natural disasters in kerala essay

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Leaving no one behind: lessons from the kerala disasters, attachments.

Executive Summary

Kerala, the Indian state in the southern peninsula, sandwiched between the Lakshadweep Sea and the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats, is renowned globally for its natural beauty. Larger than Bhutan in land area and with double the population of the Netherlands, Kerala ranks first among the Indian states in the SDG indices with exceptional achievements in human development comparable to developed economies. Ecologically strategic, the state harbours three Ramsar sites, wetlands of international importance. The Western Ghats are one of the major ecological hotspots in the world, rich in its biodiversity and highly under threat. Given its proximity to the sea with a coastline of about 600 km, presence of numerous rivers, lakes, backwaters and estuaries and 14 per cent of its total area susceptible to landslides, Kerala is highly vulnerable to natural disasters.

Between June 1, 2018 and August 19, 2018, the state received heavy rainfall, more than three-fourths of the average annual rainfall, and 42 per cent above normal expected during this period. The heavy downpour soaked almost the entire state and the government was forced to release water from 35 dams while the intense rains continued. Simultaneously, more than 5,000 landslides of varying nature and intensity occurred all over the state. The result was catastrophic, affecting almost one in every six people in the state. The disasters impacted three-fourths of the Kerala villages and temporarily displaced almost 1.5 million people. Nearly five hundred people lost their lives and the total damage and losses were estimated to be worth USD 3.8 billion. While Kerala was recovering from the shock of the devastating disasters of 2018, another spell of incessant rains resulted in heavy floods and landslides in August 2019. More than 60 per cent of the villages in Kerala were impacted. Northern Kerala districts, particularly Wayanad, Malappuram and Kozhikode were severely affected.

The Mathrubhumi Group commissioned a study to the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development to understand the impact of the natural disasters on various vulnerable groups within the society. A pioneering attempt even internationally, the study, through qualitative research, explored the status of inclusion of the indigenous populations, older persons, persons with disabilities, women, boys and girls as well as migrant labourers from other states, from disaster preparedness to recovery.

A panel of experts under the guidance of Dr. Muralee Thummarukudy, chief, Disaster Risk Reduction and operations manager, UN Environment, visited disaster-affected areas across 12 districts and conducted over 400 Key Informant Interviews, including interviews with members from the vulnerable populations. The data collection took place between January 19, 2019 and March 20, 2019. The study unravels the ecological vulnerabilities of the state and provides insights into the way human interventions have accentuated these vulnerabilities. The discussions and findings underline that the state needs to be better equipped for a changing climate. The need for integrated water resources management, better land use planning and risk-informed building codes is also highlighted.

The lessons learned from the disasters and the response reveal that irrespective of the group, all the vulnerable populations substantially lag behind and do not enjoy the human development that the state celebrates. In addition to that, these populations were severely impacted by the floods and landslides and their historical marginalisation has been further augmented and complicated. It was found that within each vulnerable group there were sub-populations with differential and layered vulnerabilities.

The findings reveal that ad hoc measures to address the impact of the disasters on the vulnerable populations serve only as a partial solution, and do not address their historical vulnerabilities. What is really needed is farsighted and focused policy interventions to address the root causes of the vulnerabilities to ensure that the human development that the state claims percolates to the vulnerable populations also. Instead of claiming an edge over the less advantaged geopolitical contexts within the country, it is time Kerala examined how the state has failed the vulnerable populations within it. Taking cognizance of their inherent and newer vulnerabilities, substantial investments are needed to nurture inclusive and resilient communities where no one is left behind.

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Kerala floods: climate change and human activity blamed for devastating rain

Families in south indian state relive harrowing experience of 2018 and 2020 flooding devastations, dramatic video shows house washed away in floods in kerala, india.

As soon as the first warning came about intense rainfall in Kerala , Rijo Rajan knew instantly it could again turn into a nightmare.

Mr Rajan, 28, and his family immediately began preparing for the impending deluge amid fears of devastating floods similar to those that struck the coastal Indian state in recent years.

