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Protecting floodplains is the need of the hour
Context:
After the recent Yamuna Floods in the capital, has revoked the concern of Illegal construction work in floodplains which reduces the capacity of rivers to contain a high level of water within their banks.
The Urgent Need for Flood Management
- Frequency and Intensity of Floods: Increasing frequency and intensity of floods due to climate change pose a significant threat worldwide, as exemplified by recent disasters in Pakistan, Himachal Pradesh, and India's metropolitan areas.
- Urban vulnerability: Over 40 million hectares of land in India, nearly 12% of the total land area, is prone to floods, with cities being particularly vulnerable due to haphazard urban expansion.
- Disaster Management policy: India's current legal framework for disaster management does not adequately address the predictable risks associated with floods, highlighting the need for a change in strategy.
Shift from Flood Protection to Risk Management
- International Shift in Strategy: Countries like Germany, the U.K., and the Netherlands have transitioned from flood protection to flood risk management, emphasizing water retention and floodplain restoration over technical measures like dikes and flood defense walls.
- Limits to Rivers: Encroachments on floodplains in India, as seen in Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand, exacerbate flooding by limiting river capacity during heavy rainfall.
- Illegal construction:Despite regulatory measures and environmental impact assessments, illegal construction and mining activities persist in these regions.
The Role of Ecosystem Preservation and Political Will
- Ecosystems as Natural Buffers: Ecosystem preservation, including wetlands, forests, lakes, and coastal areas, can serve as natural buffers against floods and other natural hazards, as demonstrated in Germany's Federal Water Act.
- Need of an integrated framework: Climate change adaptation requires an integrated framework that encompasses land use, water body preservation, coastal regulations, and environmental impact assessment laws.
- Support and Cooperation: Implementing such a framework necessitates strong political will, especially in the face of populist leaders who may resist "green" policies, putting lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure at risk.
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