Skip to main content
Log in

Flood information systems: Needs and improvements in Eastern India

  • Profile
  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Flood warning systems offer a large potential for reducing human losses and property damage in flood-prone regions. This article illustrates why official organized systems should not be relied on completely in either developing or developed societies. It then discusses an indigenous flood warning system in a rural area of Eastern India, its value, and its importance in providing an alternative means of detecting, interpreting, and relaying flood warning information to the ultimate users of this information, i.e., those populations most “at risk” from floods.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature cited

  • Adams, N., J. Keller, and B. M. Spillman. 1979. Peasant involvement in on-farm irrigation development.In Proceedings of the Speciality Conference on Legal, Institutional, and Social Aspects of Irrigation and Drainage and Water Resources Planning and Management. ASCE, Blacksburg, VA (July 26–28).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahuja, P. R. 1960. Flood warning in India. Chapter 15in Transactions of the Inter-Regional Seminar on Hydrologic Networks and Methods, Bangkok (July 1959). World Meteorological Organization, Geneva.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen C. R. 1976. The role of animal behavior in the Chinese earthquake-prediction program.In J. F. Everden (ed.), Abnormal animal behavior prior to earthquakes. USGS, Menlo Park, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Antunez, S. E. 1982. Climate prediction and agriculture in pre-Columbian Peru. Pages 25–33in D. F. Cusack (ed.), Agroclimate information for development: reviving the green revolution. West-view Press, Boulder, CO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Balfour, E. 1899. The history of Lord Lytton's Indian administration 1876–1880: compiled from letters and official papers. Longmans Green, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barker, D., J. Oguntoyinbo, and P. Richards. 1977. The utility of the Nigerian peasant farmer's knowledge in the monitoring of agricultural resources. MARC report (Monitoring and Assessment Research Centre, Chelsea College) 4, University of London, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barton, A. H. 1969. Communities in disaster: a sociological analysis of collective stress situations. Ward Lock Educational, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belshaw, D. 1979. Taking indigenous technology seriously: the case of intercropping techniques in East Africa.IDS Bulletin (Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex) 10(2):24–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, J. W. 1974. Anthropological contributions to the cultural ecology and management of water resources.In L. D. James (ed.), Man and water: the social sciences in management of water resources. University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biggs, S. D. 1976. Appropriate agricultural technology in Bangladesh. Discussion paper. Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, 90 (January).

  • Bluestein, G. 1972. The voice of the folk. University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brokensha, D., D. M. Warren, and O. Werner, eds. 1980. Indigenous knowledge systems and development. University Press of America, Lanham, MD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burton, I., R. W. Kates, and G. F. White. 1978. The environment as hazard. Oxford University Press, New York, NY. 240 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carrol, J. S., and S. A. Parco. 1966. Social organization in a crisis situation: the Taal disaster. Philippine Sociological Society, Manila, Philippines.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborty, S. C. 1957. Western Midnapore: a study of land use. Ph.D. dissertation, University of London, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborty, S. C. 1981. Significance of water conservancy on the interface of poverty and techno-culture in West Bengal.CRES-SIDA Transactions 1(1):36–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborty, S. C., and B. Chattopadhyay. 1978. West Bengal floods: natural calamity?Economic Times, 13:16 November. (Bombay).

  • Chambers, R. 1979. Rural development: whose knowledge counts? (editorial).IDS Bulletin (Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex), 10(2):1–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chambers, R. 1983. Rural development: putting the last first. Longmans, Harlow, England (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Changraney, T. G., S. K. Dube, and S. D. Abbi. 1975. Extreme rainfall studies of the Brahmani, the Bruhabalang, the Rushikulya, and the Subarnarekha River catchments.Indian Journal of Meteorology, Hydrology, and Geophysics 26(4):511–517.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, B. 1977. The folklore of the perceived environment in Bihar. Mimeo. Department of Geography, Cambridge University, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charba, J. P., and W. H. Klein. 1980. Skill in precipitation forecasting in the National Weather Service.Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 61:1546–1555.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chattopadhyay, B. 1979. The sorrows of Orissa: a decade of “natural” calamities? Food Systems and Society in Eastern India working paper no. 6. Centre for Regional, Ecological, and Science Studies in Development Alternatives (CRESSIDA), Calcutta.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, A. J. 1978. Streamflow forecasting. Pages 193–201in Geophysical predictions. Geophysics Study Committee, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coward, E. W., ed. 1980. Irrigation and agricultural development in Asia: perspectives from the social sciences. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dommen, A. J. 1975. The bamboo tube well: a note on an example of indigenous technology.Economic Development and Cultural Change 23:3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, J. A. 1941. The economic geology and mineral resources of Bihar Province. Memoirs of Geological Survey of India, 77.

