Flood Risk and Opportunity for Resilience in India - Desklib

Dissertation
(Flood Risk and Opportunity for resilience in
India)

Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................3
Flooding and its issues: Global Scenario....................................................................................3
Flooding in India and Chennai:...................................................................................................4
Sustainable Flood Management and existing material................................................................5
Research aim, objectives and questions......................................................................................5
Research rationale.......................................................................................................................6
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................7
Proving SFM is the most suitable coping strategy to overcome flood risk in Chennai..............7
What are the kinds of flooding that exists in Chennai and how are they collectively being
responded by the Government?...................................................................................................9
What are the Limitations of implementing SFM in Chennai?..................................................13
What are the structural and non-structural measures in place...................................................15
Bibliography..................................................................................................................................19

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Flooding and its issues: Global Scenario
Flooding mainly tend to present the situation when the river, lake, ocean and other sources
of the water overflows on to the land and around it. Beside this, it has been also seen that the too
much of the raining as well as the melting of the snow are the main reason and cause of the flood
that makes the soil like a sponge and create many issues. Along with this, the flood also tends to
have a larger social consequences and issues for the communities as well as the individuals
around the global. The key issues and consequences lead by the flooding at the global level
includes and comprises of the including increasing population pressure, continuous degradation
of ecosystem services and climate variability and change. Further, it also tends to contribute to a
further increase in flood risks worldwide. In many parts of the world, this increase is further
exacerbated by inadequate flood planning and management practices. Along with this, the Floods
can cause serious indirect impacts, including damage to important energy, water,
communications and transport infrastructure. They can also interfere with basic public services
such as schools and hospitals. (Henrique and Tschakert, 2019). In all, around 5.2 million
properties in England, or one in six properties, are at risk of flooding. More than 5 million people
live and work in 2.4 million properties that are at risk of flooding from rivers or the sea, one
million of which are also at risk of surface water flooding (Brema, 2020). The National Flood
Risk Assessment shows that a sizeable part of our important infrastructure and public services
are in flood risk areas that lead a larger number of economic loss. Along with this, mainly flood
occurs because of the climactic change and this makes it difficult for people type deal with the
situation in an effective manner. Main focus is on sustainable flood management plan so that
water can be utilised in a proper manner and for fulfilling the needs of present as well as future
generation in an effective and efficient manner (Daboo, 2022). The issue of climate change and
variability has an adverse effect on the lives of people and destroys the while functioning of
many offices and factories as water in lodged in the areas. Sustainable flood management
provides several ways for preventing people from the huge damage and destruction of floods by
making a significant contribution in using effective methods. Further, it has been seen and find
out that within the many parts of the world, flooding is tending to be a major problem. Beside
this, it has been also seen that the flood plains are often attractive areas for human development

and a vast share of the world’s population depends, whether directly or indirectly, on a number
of key natural resources that are generally provided by floodplains.
Flooding in India and Chennai:
It has been seen and find out that the Chennai is home to India’s worst cyclones and floods.
Further, it has been seen that the November 2021 was a devastating month for flooding in the
city of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu in southern India. With 1,000mm of rainfall in just
four weeks, these were the worst rains since the devastating floods of 2015 when it poured for 22
out of 30 days in December, setting a record of 1,049mm (Jalan and Sen, 2020). Thus, Chennai
rains and high ration of floods in considered as a recent example which resulted in affecting the
life of many people and for saving it there is a sustainable flood management plan that helps in
diminishing the effect floods from the normal life of people. Beside this, it has been also seen
and find out that the then, as now, the flooding in the Chennai was described and also taken as a
man-made disaster despite of the fact that is caused and occurring during a storm called Cyclone
Nivar. On both occasions, death, disruption and destruction was the result. India has faced more
than 300 weather events in the last two decades, resulting in over 79,000 deaths. Along with this,
it has been also seen and find out that the India accounts for 24% of all disasters in Asia and
Chennai that tend to have a rank at seventh in the list of India’s most vulnerable districts to
extreme flooding and cyclones (Jameson and Baud, 2016). Therefore, prevention from huge
damage in floods, they need to adopt some strategic ways that can help them in understanding
the variability among people. It is important to improve the flood water disposal system so that
water gets restored in the right manner and results in reducing the risk of water (Samadi and
Taslimi, 2022). Constructing retaining walls and using sandbags is also a strategic way by which
floods can be controlled scientifically for better productivity and less damage in the outskirts of
the place. Retaining walls helps in saving the life of people and their belongingness and sandbags
help in restraining the water to arrest water. Release water from the reservoir for properly
realising water. Sustainable flood planning is necessary for the people because this helps in
diminishing the effect of water and in properly safeguarding their life and belongingness. To
ensure proper management of water at the time of floods it is important to allocate funds to
making roads in a proper manner and in managing all the sustained resources in an optimum
way. Cities like Chennai need to adopt a strategic framework for establishing nature-based
solutions and measures to get long-term resolutions for the present flood situation. This multi-

