Topics: Environmental Impact Assessment | Disasters and Disaster Management
Questions
Q1. What is Environmental Impact Assessment and enumerate its significance? Also discuss what are the challenges involved which have made it ineffective. (10 Marks)
Q2. Although India's National Disaster Management Plan satisfies the legal necessity for having one, it may fall short of its goal of strengthening resilience. Analyse critically. (15 Marks)
Q3. Urban flooding has become a significant issue in various Indian cities, leading to massive loss of life and property. Discuss the factors contributing to urban flooding and strategies that have been undertaken to mitigate its impact in the context of urban planning and development. (15 Marks)
Q4. In the context of increasing importance of technology for disaster management, throw some light on the application of GIS and Remote Sensing in disaster management with special reference to India. (10 Marks)
Q5. Europe in present times is witnessing record-breaking heat waves. In the light of this, highlight the factors responsible for the occurrence of heat waves and their effects on life and economy. Also enumerate guidelines given by NDMA to reduce the negative impact of heat waves. (15 Marks)
Model Structures
Q1. Environmental Impact Assessment (10 Marks)
Introduction
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an exercise which helps in decision-making by identifying all the impacts of a project — environmental, social or economic.
Main Body
EIA in India is backed legally by statute. Impacts are recognized at the project planning and design stage, and a strategy is made to reduce them.
Significance of EIA:
- A participatory approach to minimize the adverse impacts of developmental projects.
- In line with sustainable development goals — links environmental protection with development.
- Takes into account all stakeholders, including the environment and other intangible assets, so that the development aspects of all are taken care of.
- Helps promote mitigation and adaptation strategies which are good in the long run.
Issues which have made EIA ineffective:
- Lack of domain experts and a surplus of generalists — actions taken without careful study and analysis.
- Public hearing is an important part of EIA, but public feedback is often considered at a later stage, resulting in conflicts and delays.
- Predetermined criteria — listing in Schedule I and investment thresholds — leave some projects with huge environmental impacts outside EIA's ambit.
- Exceptions like linear projects have huge environmental and social ramifications but are excluded from public hearing.
- Quality of EIA reports — lack of data analysis and compilation affects decision-making.
- For strategic industries like defence projects and nuclear energy, EIA reports and environment management plans are kept confidential.
Conclusion
Environmental Impact Assessment is an important tool for socio-economic development and needs to be strengthened further to ensure it is followed in letter and spirit.
Q2. National Disaster Management Plan — Critical Analysis (15 Marks)
Introduction
The National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP), released in 2016, is the first-ever national plan for disaster management in the country. Along with the mandate of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the National Policy on Disaster Management 2009, it incorporates India's commitment to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. Its vision: make India disaster-resilient, achieve substantial disaster risk reduction, and significantly decrease losses of life, livelihoods and assets — economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental.
Main Body
NDMP satisfies the legal necessity:
- Section 11, DM Act 2005: Mandates a National Disaster Management Plan for the whole of India.
- Section 6: Gives NDMA powers to prepare national plans and ensure implementation through State Disaster Management Authorities.
- Section 33: The District Authority may order any officer, department or local authority to take measures for prevention or mitigation of disaster.
- Section 37: Every ministry and department, including hazard-specific nodal ministries, shall prepare comprehensive DM plans covering prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
But it may fall short of strengthening resilience — significant gaps in preparedness, particularly for catastrophic disasters like major earthquakes and floods:
- Poorly prepared DM departments: All states have disaster management or relief & rehabilitation departments, but they are poorly prepared to lend support (UNDP) — e.g., the 2010 Leh mudslides, the 2011 Sikkim earthquake, the 2013 Uttarakhand floods.
- Weak emergency services: Emergency operations centres, communications, and search-and-rescue teams exist but need strengthening.
- Disaster management is not yet seen as an essential part of good governance and integral to development planning.
- Preparedness at various levels is not people-oriented.
- India's capacity to manage disaster risk is challenged by its size and huge population.
- Vulnerable Northeast: Most at risk from earthquakes, lacking seismically secure infrastructure; also vulnerable to landslides, floods and erosion.
- Flooding of the plains: A regular occurrence — flood intensity has reduced communities' capacity to adapt.
- Community-driven local adaptation alone is no longer sufficient — scientifically planned adaptation with government support is needed.
- Poor implementation: Division of responsibilities under the DM Act is unclear; overlap between implementing agencies.
- Risk-reduction activities are driven by schemes and external projects rather than NDMP/SDMP guidelines; the plans do not institutionalise accountability mechanisms to ensure departments follow them.
Way forward:
- Foster a culture of prevention and identify key issues in the development process.
- A people-centred development strategy for managing disasters.
- Educate people in Disaster Risk Reduction through decentralised planning, implementation, and monitoring.
- Institutionalise national systems and capacities, strengthen local governance mechanisms, build community resilience, reduce vulnerabilities of at-risk communities, and promote public-private-people partnerships.
Conclusion
Disaster management must embark on a strategy aimed at holistic human development — integrating sustainable development goals, policies and practices that harness people's strengths instead of vulnerabilities.
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Q3. Urban Flooding — Factors & Mitigation (15 Marks)
Introduction
- Urban flooding is excessive runoff in developed urban areas where stormwater has nowhere to go due to poor drainage capacity, causing inundation. (Definition-based)
- It has increasingly become a recurrent problem in Indian cities due to climatic factors and inadequate urban planning — Bengaluru (2022), Hyderabad (2020).