  • Fonaroff, A. 1975. Cultural perceptions and nutritional disorders: a Jamaican case study.Bulletin of the Pan American Health Organization 9(3):112–123.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, T. 1977. La Soufrière: volcanic threat in the Caribbean. Paper presented at the 76th annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association, Houston, TX.

  • French, M. H. 1970. Observations on the goat. FAO Agricultural Studies, 80. FAO, Rome.

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of Bengal. 1905. The manual of practical instructions regarding famine relief administration in Bengal. Calcutta.

  • Government of India. 1973. Report of the Subarnarekha Committee. Ministry of Irrigation and Power, New Delhi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of India. 1980. Rashtriya Barh Ayog (National Commission on Floods) report, vol. 1. Ministry of Energy and Irrigation, Department of Irrigation, New Delhi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of Orissa. 1968, 1970, 1975. White paper on the natural calamities in Orissa. Revenue Department, Bhubaneswar, Orissa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of Orissa. 1980. The Orissa relief code. Revenue Department, Relief Branch, Bhubaneswar, Orissa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of West Bengal. 1960, 1962, 1963. Final report of the West Bengal flood enquiry committee. West Bengal Government Press, Calcutta.

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of West Bengal. 1974. Subarnarekha Flood Embankment Scheme in District Midnapore. Irrigation and Waterways Department, Calcutta.

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of West Bengal. 1977. Flood problems in West Bengal and their control. Irrigation and Waterways Department, Calcutta.

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of West Bengal. 1981. Subarnarekha barrage project report, vol. 1. Irrigation and Waterways Directorate, Calcutta.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howes, M. 1979. The uses of indigenous technical knowledge in development.IDS Bulletin (Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex) 10 (2):12–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Indian Famine Commission. 1898. Report of the Indian Famine Commission Pts. 1–3, appendices 1–7. Calcutta.

  • Islam, M.A. 1974. Tropical cyclones: coastal Bangladesh. Pages 19–25in G. F. White (ed.), Natural hazards: local, national, global. Oxford University Press, New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Islam, M.A. 1981. Disaster warning and dissemination system in Bangladesh. Paper presented to the National Disaster Preparedness Seminar, Dacca, Bangladesh, 10–14 February. 16 pp.

  • Kalmijn, A.J. 1974. The detection of electric fields from inanimate and animate sources other than electric organs. Pages 147–200in A. Fessard (ed.), Handbook of sensory physiology, vol. 3. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kreithen, M.L. 1979. Detection of sound and vibration by birds. Paper presented to the Second Conference on Abnormal Animal Behavior Prior to Earthquakes, Galveston, TX, 18–19 October.

  • Langley, P. 1975. The ethnolinguistic approach to the rural environment: its usefulness in rural planning in Africa. Pages 89–97in African environment special report no. 1: problems and perspectives. International African Institute, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leaf, M.J. 1972. Information and behavior in a Sikh village: social organization reconsidered. Oxford University Press, Delhi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, W.H.K., M. Ando, and W.N. Kautz. 1976. A summary of the literature on unusual animal behavior before earthquakes. Pages 15–54in J.F. Evernden (ed.), Abnormal animal behavior prior to earthquakes. USGS, Menlo Park, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leik, R.K., M.T. Carter, and J.P. Clark. 1981. Community response to natural hazard warnings. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. 77 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipton, M. 1977. Why poor people stay poor: urban bias in world development. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lott, D.F., B.L. Hart, K.L. Verosub, and M.W. Howell. 1979. Is unusual animal behavior observed before earthquakes?Geophysical Research Letters 6(9):685–687.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lozoff, B., K.R. Kamath, and R.A. Feldman. 1975. Infection and disease in south Indian families: beliefs about childhood diarrhea.Human Organization 34:353–358.

    Google Scholar 

  • McDowell, R.E., and P.E. Hildebrand. 1980. Integrated crop and animal production: making the most of resources available to small farms in developing countries. Working paper, Rockefeller Foundation, New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mileti, D., T.E. Drabek, and J.E. Haas. 1975. Human systems in extreme environments: a sociological perspective. Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mukhopadhyay, S.C. 1980. Geomorphology of the Subarnarekha Basin. University of Burdwan, Burdwan, West Bengal.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nag, R.N., and P. Ray. 1979. Famine codes: their implications. Food systems and society in Eastern India working paper no. 11. Centre for Regional, Ecological, and Science Studies in Development Alternatives (CRESSIDA), Calcutta.

