Flood Disaster Management

Abstract

Over the past several years, the intensity and frequencies of both riverine and urban flooding are showing increasing trends. In many of the Asian countries including India, flooding due to inundation in low lying areas along river channels as well as localized unprecedented precipitation has become a common feature that has gained the status of disasters causing devastations in terms of loss of lives and huge economic losses every year. The number of people affected by riverine and urban floods is more than any other type of natural disasters. The J&K Floods in 2014, Uttarakhand Floods in 2013 and the mega flood of Chennai (Tamil Nadu) in December 2015 highlight the vulnerability status of India.

The prime reasons of flooding being the reduced carrying capacity of river channels, unusual amount and intensity of rainfall in a localized area, climate change over the past decades, poorly managed land use planning, faulty drainage design, construction & management, lack of real time warning etc. Sometimes, sudden release of water from dams along with other localized phenomena also creates flooding. The increasing ramifications of such disasters have afflicted policy planners, scientists, researchers, academicians and others concerned across the world to find out ways and means to deal with the emerging threats of this typical hydro-meteorological phenomena.

The present chapter discuss in details about the fundamental concept of the management of disasters due to floods. The flood vulnerability status in SAARC countries is also discussed along with the existing vulnerabilities of Indian states. In addition the flood management and mitigation strategies are also suggested along with do’s and don’ts.