within dammed structure (ice-
dammed, moraine dammed and bedrock dammed)
GLOF: sudden release of significant amount of water retained in a glacial lake, irrespective of the cause.

Eg: Chamoli floods in Uttarakhand

Causes:
1. Rapid slope movement into the lake like slides, falls and avalnches produces displacement and cause
havoc
2. Increased waterflow into the lake die to snowfall or melt
3. Earthquakes or long term dam degradation
4. Black carbon, decreased albedo -> increase the temp & also CLinate change effects
5. Anthropogenic activities: Mass tourism, development interventions such as roads and hydropower
projects

Challenges in flood management:


1. Resistance on part of the states to implement the flood plain zoning model.. eg: CAG report on kerala
floods
2. India's land use policy is not congenial for efficient flood management.
3. lack of an integrated approach
4. lack of coordination among central and state agencies.
Recommendations of NITI Aayog Report:
1. National Water Model
2. Implementation of Dam safety Bill
3. Emphasise of use of technology like AI, satellite, GIS
4. Improvised city planning
5. balancing b/w structural and non structural measures
6. Integrated flood management -> water mgmt, physical planning, land use, agriculture
7. more focus on preparedness like flood forecasting, flood plain zoning, flood proofing...

CLOUDBURSTS:
Defn: where heavy rainfall occurs over a localized area at a very fast rate. if above 10cm or above per
hour in roughly 20-30 sqkm area then it is cloudburst event.
Examples: Uttarakhand Chamoli district.
causes:
• It happens when saturated clouds are unable to produce rain because of upward movement of very
warm current of air.
• So, Raindrops instead of dropping down are carried upwards by the air current. New drops formed
and existing drops gain in size.
• Then it becomes too heavy for the cloud to hold on and drop down in a quick flash
Risks in India:
• occurs during monsoon season over orographically dominant regions like Himalayan, NE, Western
ghats mianly and happends in plains too.
• Cloudbursts causes Landslides + Floods
why more in Himalayan region?
• Due to presence of high mountains -> orographic lift
• absence of upper air movement in Himalayan -> prevents disspiation
• climate change & increasing temp
• availability of fresh water -> more eveporation
what to do?
• Radar Network: To monitor the cloud burst, there is need to have dense radar network over the cloud
burst prone areas or one need to have a very high resolution weather forecasting models to resolve
the scale of cloud burst.
• Best practice: A useful model in cloudburst mitigation is Copenhagen climate adaptation plan which
has organized a cloudburst master plan coupled with concretization plans and creation of canals.The
plan is envisioned with a view to cope with the effects of climate change.
• Avoiding constructing settlements in fragile shops and along the streams.
• Imparting training to the rural people for minimizing damage.
CYCLONES:

Defn: Tropical cyclones—also called typhoons or hurricanes—are intense water-rotating systems formed
by strong winds around low-pressure areas
Data/facts:
• with coastline of 7500km it is extremely susceptible to cyclones.
• April-May and October-December periods are conducive for cyclones.
• India is exposed to nearly 10 percent of the world's tropical cyclones.
• 84 districts get affected

Conditions favorable:
• Large sea surface with temperature higher than 27° C;
• Presence of the Coriolis force;
• Small variations in the vertical wind speed;
• A pre-existing weak low-pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation;
• Upper divergence above the sea level system
Examples:
• Tauktae hit Gujarat
• Yaas landfall over Odisha
• Gulab hit Andhra Pradesh
• Cyclone Asani hit Andhra pradesh (it is a rare pre-monsoon cyclone first since 2010)
Types:
1. Tropical depression: (wind speed < 63kmph)
2. Tropical storm: ( 63kmph < wind speed < 119kmph)
3. Tropical cyclone: (>119kmph)
India's cyclone Management Framework:
National cyclone Risk Management project works as holistic strategy by clubbing all of India's disaster
management efforts under four components:
1. Improvement of early warning dissemination systems: through improved cyclone forecasting,
with IMD and ISRO.
2. Cyclone Risk Mitigation investment:
a. Building cyclone shelters and infrastruture
b. Holistic coastal management and conservation of coastal wetlands through CRZ and protection
of bio-shields like Mangroves
c. building a community based disaster management system
3. Technical assistance for hazard risk management and capacity building : through vulnerability
analysis and risk assessment and community capacity building.
4. Project Management and institutional support:

Challenges:
1. Technological limitations wrt forecasting
2. Poor infrastructural development like embankments, cyclone shelters
3. low awareness and community engagement
4. absence of coordination among different stakeholders
5. long response time
What needs to be done?
1. Establishing a state-of-the-art cyclone Early Warning System (EWS) involving observations,
predictions, warnings and customized local-scale advice for decision makers for managing the
impact of cyclones.
a. Additionally, an Aircraft Probing of Cyclone Facility can be created for India to effectively fill
the critical observational data gaps.
2. Infrastructure
3. Developing an integrated hazard mitigation framework.
4. comprehensive cyclone disaster management information systems(CDMIS)

