Disaster

Disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or society and it causes loss of life or property or both and has impact on environment. Disaster can be Natural or Man-made. Natural disasters are result of any natural hazards such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, landslides, volcano eruptions, etc. Man-made disasters are caused by humans and occur in or close to human settlements. This can include environmental degradation, pollution and accidents.

A disaster occurs when a hazard impacts on vulnerable people. The combination of hazards, vulnerability and inability to reduce the potential negative consequences of risk results in disaster. 

(Vulnerability  Hazard)/Capacity = Disaster     

Punjab is vulnerable to various types of hazards. The following are the major disasters faced in the state:

• Atmospheric & Geological Events: A major part of geographical area of the state is prone to floods although substantial part has been protected through flood control measures. Other occasional events like hailstorms, lightening, squall, thunderstorm, heat Wave, cold Wave, dustorm etc. cause huge damages to the standing crops.

In Punjab, damages due to floods are caused mainly by the river Ravi, Sutlej and Ghaggar, which a common delta where floodwaters blend and cause damage. The problem is further accentuated when flood synchronizes with high tide. The site deposited constantly by these rivers in the delta area raises the bed levels and the rivers often overflow their banks or break through new channels causing heavy damages.

Punjab state lies in zone III and IV which are broadly associated with seismic intensity on VII and VIII on MMI scale respectively. As per earthquake hazard zoning map, about 50 per cent area in north Punjab, comprising Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Patiala and Rupnagar districts is zone IV liable to MSK intensity 8 and about 45 per cent in zone III could have intensity 7 on the Richter scale.

• Water Logging: The water table is rising in south-western districts of the state due to limited or non-extraction of groundwater because of blackish/saline quality, which makes it unfit for domestic, irrigation and other purposes which causes water logging.

The topography of the entire area of Muktsar and Malout, which is saucer shape and impedes surface drainage system both natural and artificial, the constant seepage from the twin canals and return flow from canal irrigation, are some of other contributory factors towards creating water logging problem.

• Drought: The primary causes of drought include low rainfall or inadequate snow pack the preceding winter. However, other factors may also contribute to drought conditions including land degradation and an increase in water demand. An increase in water demand may be a result of increased population or industry, but can also result from water used for fire fighting. Technological failure of human-built water supply system can also lead to drought like conditions, through this is often of a localized nature.

• Desertification & Soil Erosion: The desertification in Punjab is due to faulty agriculture practices such as excessive use of fertilizers and improper irrigation techniques and without proper long-term soil conservation strategy.

Further, the state also has problem of soil erosion due to intensive cultivation, deforestation and destruction of the natural vegetation by grazing or other means. The Kandi tract in Rupnagar district of Punjab state has undulating topography, inadequate ground water, steep slopes, bare land surface and thus, severe problems of soil erosion. 

Disaster Management Plans

The State Plan for disaster management attempts to protect the lives and properties of the people of Punjab from potentially devastating hazards. Structural and Non-Structural Mitigation measures are suggested in the preparedness and mitigation plan. Structural mitigation includes retrofitting, afforestration, multi-purpose dams, watershed management, and improvement in drainage efficiency, desiltation of stream beds, check on encroachment, and check on disposal, improving the Capacities of Bridges/Aqueducts, intra and inter-State Coordination, water harvesting measures, etc. Non-Structural Mitigation includes Sensitization/Awareness Campaigns, Training and Capacity Building, Flood Plain zoning, Flood Proofing, Flood Fighting, Early Warning and Dissemination System, etc. 

 State & District Disaster Management Plans

 Background of Disaster Risk Reduction DRR (2009-2012)

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) denotes both a policy goal or objective, and the strategic and instrumental measures employed for anticipating future disaster risk, reducing existing exposure, hazard, or vulnerability and improving resilience. Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) aim is to prevent new and reduce existing disaster risks and to contribute to strengthening resilience.

It was implemented in year 2010 in Punjab, it provided the technical support for the preparation of State Disaster Management Plan (SDMP) and District Disaster Management Plans (DDMP) and also for the institutional strengthening under DM act.

•       Hazard Risk and Vulnerability Assessment.
•       Capacity Building of stakeholders.
•       Advocacy workshops on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction.
•     Preparation of Awareness materials and sensitization at the school, district and state level.

A. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction SFDRR 2015-2030

It is the roadmap for how we make our communities safer and more resilient. It has concrete actions to protect development gains from the risk of disaster. It outlines seven clear targets and four priorities for action to prevent new and reduce existing disaster risks.