Main Body
Factors contributing to urban flooding:
- Meteorological factors: Heavy monsoon rainfall; extreme weather events with concentrated heavy rainfall are becoming more frequent due to climate change.
- Unplanned urbanization: Increased built-up area leaves less permeable land for water absorption — waterlogging and flooding.
- Inadequate drainage infrastructure: Poorly maintained systems unable to manage stormwater effectively.
- Climate change: Increasing frequency of high-intensity rainfall events exacerbates the scenario.
- Encroachment on water bodies: Encroachments on lakes and rivers for urban development disrupt natural water channels and increase flood risk.
Strategies undertaken:
- Sponge Cities mission: Promotes positive interactions between socio-economic systems and the urban water cycle to enhance urban resilience.
- Standard Operating Procedures for mitigating urban flooding under AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation).
- Flood Management Programme: Financial assistance to state governments for flood management works in critical areas.
- Uniform system of alerts and warnings by the Ministry of Home Affairs — staged Yellow, Orange and Red alerts.
- Integrated flood warning systems like IFLOWS-Mumbai.
Conclusion
Davanagere (Karnataka) and Agartala (Tripura) — two cities that have managed to curb urban flooding — can be used as model cities. They did so by mapping existing drainage systems, removing illegal encroachments over drainage networks, and constructing storm water drains.
Q4. GIS & Remote Sensing in Disaster Management (10 Marks)
Introduction
- Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing technologies have effectively improved the workflow in all phases of disaster management and provided effective remedial solutions. OR
- Data from Cartosat-1 was used for inundation vulnerability assessment of the Indian coastline in the event of a tsunami; similarly, the RISAT series of satellites has been used for disaster management and planning. (Example-based)
Main Body
These technologies can be leveraged across all stages of disaster management:
- Mitigation:
- Map and analyse hazards and visualise their potential impacts.
- When hazards are fused with critical infrastructure, population densities and community values, vulnerabilities can be observed, modelled, and better understood.
- Preparedness:
- Site selection for adequate evacuation shelters; selecting and modelling evacuation routes.
- Identification and mapping of key tactical and strategic facilities — hospitals, public safety facilities etc.
- Command-and-control information systems enabling situational awareness and incident management support.
- Response:
- Provide warnings and notifications to the public.
- Maintain continuity of operations — supply inventories, external power requirements, shelter population capacities.
- Identify locations and capabilities of existing and mutual-aid public safety resources.
- Share information and status with regional, state and central agencies; maintain incident status and progress reports; facilitate damage assessment collection and analysis.
- Recovery:
- Assess overall damage costs and set reconstruction priorities based on local criteria.
- Locate businesses and supplies necessary for reconstruction.
- Determine short-term action for assessing critical infrastructure damage — first aid and health, additional shelter needs, optimum locations for public assistance.
Conclusion
These technologies must be leveraged to generate an effective strategy addressing all phases of disaster management in India and preventing economic and social losses.
Q5. Heat Waves — Factors, Effects & NDMA Guidelines (15 Marks)
Introduction
Europe is experiencing its worst-ever heatwave, with record temperatures of more than 40°C spelling misery for millions and focusing attention on the impact of global warming.
Main Body
Per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a heat wave is considered when the maximum temperature reaches at least 40°C for plains, 37°C for coastal stations, and 30°C for hilly regions.
Criteria to declare a heat wave:
- Departure from normal: Heat wave — departure of 4.5°C to 6.4°C; Severe heat wave — departure >6.4°C.
- Actual maximum temperature (plains only): Heat wave — ≥45°C; Severe heat wave — ≥47°C.
Factors responsible for heat waves:
- A high-pressure system moving into an area forms a "cap" over the region, trapping heat — minimal heat circulation also reduces the chance of precipitation, causing heat build-up.
- Urban heat island effect: Hot air trapped between buildings, limited tree cover, and heat-inducing factors like fuel combustion and air conditioning.
- Global warming: Delayed onset of monsoons and reduced intensity of pre-monsoon showers in several parts of India.
Adverse impacts:
- Health: Dehydration, cramps, exhaustion and heatstroke — nearly 3,500 deaths between 2015 and 2018 in India; increased acute gastroenteritis; food poisoning due to spoilage and reduced shelf life.
- Agriculture: Low soil moisture creates drought-like conditions leading to crop failures; adverse impact on livestock health and mortality.
- Forest fires and wildlife loss: 6.17% of India's forests are prone to severe fire damage — likely to increase with greater heat stress.
- Loss of man-hours: Reduced workforce productivity and lost wages in outdoor occupations — Section 144 was imposed in Bihar to deal with heat waves.
NDMA guidelines:
- Heat waves have been classified as a natural disaster in India.
- Early warning and communication: State Nodal Officer to coordinate with the local IMD office; gather summer forecasts and release colour-coded early warnings and daily alerts.
- Inter-agency coordination: State officials and agencies trained and informed on pre-, during- and post-heat-season activities.
- Capacity building for healthcare officials to recognise, prevent and manage heat-related medical issues.
- Public awareness and community outreach: Do's and Don'ts in local languages, disseminated through media including social media.
- Data collection and documentation: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare must collect and standardise heat wave data for a long-term strategy.
Conclusion
With the looming threat of climate change and global warming, the frequency of heat waves may increase. This calls for increasing green cover in cities and timely implementation of strategies to control climate change.
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