Modern man’s fetish is cutting down trees relentlessly, clearing forests and creating cash crop plantations, quarrying hillsides, covering up fresh water lakes, filling paddy fields, and wetlands, all for accumulating paper currency. This is not just a malaise and greed of Keralites alone, but it is a global phenomenon. In protest, Nature roars angrily, and there is a spectre of destruction, wrought in a few seconds. Politicians are active, offering paper currency to console the living, speaking of rehabilitation and redevelopment, here also they see quick opportunity to accumulate more paper currency and enjoy the chimera of invincibility, that paper notes offer.
The destruction that has occurred in Wayanad, is symbolic of our depraved minds, obsessed with infrastructure development, tourism, and encroaching forests so that the ever expanding population can build palatial bungalows, and keep ridiculously chattering about climate change. We are totally dissatisfied with the number of airports, seaports, rail connectivity, highways, shopping malls, schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and hotels. Everyday there is fresh clamour and agitations for ‘development’. Think of the waste being generated by a small nuclear family of today and compare it with what little that was being generated by joint families of yesteryears. The colossal amounts of waste being generated by even small towns, is unmanageable.
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Tourist traffic is being counted in millions, pilgrimages are in millions, new hills, valleys, mountains, beaches are being identified for tourists, so that they can splurge paper currency on liquor, drugs and sex. Every year Nature’s warnings go unheeded, be it in Kedarnath, Shimla, Sikkim, and Kashmir. Frightening warnings keep coming regularly about Mullaperiyar Dam, sinking Kochi, warnings of Tsunami, and super cyclones. It gives shivers just thinking about the fragile Mullaperiyar, eroded with age, but politicians are quarrelling and judiciary is dithering.
Examine the state of the cities – subways, flyovers, underground basements in every building for car park, towns littered with shops, hotels, billboards, no proper sewage system, garbage disposal or basic cleanliness.
The effects of natural disasters can be financially and culturally devastating to any country. Displaced populations, destroyed property, infrastructure, and livelihoods, and exacerbated socioeconomic vulnerabilities, are the debilitating effects of a natural disaster. Extreme weather events such as flooding, and landslides are fearfully threatening for marginalized and at-risk populations, including older people, people with disabilities, people in poverty, and rural populations. The unfolding of events at Wayanad, highlights the government’s obligation to prepare for and promptly respond to the foreseeable impacts of climate change and natural disasters.
Historically, droughts and floods are the most fatal disaster events. Deaths from these events are now very low, the deadliest events today tend to be earthquakes. Disasters affect those in poverty most heavily; the most vulnerable are the poor who are exposed to various disaster risks. High death tolls tend to be cantered in low-to-middle income groups without the infrastructure to protect and respond to events. Most of these people are found in rural areas where disaster preparedness, resources and know how is still low. The mass media have provided extensive live coverage of the human suffering and destruction brought about by the Wayanad landslide, but no accurate quantitative estimates of losses caused by disasters are available on a systematic basis.
Many communities are disproportionately affected by the landslide and floods and have limited capacity to economically cope with climate disasters (through savings or insurance). Yet in most instances, they are the most exposed to climate shocks. Many settlements and low-income housing are also found in the areas most prone to floods and landslides, such as along riverbanks, in flood plains and along dangerously steep slopes.
Photo: Mathrubhumi
To effectively rebuild from this disaster, Kerala will need to intentionally take measures to strengthen its resilience to the impacts of future floods and other weather-related disasters, which are projected to be exacerbated by climate change. Indeed, carefully planned ecosystem restoration, including in urban areas, will help enhance the resilience of landscapes, reduce erosion and sedimentation, improve water infiltration and provide valuable ecosystem services that help to mitigate flood risks and protect communities and infrastructure from the impacts of flooding. Furthermore, the central government and the state government should promote green infrastructure and nature based solutions, such as wetlands restoration, floodplain reconnection and riparian buffers, to enhance natural flood management and reduce flood risks.
These approaches harness the capacity of ecosystems to absorb, retain, and slow down floodwaters while providing additional benefits such as water purification, habitat conservation and recreational opportunities. However, this is only possible if the Kerala government embarks upon a scheme to plant the right tree species in the right areas, and robustly monitors landscape restoration, while ensuring that the needs and interests of local communities are safeguarded. Further measures to enhance the adaptive capacity of economic sectors that are highly sensitive to climate shocks, such as agriculture and tourism, are necessary. Efforts should also be made to conduct comprehensive climate-risk assessments and mapping to identify disaster-prone areas and assess the potential impacts on communities, infrastructure and the environment.
Photo: Mathrubhumi
Both the central and state governments should engage with local communities to raise awareness about flood risks, build capacity for preparedness and response, and empower residents to take proactive measures to protect themselves and their properties. Community-based initiatives, such as flood awareness campaigns, training workshops and neighbourhood resilience projects, strengthen social cohesion and resilience to floods.
At the heart of all the proposed solutions must be a nationwide behavioural change: people must stop the indiscriminate dumping of solid waste into storm waterways, corruption and greed that result in ignored regulations or poor-quality works. Lives are lost when buildings collapse during torrential rains, so building regulations must also be followed to prevent destruction and fatalities when disasters strike.
A collective effort among government and its people will be key to preventing future destruction. Through proper stewardship, people will thrive with nature and make the world a better place for future generations. We must all step up now.
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