By Sunday evening, their worst fears had been realised as incessant rain caused landslides and flash floods in a disaster some experts have blamed on climate change .

Mr Rajan’s two-storey house in Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district was half-marooned in brown water gushing from the overflowing Pamba and Manimala rivers.

With no electricity and fears of more rain, the family of five, including grandparents, are helplessly hoping for mercy.

Mr Rajan said his family was reliving the harrowing experience of floods in his home town last year and in 2018.

“We are just praying for the rains to stop. We are very worried for our lives,” Mr Rajan, a chef, told The National from his flooded home.

“There is no power supply and we are going through a difficult time.”

Experts say flooding is an environmental calamity, which can be blamed on climate change and “man-made disaster”.

An Indian man clears mud from his home after heavy rain hits Kottayam in Kerala, causing a landslide. EPA

Kerala, a state of 34 million people, witnessed the worst floods in a century in 2018 when severe rains caused flashfloods and landslides, killing nearly 500 people and leaving a million homeless.

The following year, more than 125 people were killed in flashfloods and landslides across the state. More than 50 were killed in August last year after landslides struck the hilly Munnar region.

The latest spell of torrential rains was caused by mini-cloudbursts triggered by an unusual transformation of the cloud system over the Western Ghats, Dr S Abhilash, an atmospheric scientist at the Cochin University of Science and Technology in Kerala, told The National .

“Kerala never experienced this type of classical cloudburst exceeding 100 millimetre in one hour, but considering the vulnerable landscapes, the mountain region, a rainfall of 50mm can trigger a lot of damage,” said Dr Abhilash.

“We expect mini-cloudburst events as the change in climate is supporting that because global warming is adding more water vapour to the atmosphere and it will produce a lot of heavy rain.”

Heavy rains have hit the state since Friday and India’s weather office on Monday said the inclement weather would continue. It warned of more rains lashing the region until Thursday, further increasing Mr Rajan’s worries as authorities opened shutters at Kakki dam to release excess water.

Bodies recovered

Teams of emergency workers and the army recovered 27 bodies. The majority were from Kottayam and Idukki, the two worst-affected districts that received 164.5mm and 305.5mm rain, respectively, on Saturday.

Officials said dozens were still missing as about 9,000 people had been transferred to temporary shelters across the state.

Scores of houses and roads were swept in the floods and landslides, with military helicopters being pressed to reach areas disconnected by the floods.

Most parts of Kerala fall under the highly ecologically sensitive region in the Western Ghats, a mountain range extending through India’s west coast, and one the world's largest biodiversity hotspots.

In 2011, a government committee headed by ecologist Madhav Gadgil had recommended that all of the Western Ghats be declared a sensitive region and “almost all developmental activities such as mining, thermal and power plants halted in it”.

But development such as roads, buildings and rock quarries in sensitive areas of the state have helped cause natural disasters, said Dr Abhilash.

Any infrastructural activity on the hill slopes can adversely impact the region’s environment, with regular downpours causing soil erosion and landslides, he said.

“The event is a combination of man-made disaster and climate change. Though rainfall is triggering this, the man-made activities in Western Ghats are aggravating the disaster potential,” Dr Abhilash said.

The coastal state is also facing severe challenges because of rising sea levels, with a recent visualisation tool released by Nasa projecting sea levels in the state’s largest city Kochi to rise by 300mm in the next four decades.

A 2018 report by India’s National Centre for Coastal Research said several coastal regions in the state had witnessed up to a 45 per cent reduction in the shoreline because of soil erosion.

Dr Abhilash said the state could continue to be in the grip of similar natural disasters if swift corrective measures including reduced human footprints were not taken.

“The policymakers know the solution but we have to reduce the human-footprint on highly ecologically sensitive regions."

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Kerala flooding: natural calamity or manmade disaster.

As India prepared to commemorate its 72nd Independence Day, the southern state of Kerala saw little reason to celebrate. The monsoon rainfall this year was heavier than normal and had reached alarming levels. On an average, districts received 30 percent excess rainfall, with some districts recording between 70 to 90 percent excess .