stage process mainly involves determining the problem and opportunity that is followed by
selecting designing and implementing sustained policies and procedures that help in monitoring
the situation in a proper manner (Venkataramanan, and et. al., 2020). This helps in identifying
the problems relating to the drainage problem of water at the time of floods so that a proper plan
can be made. The present study mainly focuses on determining the issues faced by the region at
the time of floods and identifying the best ways to adopt for reducing the risk of floods in the
regions.
Sustainable Flood Management and existing material
Sustainable flood management plans are mainly aimed at restoring the natural areas
related to flood plain in river valleys and developing strategic ways to increase water
retentiveness and matter which generally helps in contributing to the right functioning of the
floodplain ecosystems. Flood management is very important as it helps in restoring the amount
of water in the landscape and in slowing down the flow of water downstream (Nicholson, and et.
al., 2020). This helps in maintaining the exact flow of water within the resourceful areas and in
declining the wastage of water in the field for a high downturn. Besides this, it has been also seen
that the concept of sustainable flood management is focused on supporting and bringing out
higher flooding sustainability that would be considering all the sources of floodwaters and taking
proactive action to ensure the reduction within the impact of the flooding on the communities.
Further, it has been also seen and find out that the concept of Sustainable Flood Risk
Management would be vital as it support and brings out a higher level of enhancement within the
safety as well as also supports the welfare, and the improved level of the quality of life for all the
society. Along with this, it has been also seen that maintaining as well as supporting the increase
within the availability of the set of the natural resources and ecosystems to have higher integrity
for the set of the future generations.
Research aim, objectives and questions
Research aim
To identify the best Sustainable Flood Management (SFM) measures that are best suited
and can be adopted in the case of Chennai, India.
Research objectives
 To make the readers aware of the existing flood and flood related issues in the region
[and how Historic Institution has resulted in the current situation]

 To identify the best SFM measures practiced around the world [and more focus will be
given on the measures adopted in the South Asian context]
 To suggest structural and non-structural changes based on the output of the research.
Research questions
 Can SFM prove to be the most suitable coping strategy to overcome flood risk in
Chennai?
 What are the kinds of flooding that exists in Chennai and how are they collectively being
responded to byu the Government?
 What are the Limitations of implementing SFM in Chennai?
 What are the policy barriers in implementing SFm in CHennai and what can be learnt
from the policies of the countries that have implemented SFM?
Research rationale
The main purpose of conducting this study is to determine the best measures related to
sustainable flood management to reduce the effect of floods in the case of Chennai, India. This
helps in reducing the impact of floods on the life of people and in suggesting ways that result in
restoring the water effectively and suitably. Floodplains are regarded as the most important part
of river systems and generally play an important role in the exchange of water matter and masses
between terrestrial and river ecosystems (Waylen and et. al., 2018). While conducting this
present the researcher has fulfilled two types of objectives which are defined as personal and
professional. In terms of personal objectives, the researcher has gained optimum and sufficient
knowledge and skill about the topic related to flood management to know about the preventive
measures that can help in reducing the risk and damage caused by the flood due to heavy rain in
a particular region. On the other hand, in terms of professional objective, the researcher will
know about the sustainable flood management plan and this helps in conducting future research
more properly and also in getting knowledge about how organisations and people handle the
situation in time of heavy floods.