The Sendai Framework is a paradigm shift from managing disasters to managing current and future risks, bringing in resilience-building as the core target to be reached by 2030. To this end, countries pursue four priorities of action:

1.  Understanding disaster risk

2.  Strengthening disaster risk governance

3.  Investing in resilience and

4.  Enhancing and leveraging disaster preparedness.

Together, these four priorities aim for the substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries. The scope of the Sendai Framework includes consideration of the need to recognize 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. It is the first disaster risk reduction framework to include specific targets against which progress can be measured.

The Sendai Framework also focuses on climate-related disasters. The target-based nature of the framework is closely related to the SDGs. The Sendai Framework, adopted prior to the adoption of the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, also makes clear reference to the challenges posed by climate change for disaster risk reduction.

B. The Paris Agreement

Climate change is very attentive global threats to environment. It has wide influence on the environment, agriculture, water availability, natural resources, ecosystem, biodiversity, economy, and social well-being. Changing climate, affects both abiotic and biotic environment of the earth. Species migration, Invasion, Human heath etc. are the major part of biotic environment those are extremely affected by climate change. Drastic change in weather pattern, water balance, soil quality and air quality are key results of climate change on abiotic environment of earth.

The Paris agreement helps to mitigate climate change and adapting to its adverse effects and for developing a pathway towards climate resilient development. It aims to hold global average temperature increase to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 °C, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.

Under the Paris Agreement, all countries undertake and communicate ambitious efforts as nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to the global response to climate change with a view to achieving the purpose of the agreement.

The link between adaptation, disaster risk reduction and loss and damage and climate change is important. Flash floods, extreme weather and droughts have increased in frequency and unpredictability. The integrated actions will lay down a road map for the required response.

Climate Change and its Interrelation with Disaster Risk and Development

Climate change can increase disaster risk in a variety of ways - by altering the frequency and intensity of hazard events and also by affecting vulnerability to hazards. Change in climate and weather patterns have predicted increased exposure and vulnerability due to extreme events such as high intensity floods, frequent droughts and increase air temperature etc. Addressing these common concerns will help to build resilience and sustainable development.There is a need to have an integrated approach with inclusion of policy makers, planners, scientific fraternity and communities to work together to develop appropriate strategies to mainstream Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into the development planning process. 

Common Areas of Disaster and Climate Change

C. Sustainable Development Goals

The SDGs focus on the root causes of poverty. Among the many objectives of the SDGs are: eliminating poverty and hunger; addressing inequalities both within and among countries; achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth; creating peaceful, just and inclusive societies; protecting the planet; ensuring the availability of water; achieving sustainable production and consumption; taking action to combat climate change; and enhancing global partnerships for sustainable development. There are 17 SDGs , each goal has several associated targets and a set of measurable. Goal 13 is targeted to urgently addressing climate change and its impacts.

 It has following targets which can be integrated:

(a) Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries

(b) Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.

(c) Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

(d) Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change related planning and management focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities.

 Integration Benefits

The integration strengthens their connections with adaptation and mitigation issues, including the relationship of essential climate variables to the three climate cycles of water, carbon and energy, and to the Paris Agreement, other biodiversity-related conventions, the SDGs and the Sendai Framework.

The aligned State Plans and District Plans in accordance with the Sendai Framework shall intended to:

1.    Better align National and sub-National adaptation and mitigation planning.

2.   Enhance the effectiveness of disaster and climate policy and planning by integrating recent advancements in knowledge and understanding.

3.   It would Align and redefine the goals and targets considering the NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) & SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

4.   Updates forward-looking plans, strategies and actions for ambitious, workable mitigation and adaptation actions and strategies for 2021-30.

Effective Implementation

To effectively achieve the goals of all three agendas, increased integration would help to enhance coherence between the frameworks and more efficiently utilize limited resources. Integrated approaches will help to build comprehensive resilience across all segments of society, while allowing each policy process to maintain autonomy and self-direction.

The objective of adaptation, sustainable development and disaster risk reduction – to benefit vulnerable people and communities would identify highly effective adaptation actions that would contribute to all three sets of goals simultaneously. Further actions for effective implementation for specific sectors have been listed below:

Infrastructure: Public Works, Roads and Construction

•     Promote use of hazard risk information in land-use planning and zoning regulations.
•     Conduct disaster risk impact assessments as part of the planning process before the construction of new roads or bridges.