In agricultural India, an abundant monsoon is a blessing. However, successive spells of heavy and excess rainfall triggered massive flooding that devastated Kerala. The last time flooding of this level occurred was in 1924, when the total rainfall from June to August totalled 2852 mm.

By late August this year, more than 450 people had died , over a million were in relief camps , and the state estimated a loss of USD 2.8 billion in property damage – approximately 100,000 buildings, 10,000 km of roads and highways, and 280 bridges.

Mapping Affected Areas

Using pre- and post-flooding open source satellite images and image processing using GIS technology, WRI India generated maps of flood-impacted areas, which showed flooding over approximately 860 km2 of agricultural land, 100 km2 of built-up rural land, and 50 km2 of built-up urban area.

In the aftermath of human and economic losses such as these, the question often arises: are these mere natural calamities or are they manmade disasters? The answer isn’t one or the other. While this was an extreme weather event, there are several manmade stresses that significantly exacerbated the situation, such as unsustainable development, the construction of dams, and the destruction of natural infrastructure.

Unsustainable Development

Urban floods are living testimonies of the conflict between urban development and weather-related vulnerabilities. An example of this was the closure of Cochin International Airport for two weeks when flood waters from the swollen river breached the periphery walls and flooded the runway. Additionally, the world’s first solar-powered airport lost approximately 20 percent of its solar panels owing to damage. In total, a loss of USD 35 million was incurred owing to damage to the airport and the ensuing closure.

The airport is a mere 420 metres away from the Periyar river, is located within the floodplains of the river, and was built by ‘ realigning waterways ’. The Chengalthodu creek, which connects to the Periyar river, was completely realigned.

Any construction over river floodplains is always vulnerable to flooding. When the Periyar river is in spate, the airport’s drainage system, which discharges into the Chengalthodu creek, is compromised, and there is a reverse flow of water along the creek and drainage channels into the airport. In addition, an elevation analysis shows that the airport and the river are almost on the same level, and areas to the north are at a higher elevation. This means that in the event of heavy rainfall, storm water from the north drains towards the airport.

Kochi’s airport isn’t unique in this aspect. Airports in Mumbai and Chennai, which are also located close to rivers and have expanded their runways over river channels and floodplains also experienced extreme flooding and closure in 2005 and 2015 respectively.

Rising Reservoirs

Kerala has 53 reservoirs built over its rivers. These are managed by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), and produce hydro-power, which makes up for more than half the electricity demand in Kerala, and are crucial to the economic development of the state.

However, incessant, heavy rainfall across the state meant that upstream and downstream reservoirs were filled by July and river channels (which when dry can absorb large releases from dams) were also filled to capacity. In the event of reservoir failures or the release of water from upstream catchment dams, the entire downstream regions are affected within an hour placing most of the state in a high flood-risk zone. Furthermore, there are no flood warning stations in Kerala.

A CAG report from 2017 states that none of Kerala’s dams have emergency action plans (EAPs) or inundation forecasts simulating impacts and emergency responses in the event of a dam collapse. Again, this situation is not unique to Kerala. The CAG report states that only 7 percent of the large dams across India have such EAPs.

While KSEB followed basic protocols of three warnings to district administrators before dam release based on inflow-outflow data and heavy rainfall warnings from IMD, the absence of inundation maps and hydrological models of the region meant that local decision-makers were unaware of the possibility of cascading impacts of the floods.

Loss of Natural Infrastructure

The several incidences of landslides that aggravated damage to life and property could be attributed to extensive development, including mining, quarrying, and road building along the hillsides of the Western Ghats.

Research indicates that where forests are disturbed or replaced with plantations and other silviculture practices, a noticeable change in water quality and quantity is seen along with higher levels of erosion. The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) 2011 called for strict measures to be enforced to limit development and change in forest cover in the region. However, this was unequivocally rejected by the relevant state governments and the central government at the time, citing the need to meet livelihood and employment objectives for the inhabitants of this area and economic goals of the state.