    Google Scholar 

  • Otis, L.S., and W.H. Kautz. 1980. Biological premonitions of earthquakes: a validation study. SRI International (Project LSU-7137), Menlo Park, CA.

  • Owen, J.H. 1981. Cooperative flood loss reduction: a technical manual for communities and industry. No. 855-321/9612, US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen, J.H., and M. Wendell. 1981. Effectiveness of flood warning and preparedness alternatives. Research report 81-R08. US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Institute for Water Resources, Ft. Belvoir, VA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panchadhyayi, S. 1977. The Subarnarekha basin: a study of its water resources.Indian Journal of Power and River Valley Development: 401–405 (November).

  • Panchadhyayi, S. 1978. A study of physiographic dimensions of the Subarnarekha basin.Landforms 1(1–2):24–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panchadhyayi, S. 1979. Changing landscape of Subarnarekha basin. M.A. thesis, Department of Geography, Calcutta University, Calcutta.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panchadhyayi, S. 1980. Characteristics of Subarnarekha drainage system.Indian Journal of Power and River Valley Development: 17–21 (January–February).

  • Panchadhyayi, S., and H.R. Betal. 1978. Study of rainstorms and estimation of maximum flood volume in Subarnarekha basin.Geographical Review of India 40(1):82–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ralph, K.A. 1975. Perception and adjustment to flood in the Meghna flood plain. M.A. thesis, Department of Geography, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao, K.L. 1979. India's water wealth: its assessment, uses and projections. Orient Longmans, New Delhi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, P. 1975. Alternative strategies for the African environment: “folk ecologies” as a basis for community-oriented agricultural development. African environment special report no. 1: problems and perspectives. International African Institute, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandford, S. 1977. Report to UK Ministry of Overseas Development (May). Chapter 8.2in R. Chambers (ed.), Seasonal dimensions to rural poverty. Frances Pinter, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schware, R. 1981. Flood forecasting and warning: the social value and use of information in West Bengal. Monograph. United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), Geneva. 33 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schware, R. 1982. The value of official and folk flood warning systems: an assessment.Journal oj Environmental Management 6(3):209–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sengupta, N., and P.R. Ray. 1980. Relief manuals and codes of West Bengal and Orissa after independence. Food systems and society in Eastern India working paper no. 25. Centre for Regional, Ecological, and Science Studies in Development Alternatives (CRESSIDA), Calcutta.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, E. 1977. Can animals anticipate earthquakes?Natural History, 14–20 (November).

  • Sinha, S.C. 1978. System approach to planning for development of water resources in the Subarnarekha basin. Paper presented to the Department of City and Regional Planning Seminar, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (September).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sommer, A., and W.H. Mosley. 1973. The cyclone: medical assessment and determination of relief and rehabilitation needs. Pages 119–133in L.C. Chen (ed.), Disaster in Bangladesh. Oxford University Press, New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorensen, J.H., and P.J. Gersmehl. 1980. Volcanic hazard warning system: persistence and transferability.Journal of Environmental Management 4(2): 125–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava, H.S. 1968. The history of Indian famines and development of famine policy, 1858–1918. Sri Ram Mehra, Agra. 417 pp.

  • Swift, J. 1979. Notes on traditional knowledge, modern knowledge and rural development.IDS Bulletin (Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex) 10(2):41–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, G.L. 1977. Baseline information and situational overview requisite to the design of integrated rural development projects in Mbulu District, Tanzania. Report prepared for USAID/Tanzania (May).

  • Turner, B.A. 1976. The organizational and interorganizational development of disasters.Administrative Science Quarterly 21:378–397.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, A.F. 1956. Human behavior in extreme situations: a survey of the literature and suggestions for further research. Committee on Disaster Studies, Report No. 1, Publication 390, National Research Council, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, R.W., G. Pararas-Carayannis, R. Valenzuela, and J.N. Taggart. 1977. Earthquake and tsunamis of August 16, 1976, Mindinao, Philippines.G.S.A. Prog. with Abstr. 9:523.

    Google Scholar 

  • Worth, M.F., with B.F. McLuckie. 1977. Get to high ground! The warning process in the Colorado floods June 1965. Disaster Research Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, S.K. 1976. Neighborhood flash flood warning program manual. Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Harrisburg, PA.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

The National Center for Atmospheric Research is operated by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schware, R. Flood information systems: Needs and improvements in Eastern India. Environmental Management 8, 55–65 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01867873

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01867873

Key words

Navigation