Dr. Arvind Kumar*
Scorching heat gripped parts of Europe, Asia, and North America, bringing with it record-breaking temperatures, driving wildfires, and prompting health warnings and evacuations. It was almost impossible to escape the reports of Canada’s wildfires in early June, with large parts of North America also being engulfed in smoke and air pollution as a result of the fires and now the wildfires in Spain. So far this monsoon season landslides and flash floods have claimed at least 91 lives in six north Indian states and disrupted millions more. The record monsoon rains led to massive water logging, road caves-in, collapsed homes, and gridlocked traffic in large parts of northern India. Human-induced climate change is the major cause of the growing number and ferocity of natural disasters we’re seeing across Asia and these signals to the fact that the climate emergency is here for this region. All climate models show that these spikes in heat are going to increase in frequency and intensity. Such heatwaves will impact 2 billion people either directly, in terms of heat impacts on health and work, or indirectly in terms of glacier melt, floods, water variability, erratic rainfall, and landslides.
According to the International Disaster Database (EM-DAT), Asia is the world’s most disaster-impacted region; 83 percent of the 81 weather, climate, and water-related disasters in Asia in 2022 were flood and storm events. More than 50 million people were directly affected. WMO State of the Climate in Asia 2022 report released in July said Asia, the largest continent with 30 percent of Earth’s land area, is warming faster than the global average. The warming trend in Asia in 1991–2022 was almost double the warming trend in the 1961–1990 period (see chart), according to the World Meteorological Organisation report.
Using “natural disasters” rather than “climate disasters” misconstrues the direct role humans have in climate change. While the natural cycles of the Earth will inevitably elicit strong weather patterns, climate change accelerated by human actions exacerbates these events. It’s impossible to recognize climate change’s role in severe weather events without acknowledging its roots in human behavior. In other words, humans — in particular, our systems of industrial overdevelopment and overproduction — are contributing directly to the increased frequency and intensity of climate disasters. As torrential rains, cloudbursts, floods, and landslides continue to wreak colossal damage and claim lives in Himachal Delhi, Pradesh, Uttarakhand and many more states in India.
The question everyone is asking is: why is this happening? Who is accountable for these disasters and eventual losses? What is the role of centre and state governments? The wetland rules 2017 have been released but are they being implemented?
Development: At what cost?
The Himalayan Cedars chopped down in tens of thousands to widen highways as the government rapidly develops its mid-hills as go-to summer holiday destinations for tourism. Trees from forest land cleared for roads, tunnels and hydro-power dams are disposed on hill slopes, in rivers banks and streams along with the earthen muck and debris. The course of the rivers has narrowed down, and the riverbeds filled up with silt, causing them to break banks much sooner than they normally would when torrential rains come. Both tourism and hydro-electricity sectors are the highest earners for the government and are currently being developed on priority. As per Mr. Panwar, an urban specialist and earlier deputy mayor of Shimla, “The planned development is responsible for this colossal damage, is not so much climate shift, the State’s summer capital, with a fragile Himalayan ecosystem, is on risky exploitation of natural resources of water, forest, and nature to pull in more State income.” One of the main reasons for the devastating impact of floods in the region is the uncontrolled construction of these hydropower projects, which have essentially transformed Mountain Rivers into mere streams.
Traditionally, mountain regions for building infrastructure were not cut with vertical slits but terraced to minimise instability in these geologically vulnerable regions. Unfortunately, in a hurry to complete projects, mountains have been cut into vertically, leading to landslides. In India’s mostly unplanned urban areas, these often are roads, parking lots, slum settlements, and even multi-storied shops and homes. Changes in land use and land cover contribute to exacerbate disaster damage. Sand mined illegally from riverbanks to keep pace with the high demand from construction activities also play a role in the devastation that rivers cause.
The unprecedented floods in Delhi brought this crisis to national and international attention. The water level in the river Yamuna reached a record high of 208.66 metres. However the record flood in Delhi was not due to unusually high discharge from Hathnikund but the state of Yamuna during its course through Delhi. The river flow is being impeded by excessive and unplanned construction in and around the river. The pillars of the many bridges impede water flow. Bunds have been constructed to channel the flow of the river. Large-scale encroachments on the floodplains and mushrooming of unauthorised colonies have sprung up on and they were the first to be flooded. There is huge infrastructure development leading to severe environmental degradation. Any vacant land is sought to be taken over and ‘developed’ – whether it be the flood plains, forests or the ridge. Every inch is sought to be paved for roads, etc. Drains are being covered up for parking or roads are being constructed over them. With little space for water to go into the soil, even small amounts of rain lead to flooding of roads and colonies. Indian policymakers cater to narrow and short-term vested interests. Misgovernance, cronyism and corruption further compound the problems.
Way Forward
Most of the hill stations in India lack a master plan and are a result of rampant unplanned and unscientific planning. With climate change a reality, humans should not add to the problem, but make adequate changes in infrastructure planning to avert disasters that the State has been witnessing since June. Unplanned and unauthorized construction should be nipped in the bud. There is an urgent need for opening local consultation centres, training centres of locals with design experts which can help them in making sustainable and disaster-prone buildings based on the local conditions. Rapid urbanisation in such areas should be regulated by the government. Proper surveys and studies should be undertaken before authorizing any development projects in these eco fragile regions. Risk information should be shared by agencies and stakeholders across sectors for disaster and damage control which requires adequate coordination among multisectoral agencies instead of working in silos. Flood zone mapping which was proposed 40 years ago through a draft bill, but has not been undertaken in the country should be done at the earliest. Developing an accurate early warning system for early evacuation and risk mitigation is a must. We will have to institutionalise planning and review local planning. We have to work on two levels; disaster management experts will have to focus more on public participation and also for a real time registration and monitoring system using technology. Improved coherence amongst disaster management, conservation and climate change policy mechanisms should be taken into account in policy and decision-making processes.
We need accountability and commitment of governance otherwise disasters will keep on happening and there will be loss of lives and livelihoods, infrastructure and displacement by extreme weather events. The world faces a race against time to reduce emissions and help the most vulnerable cope with climate impacts that are already being faced today and will escalate in the years ahead. It’s time to act now.
*Editor, Focus Global Reporter