Analysis from Global Forest Watch , shows significant tree cover loss between 2001 and 2014. Removal of forests in the catchment areas of dams, shifts to monoculture plantations, and illegal construction and farming on slopes exceeding 30 degrees are some of the manmade stress factors for the landslides and flood devastation.

Flood Risk Resilience

While the impacts of this kind of extreme flooding events cannot be completely removed, better planning and preparedness can significantly reduce human and economic losses. Resilience is the ability of a system to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform, and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions through risk management.

Using available resources such as the Sendai Framework, the Aqueduct Global Flood Analyser , and modelling tools, scenario simulations under several flood return periods can be used to discuss and prioritise flood risk management strategies and subsequent investment in the state. For Kerala and other regions at risk of extreme flooding, disaster resilience measures are becoming increasingly crucial to incorporate into urban and economic development plans.

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International Handbook of Disaster Research pp 1–17 Cite as

Kerala Floods 2018: Impacts and Lessons Drawn

• Ajinder Walia 2 ,
• Pallvi Sharma 2 &
• Naima Nusrat 3  
• Living reference work entry
• First Online: 27 October 2022

77 Accesses

1 Citations

Kerala, the southwest coastal state of India which ranks high on the Human Development Index, became vulnerable to severe flooding during the southwest monsoons of 2018. The state faced the worst floods in the century due to above-normal rainfall from June to August 2018. The above-normal rainfall was supplemented by a lack of integration of sustainable development practices and disaster risk management strategies. The floods affected all the districts of the state and led to the loss of over 400 precious lives along with extensive damage to infrastructure and property. It also triggered about 341 landslides in the area. The community including fishermen and women-centric organizations like Kudumbashree participated actively in responding to the disaster. Technology including WhatsApp, GIS, and crowdsourcing was used actively by the community during the search, rescue, and relief phase. The floods highlighted many constraints like lack of proper management and monitoring of critical natural resources such as water and land which left the state unprepared for major disasters caused by natural hazards. The disaster also highlighted crucial lessons to be adopted by other coastal states of the country which are expected to face increased flooding in the coming times due to climatic changes.

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Mohanti, M., & Sheikh, S. (2019, March 17). Kerala floods: What led to deluge that reminded people of the great flood of 1999 . News18. Cable News Network LP.

Narayanan, K. (2018, August 19). What caused the Kerala floods? Could we have done anything to prevent it? Technology News, Firstpost. Retrieved August 19, 2018, from https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/what-caused-the-kerala-floods4993041.html#:~:text=Some%20reasons%20for%20its%20vulnerability

NDRF. (2018). Kerala floods - 2018: NDRF - National Disaster Response Force. National Disaster Response Force, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://ndrf.gov.in/operations/kerala-floods-2018

Pr Cell. (2018, August 18). Kerala floods: NDRF scaled up its rescue & evacuation operation, 194 rescued & over 10,400 evacuated till now | NDRF - National Disaster Response Force. NDRF HQ, New Delhi. Retrieved September 28, 2020, from http://www.ndrf.gov.in/pressrelease/kerala-floods-ndrf-scaled-its-rescue-evacuation-operation-194-rescued-over-10400

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Walia, A., Sharma, P., Nusrat, N. (2022). Kerala Floods 2018: Impacts and Lessons Drawn. In: Singh, A. (eds) International Handbook of Disaster Research. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8800-3_188-1

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Natural Disasters Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on natural disasters.

A Natural disaster is an unforeseen occurrence of an event that causes harm to society. There are many Natural disasters that damage the environment and the people living in it. Some of them are earthquakes , cyclones, floods, Tsunami , landslides, volcanic eruption, and avalanches. Spatial extent measures the degree or severity of the disaster.

Levels of Disaster

The severity or degree of damage can be further divided into three categories:

Small Scale Disasters: Small scale disasters are those that extend from 50 Kms. to 100 Kms. So this kind of disasters does not cause much damage.

