An Urbanizing India Faces Natural Disaster Risk

M. Lakshman/Associated Press
A fishermen’s settlement in Nochikuppam, Chennai destroyed by the Dec. 26, 2004 tsunami, in this Jan. 8, 2005 file photo.
The number of people exposed to natural disasters is expected to more than double to 1.5 billion by 2050, with 200 million of them in India, because of rapid urbanization and the extreme weather stemming from climate change, according to the World Bank.

Preventive measures will minimize damage from natural disasters, World Bank officials stressed in a recent interviews in India to publicize an extensive report on the issue. Much depends on how effectively countries prepare for disasters, including installing early warning systems and builds strong infrastructure, officials say.

“While exposure to natural hazards is increasing, vulnerability need not,” said Mahmoud Mohieldin, a managing director at the World Bank.

Of grave concern in India is the lack of information about the people and areas at risk, the World Bank said, which hampers the development of detailed risk assessment programs.

To this end, the World Bank has formed a partnership with the Indian government to study the rate of migration from rural to urban areas, the resulting pressure on infrastructure and the level of exposure to a natural disaster.

In cities like Mumbai, where rent control is pervasive, property owners have tended to neglect maintenance, causing buildings to crumble during the monsoon season. “Such policies also contribute to the dearth of good housing and to the poor living in unsafe shanty towns,” the World Bank report said. Removing rent control, which in turn allows land and housing markets to function freely, will serve as an incentive and encourage long-term investments to prevent such damage, the World Bank said.

Focusing on building and maintaining sound infrastructure and public services is also key to mitigating the risk from natural disasters, the report said.

The Indian government tried to increase preparations for natural disasters, since passing the Disaster Management Act of 2005. This laid the foundation for the establishment of disaster risk management agencies at the national, state and district levels.

The Indian government is collaborating with the World Bank on a number of disaster management projects worth $885 million. These include the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Program, which is strengthening coastal communities to deal with cyclone- related hazards, and Bihar’s Kosi Flood Recovery Program, which is developing a flood management plan for the region.

The World Bank said that as the National Disaster Management Authority of India matures, it is likely to follow the path of agencies in Colombia, Turkey and Mexico, which have succeeded in integrating disaster risk management themes across ministries. This will enable the construction of disaster-resilient infrastructure, from roads and bridges to schools, hospitals and private homes and businesses.


Read in detail at :- http://cdrn.org.in/show.detail.asp?id=23010