DROUGHT:
defn: serious shortfall in availability of water, mainly but not exclusively due to deficeincy of rains
Data:
• Over 68% of India is vulnerable to drought

Causes:
• Rainfall: Inadequacy, spatial and temporal variations
• over-exploitation of ground water
• limited irrigation coverage
Classification of droughts:
1. Meteorlogical
2. Hydrological
3. Agricultural Drought
NDMA guidelines:
1. Institutional framework and financial arrangements: Special Drought Monitoring cells under
SDMA, they will create vulnerability maps. Need Watershed development approach
2. Assessment and early warning system: integrate ground based info with space based info,
moisture sensors and soil moisture levels
3. Prevention, preparedness and mitigation: promote crop diversification, promote irrigation
coverage, afforestation, insurance products, cloud-seeding
4. Capacity development:
5. Relief and response: generating employment, provision for consumption loans.
6. Preparation of Drought Management Plans:

challenges:
1. Reactive and relief centric approach: There is a need to shift from relief-centric approach to
integrated management emphasising on prevention, mitigation and preparedness, to minimise
losses.
2. Issues in Assessment and Early Warning: Forecasts are general in terms of space and time, timing
does not match user needs, information received from different sources sometimes has conflicting
messages etc. •
3. Lack of proper, reliable data on water: Data in the water sector exists in silos, with very little
horizontal and vertical data sharing across the value chain of water thereby reducing efficiency.
4. lack of proper planning, coordination b/w different functioning agencies and implementation at
ground level..

Flash Droughts:
HEAT WAVES:
Defn: period of abnormally high temp that lead to psychological stress, also can cause death.
Data/Facts -> second most lethal after floods causing 41,000 deaths in last 50-60 years..
How it occurs?: when ridge of high pressure sits over a region for extended period of time -> which
brings down dry hot air to the ground. The hot air quickly heats up the ground which raises the air temp.
Since centre of HP is cloud free, the direct sunlight further raised the day time temp.
Conditions favourable: High pressure systems (anti-cyclonic effect) prevents the air from rising and
trapping inside the area confined. it acts as cap or heat dome -> so clear skies, no formation of clouds &
precipitation.
so, Transportation/prevalence of hot dry air over a region + Absence of moisture in the upper
atmosphere + Presence of cloudless sky+ Anti-cyclonic flow
When it occurs in India: Mostlu occur during April to June , aggravating due to climate change. urban
areas are more affected due to urban island effect.
Criteria:
• Plains: above 40C and departure by 5-7C
• Hilly Regions: above 30C and departure by 4-6C
• if attains max temp -> 45C
Heat wave is not recognised as disaster under DM Act, 2005
Impact of Heat waves:
1. Human Mortality:
2. Impact on Economy:
3. Crop damage and food security
4. weaker sections to be specifically impacted

Long term strategies:


• Declaration of Heat Waves as a Natural Disaster:
• A Heat Waves Action Plan:The adverse impacts of heat waves indicate that effective disaster
adaptation strategies and more robust disaster management policies are required in heatwave
zones to lessen the impact of heatwaves
• Early Warning Systems:
• Local Level Preparedness:
• Passive Cooling to Reduce UHIs: Passive cooling technology, a widely-used strategy to create
naturally ventilated buildings, can be a vital alternative to address the urban heat island for
residential and commercial buildings.
◦ The IPCC’s AR6 report cites ancient Indian building designs that have used this technology,
which could be adapted to modern facilities in the context of global warming.
• Replacing Dark Roofs: A big reason that cities are so much hotter than rural areas is that they are
covered by dark roofs, roads and parking lots that absorb and retain heat.
◦ One of the long term solutions can be replacing the dark surfaces with lighter and more
reflective materials; it will result in a comparatively cooler environment.
• Afforestation programmes and enhancing Green cover
MARINE HEAT WAVES:
concept: A marine heat wave is often characterised as a coherent region of extremely warm sea
surface temperature that lasts for days to months. Marine heat waves occur when sea temperatures
are higher than usual for a lengthy period of time.
How it is measured?:
• A marine heatwave occurs when seawater temperatures reach a seasonally variable threshold
(often the 90th percentile) for at least 5 days in a row. Heatwaves that occur within two days of
each other are considered to be part of the same event.
Data/Facts:
• MHW increased by 50% over the last decade
• 85% of the corals in Gulf of mannar bleached after Marine heat wave of 2020.