Medium-scale disasters: Medium Scale disasters extend from 100 Kms to 500 Kms. These cause more damage than a small scale disaster. Moreover, they can cause greater damage if they occur in colonial states.

Large Scale Disasters: These disasters cover an area of more than 1000 Kms. These cause the most severe damage to the environment. Furthermore, these disasters can even take over a country if the degree is high. For instance, the wiping out of the dinosaurs was because of a large scale natural disaster.

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Types of Disasters

Causes: These can cause of releasing of the energy. This release is from the core of the earth. Furthermore, the release of energy causes seismic waves. Rupturing of geological faults causes earthquakes. But other events like volcanic eruptions, landslides mine blasts can also cause it.

Landslides: Landslides is the moving of big boulders of rocks or debris down a slope. As a result, landslides occur on mountains and hilly areas. Moreover, landslides can cause destruction to man-made things in many ways.

Causes: Gravitational pull, volcanic eruptions , earthquakes can cause landslides. Moreover, soil erosion due to deforestation is also a cause of landslides.

Avalanches: Avalanches are like landslides. But instead of rocks thousand tons of snow falls down the slope. Moreover, this causes extreme damage to anything that comes in its way. People who live in snowy mountains always have fear of it.

Causes: Avalanches takes places when there is a large accumulation of snow on the mountains. Moreover, they can also occur from earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Furthermore, the chances of surviving an avalanche are very less. This is because people die of hypothermia in it.

Tsunami: Tsunami is the production of very high waves in oceans and seas. Moreover, the displacement of the ground causes these high waves. A tsunami can cause floods if it occurs near shores. A Tsunami can consist of multiple waves. Moreover, these waves have a high current. Therefore it can reach coastlines within minutes. The main threat of a tsunami is if a person sees a Tsunami he cannot outrun it.

Causes: Tsunami is unlike normal eaves that occur due to the wind. But Tsunami is waves that occur by ground displacement. Thus earthquakes are the main causes of Tsunamis.

FAQs on Essay on natural disaster

Q1.What are natural disasters?

A1. Natural Disasters are unforeseen events that cause damage to the environment and the people.

Q2.Name some Natural disasters.

A2. Some Natural Disasters are earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, Landslides, floods, Tsunami, avalanches. Natural disasters can cause great damage to human society. But preventive measures can be taken to reduce the damage from these disasters.

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Plus One English Disasters and Disaster Management in India

Kerala Syllabus plus one English Notes Unit IV Chapter 1  Disasters and Disaster Management in India (Essay)

Chapter 2: disasters and disaster management in india , summary   .

Disaster is a common occurrence in humans. Humans have been affected by disasters of various kinds since the beginning of time. A recent World Disaster report indicates that disasters have increased in number and intensity.

People are increasingly exposed to disasters of all kinds. These include earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, landslides, droughts, accidents, plane crashes, forest fires, etc. This is especially true in developed and developing countries. Floods in the UK and France, as well as heat waves in Europe, especially the French one in 2003, killed many people. Over the past few years, America has again experienced devastating disasters such as hurricanes, typhoons and hurricanes. They caused many deaths and great devastation. Although technological advances are helping people to reduce the impact of disasters, they are not enough.

There is a direct link between higher human development and better preparedness to manage disasters. The least developed countries are at risk of catastrophic damage.

Of all the disasters, floods are the most common. They are followed by hurricanes, droughts, and earthquakes. Drought is a major cause of death, accounting for 48% of the deaths due to natural disasters. Asia has one of the highest rates of casualties. India, China and Bangladesh are on the Asian continent.

India, because of its location and geographical location, is very prone to disasters. Its long coastline, snow-capped peaks and high mountains and endless northern rivers merge to make matters worse. India has only 2% of the total population, but it supports 18% of the population. Therefore, there is a lot of pressure on natural resources. This leads to direct or indirect disasters such as floods, droughts, landslides, and earthquakes.