 Housing: Urban and Rural Housing Development

• Encourage use of hazard-resilient designs (e.g. flood proofing, or seismic safety) in rural housing programmes in hazard-prone areas.
• Promote utilization of national building codes that have special provisions for enhanced design standards for buildings in areas affected by natural disasters.
• Ensure compliance and enforcement of local building laws requiring prescribed standards under natural building codes in urban hazard-prone areas.

 Health

• Promote programmes to identify hospitals and health facilities that are located in hazard-prone areas, analyze their internal and external vulnerability during emergencies, and increase the hazard resilience of these hospitals through Safe Hospital programme.
• Prepare and implement a Hospital Preparedness Plan for all such health facilities.

 Agriculture

• Promote effective programs of contingency crop planning to deal with year to year climate variations.
• Promote effective programs of crop diversification including the use of hazard resistant crops, to deal with shifts in climate patterns.
• Promote effective insurance and credit schemes to compensate for agricultural related damage and losses to livelihoods due to natural hazards.

 Education

• Incorporate DRR modules into the school curriculum.
• Construct all new schools located in hazard-prone areas to higher standards of hazard resilience.
• Add features in schools in hazard prone areas for use as emergency shelters such as facilities for water, sanitation and cooking as envisaged in coastal areas as possible cyclone shelters.

Financial Services

• Incorporate provisions in micro-financing schemes to have flexible repayments schedules that can be activated in the event of recipients being affected by natural disasters.
• Encourage the financial services sectors and local capital markets to develop schemes for financing disaster risk reduction measures.

 Other

• Alignment of State Plans and District Plans in accordance with the Sendai Framework
• Mainstreaming DM in every training programme by the state police, forest, health, education and other training institutes and incorporate these modules in their respective training programmes.
• Inventory of Institutions and Resource Persons: The partnership with other state government departments, scientific, technical and academic institutions, NGOs, corporate houses and individuals working in the field of disaster management should be involved in developing, maintaining, and updating the resource inventories of institutions and individuals. 
• Using early warning systems more effectively for health and life protection.

 Disaster Risk Reduction DRR Working Group in G20 under India’s Presidency

 Under India's Presidency, a new working group on disaster risk reduction (DRR) has been established in order to promote group collaboration among the G20, carry out multidisciplinary research and exchange best practices on disaster risk reduction(G20Secretariat, MEA 2023). The first DRRWG meeting was held in Gandhinagar in March-April this year. This initiative of India to include Disaster Risk Reduction in the G-20 is a part of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 to 2030.

 Remote Sensing and GIS Tools for Disasters

 Mitigation of natural disasters can be effective only when detailed knowledge is obtained about the expected frequency, character, and magnitude of hazardous events in an area. Many types of information that are needed in natural disaster management have an important spatial component. Spatial data are data with a geographic component, such as maps, aerial photography, satellite imagery, GPS data, rainfall data etc. Remote sensing and GIS provides a data base that can be interpreted, and combined with other information to arrive at hazard and vulnerability maps, indicating which areas are potentially dangerous.

 Remote sensing data, such as satellite images, aerial and drone photos allow us to map the variabilities of terrain properties, such as vegetation, water, and geology, both in space and time. Satellite images give a synoptic overview and provide very useful environmental information, for a wide range of scales, from entire continents to details of a few meters. Secondly, many types of disasters, such as floods, drought, cyclones, volcanic eruptions, etc. will have certain precursors. The satellites can detect the early stages of these events as anomalies in a time series. Images are available at regular short time intervals, and can be used for the prediction of both rapid and slow disasters. When a disaster occurs, the information is dissemination quickly to monitor the occurrence of the disaster.

 GIS is used as a tool for the planning of evacuation routes, for the design of centers for emergency operations, and for integration of satellite data with other relevant data in the design of disaster warning systems.

In the disaster relief phase, GIS is extremely useful in combination with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in search and rescue operations in areas that have been devastated and where it is difficult to orientate. Remote sensing can assist in damage assessment and aftermath monitoring, providing a quantitative base for relief operations.

In the disaster rehabilitation phase GIS is used to organize the damage information and the post -disaster census information, and in the evaluation of sites for reconstruction. Remote sensing is used to map the new situation and update the databases used for the reconstruction of an area, and can help to prevent the occurrence of disaster.