Causes:
1. Summer/ Winters – Heatwaves can occur in both the summer and the winter, when they are
referred to as “winter warm-spells.” These winter occurrences can have serious repercussions, such
as in Australia’s southeast, where the spiny sea urchin can only colonise farther south when winter
temperatures top 12 °C.
2. Ocean Currents – The most common source of marine heat waves is ocean currents, which may
build up patches of warm water and air-sea heat flux, or warming via the ocean surface from the
atmosphere.
3. Winds – Sunlight normally penetrates the atmosphere and heats the ocean’s surface. When there
are light winds, the warm water does not mix with the cooler water below. It floats on the surface of
the water and continues to heat up, resulting in marine heat waves.
4. Climate Change – Large-scale climate influences such as the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
can too cause marine heatwaves.
5. Effect of Global warming
Impacts:
1. Habitat Destruction – Marine heatwaves can alter the habitat ranges of some species, such as the
spiny sea urchin off the coast of southeastern Australia, which has been moving southward towards
Tasmania at the expense of the kelp forests on which it feeds.
2. Loss of Biodiversity – Marine heatwaves can have a significant impact on biodiversity. Marine
heatwaves in northern Australia caused widespread bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef in 2016.
3. Deoxygenation and Acidification – Marine heatwaves frequently occur in conjunction with other
factors such ocean acidification, deoxygenation, and overfishing. In such instances, Marine
Heatwaves not only wreak more havoc on ecosystems, but they also raise the danger of
deoxygenation and acidification.
4. Economic Loss – Marine heatwaves can result in economic losses due to their effects on fisheries
and aquaculture. The abalone harvest in Western Australia’s north was damaged by a maritime
heatwave in 2011.
5. Alter the Ecosystem Structure – Marine heat waves influence ecosystem structure by promoting
certain species and inhibiting others. It has been linked to mass death of marine invertebrates and
may drive animals to shift their behaviour, putting them at greater danger of injury.
6. Impacts monsoons
7. natural calamities like hurricanes, tropical storms

COLD WAVES:

FOREST FIRES:
Data: 22 % of forest cover in India is prone to forest fires

URBAN FIRES:
Introduction
Urban fire has the potential to rapidly spread to adjoining structures. These fires not only take life but
also damage and destroy properties such as homes, schools, commercial buildings, etc.
Data:
• India Risk Surveys 2018 has placed India at 3rd position in fire incidents. This signifies the grave
risks of fire incidents to urban habitats.
• NCRB-> In 2019 : 330 people died in commercial building fires, 6329 in residential or dwelling
building fires.
Examples:
• Vijay Vallabh Hospital, MUmbai -> 15COVID patientd died
• 1Gujarata, Bharuch -> 18 people died
Causes for urban fire accidents
• Faulty Electrics: These are the biggest cause of workplace fires. Loose wires, overloaded plugs, old
equipment etc. can all result in a fire accident.
• Cooking Gas Blasts
• Flammable and Combustible Materials: Urban premises that hold any number of materials that are
flammable or combustible represent a dangerous hazard.
• Human Error: When staff are not trained properly, they are at risk of making catastrophic mistakes.
Accidents such as placing liquid near electrical equipment, burning food in the kitchen or spilling
flammable liquids have occurred due to human error.
• Lack of awareness among people: In many accidents, it was observed that firefighting equipment
was installed. But there is no knowledge training for the persons to handle the equipment.
• Non-adherence to NBC code: A National Building Code (NBC) has set out elaborate guidelines
including those for fire safety. But the adherence is lacklustre. For example, NBC requires all buildings
over 15 metres to carry out a fire safety audit once in two years by an independent entity. Its
adherence appears to be patchy.
• Resource crunch: Fire safety operations in urban India often fall under municipalities, a tier of
governance that is particularly weak. A consequence of it is that firefighting operations are starved of
resources. India had only 39% of the 8,559 fire stations needed in 2018.
Fire Safety Management in India
• Fire service is a state subject and also has been included as a municipal function in the XII
schedule of the Constitution.
• Many states have established Fire & Emergency Services through a statutory Act. These acts were
based on the Model Fire Service Bill circulated by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
◦ Similarly, in some states, municipal corporations and local bodies are responsible for providing
fire services.
• Currently, the National Building Code -2016 is the basis for fire safety norms in India.
• Apart from that, India is also taking certain proactive institutional mechanisms to address fire risk.
This includes,
◦ At the Central level, the Director-General of Civil Defense, Home Guards, & Fire Services under
the Ministry of Home Affairs is assisted by the Fire Adviser. He will deliberate upon the
management of fire services.
◦ In addition, the Standing Fire Advisory Committee provides inputs for improving fire
management in the country.
◦ The National Fire Service College, Nagpur provides training and education.
Issues in Urban Fire Safety Management
• Lack of robust fire mitigation technologies: Most of the modern Buildings in major cities lack
sufficient in-built fire safety services such as smoke alarms and sprinkler systems. These systems
operate as early warning systems and fire control measures.
• Poor adoption of Model Fire Safety Bill: The centre has introduced a model bill in 2019 for
Maintenance of Fire and Emergency Services of a state. This focused on prevention, mitigation and
response of Fire incidents, but many states have failed to adopt its provisions, resulting in greater fire
incidents.
• Lack of compliance: Many buildings in heavily congested areas of India do not adhere to the
National Building Code and do not have fire clearance certificates.
◦ For instance, the Surat Coaching centre building didn’t have any emergency exit. This forced the
students and the instructors to jump off the building to escape the fire. However, in the process,
they lost their limbs and life as well.
• Rapid Urbanisation: This has increased the proliferation of high rise buildings due to scarcity of
land. However, ensuring fire safety in them is a complex affair due to lengthy exit routes and more
fire-prone areas.
• Development creating greater risks: The sectoral advancement in the country has enhanced urban
fire safety concerns –
◦ In the industrial areas, wear and tear of machinery, storage and new materials etc. add new urban
fire risks every day.
• Problems associated with Fire Services: There are certain inherent concerns with the fire services.
Such as limited financial resources, working in high-crime areas. Further, they are poor in leveraging
relationships with citywide institutions, reaching out to residents to focus on fire safety.
◦ Further, there is an inadequate number of fire stations and high traffic congestion thereby leading
to greater response time.
Suggestions to control urban fire
• Enactment of a Fire Act in every state: The states which have not enacted their own Fire Act should
immediately enact a suitable Fire Act based on the 2019 model bill.
• Following Fire Safety Standards: The Home Ministry must make sure that National Disaster
Management Guidelines on Scaling, Type of Equipment and Training of Fire Services. The States has
to duly follow them.
• Regular Auditing: There should be time-bound fire and electric audits of all hospitals within the
municipal area. Moreover, the government has to conduct third-party fire safety audits throughout
the urban areas.
• Mock Drills: The fire services have to conduct regular fire safety drills so that people are aware of
what to do in the event of such a tragedy.
• Awareness Generation: A significant emphasis needs to be placed on creating awareness among
different stakeholders like citizens, administrators, politicians, builders, engineers etc.
• Infrastructure and Technology: Simple interventions like constructing water storage tanks at
suitable locations can provide water during fire emergencies. In addition, adopting modern
technology such as water mist and drones is the need of the hour.
• Financial support to the fire safety department: The government should provide financial support
and assistance in augmenting and modernising the fire departments.
◦ For urban areas, the government can impose a fire tax/levy. The government can earmark the
revenue generated for the improvement and upkeep of the fire services.
◦ Similarly, fire management has to incorporate innovative funding through public-private
partnerships.
Conclusion

Through conscious planning, the government has to strengthen and upgrade the Fire services in India. To
achieve this facet, a robust institutional mechanism and coordinated approach including all concerned
stakeholders is desired.

Disaster Resilience Infrastructure:

• CDRI is a global partnership of national governments, United Nations agencies and programmes,
multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and academic and
research institutions.
• It aims to increase the resilience of infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks, thereby
ensuring sustainable development.
• It was launched in 2019, at the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York.
• It is the Government of India's second major global initiative after the International Solar
Alliance, and it demonstrates India's leadership in climate change and disaster resilience issues.
• Members:
◦ Since its inception, 31 countries, 6 international organisations and 2 private sector
organisations have joined CDRI as members.
▪ 6 International Organisations: Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank Group, United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction (UNDRR), European Union, European Investment Bank.
▪ 2 Private Sector Organisations: The Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient
Societies and Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment.
◦ CDRI has steadily increased its membership by attracting a diverse range of economically
advanced, developing, and vulnerable countries to climate change and disasters.
• Significance for India:
◦ Provide a platform for India to emerge as a global leader on climate Action and Disaster
Resilience.
▪ CDRI boosts India's soft power, but more importantly it has wider connotation than just
economics, as synergy between disaster risk reduction, Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) and Climate Accord provides for sustainable and inclusive growth.
◦ Complement the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
◦ Facilitate India’s support to resilient infrastructure in Africa, Asia, etc.
◦ Provide access to knowledge, technology and capacity development for infra developers.
◦ Create opportunities for Indian infrastructure & technology firms to expand services abroad.

Role of Geo-spatial Technologies in Disaster Risk Reduction & DM:


Geo-spatial -> GIS+ Remote sensing + GPS:
divide and analyse in
1. Preparedness, prevention, mitigation
2. Response, Relief, Rehabilitation
3. Recovery, reconstruction

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