The northern region of India is in dire straits due to landslides, floods, droughts and earthquakes as it falls under the seismic zones III to V. The eastern region has a flood problem in the never-ending rivers including Brahmaputra, Ganga, etc. , heat waves, hailstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes are also common here. The northeastern region is plagued by floods, landslides, and earthquakes. This region falls under the seismic zones IV & V.

The western region is characterized by severe drought, landslides, floods and hurricanes. Earthquakes are also common. The southern region, especially the coastal region, is prone to storms, sea erosion, tsunamis and landslides. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep are prone to erosion and tsunamis. Coastal areas of India have suffered severe storms.

Of all the Indian disasters, the tsunami is relatively new. Due to a lack of adequate warning systems, the 2004 tsunami devastated much of the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman and Nicobar islands. It killed many people and destroyed millions of dollars' worth of property.

India has suffered a number of natural disasters. There was also the man-made disaster of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy. During this century, India experienced Gujarat earthquakes (2001), Mumbai-Gujarat floods (2005), tsunamis (2004), Uttarakhand floods and Hurricane Phailin coastal Orissa and Andhra Pradesh (2013) .

The direct and indirect effects of disasters, be they natural or industrial, damage, destruction and death. In the event of a disaster, livelihood support systems such as communications, power supply, water supply and damaged drainage. Health care facilities and hospitals are under tremendous pressure. Commercial and economic activities have been severely affected. Life almost stopped. Traumatic stress caused by disasters is so devastating that it lasts a lifetime. So along with other rehabilitation activities, mental rehabilitation should be provided.

The impact is even greater in the case of man-made disasters such as riots. The worst affected are poor sections of society, who have to work every day to make ends meet.

In other natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes, it is the building block that causes damage and death. In developing countries only 30 percent of buildings are constructed in accordance with safety regulations. The shortage of master-plan and the low level of materials used in construction also increase the number of casualties from disasters. Both private and public buildings must be constructed in accordance with the rules set by law. Construction should also be in accordance with the main plan approved by the authorities. High quality materials should be used for construction only.

UNDAC (United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination), together with the Government of India, have jointly developed an action plan for earthquake-prone cities and towns. In high-risk areas, existing buildings should be technically inspected and owners should be informed of weaknesses in their construction. It is estimated that about a million buildings are built in India each year and that an equal number are affected by disasters. In order to minimize damage to buildings, a precautionary measure should be put in place. It must work closely with the relevant authorities to ensure the fulfillment of the building codes.

In the area of ​​disaster management, provincial governments play a key role. The central government plays the role of relief only. At the government level, there is a Government Disaster Risk Management Committee consisting of senior secretaries of various departments and representatives of NGOs. At the national level, there is the Crisis Management Committee, led by the Cabinet Secretary and secretaries of major government departments. Thffcentral Government, accordingly

Plus One English Notes

Chapter 1: disasters and disaster management in india (essay) notes - preview, chapter 1: disasters and disaster management in india (essay) notes - download, plus one english notes pdf download, unit 1 glimpses of greatness.

• Chapter 1: His First Flight (Story)
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Unit 2 Words and Deeds

• Chapter 1: And then Gandhi Came (Essay)
• Chapter 2: The Price of Flowers (Short Story)
• Chapter 3: Death the Leveller (Poem)

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• Chapter 1: Sunrise on the Hills (Poem)
• Chapter 2: The Trip of Le Horla (Short Story)
• Chapter 3: The Sacred Turtles of Kadavu (Based on Fijian Legend)

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• Chapter 1: Disasters and Disaster Management in India (Essay)
• Chapter 2: The Serang of Ranaganji (Short Story)
• Chapter 3: The Wreck of the Titanic (Poem)

Unit 5 Harmony of Life

• Chapter 1: Gooseberries (Story)
• Chapter 2: To Sleep (Poem)
• Chapter 3: Going Out for a Walk (Essay)

Unit 6 Leaps and Bounds

• Chapter 1: The Cyber Space (Essay)
• Chapter 2: Is Society Dead? (Article)
• Chapter 3: Conceptual Fruit (Short Story)

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