The importance of disaster mitigation in building resilient cities.pdf

The importance of disaster mitigation in building resilient cities

1. City Planning
THE IMPORTANCE OF
DISASTER MITIGATION
IN BUILDING
RESILIENT CITIESKrishnappriya.N
21236014

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DISASTER MITIGATION
Mitigationrefers to a sum of human interventions taken for reducing the risk (by
preventing or containing the hazard, avoiding or reducing exposure, enhancing
tolerance and reducing sensitivity, and inducing resilience and capacity), minimizing
impact or effects of a hazard or threatening disaster situation, towards achieving
objective of ‘sustainable development’. Mitigation is generally categorized into two
main types of activities, i.E., Structural and non-structural mitigation.
Structural mitigation refers to engineering measures or any physical
construction to reduce or avoid possible impacts of hazards, through construction
or modification activity for hazard resistant structures and infrastructure. Non-
structural mitigation refers to policies, awareness generation, knowledge
development, public commitment, legal interventions, methods and operating
practices, including participatory mechanisms and the provision of information etc.,
Which can reduce risk with related impacts.
However, recently mitigation measures have been identified into categories, viz.
Physical, environmental, social and economic measures of mitigation, addressing
the underlying causes of vulnerability, from DRR-Disaster risk reductionpoint of
view, with perspective of more pro-active and holistic approach towards
sustainability. Besides, the interventions it can also be categorized as ‘short-term or
immediate’, ‘medium-term’ and ‘long-term’ on implementation time scales.
nidm.gov.in
Author:Dr. Anil Kumar
Gupta Head, Division
of Environment DRR,
National Institute of
Disaster Management,
New Delhi
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Cities, which directly face the threat and vulnerability of damage and
losses from natural disasters like earthquakes including storms which
are intensified by climate change, and other hazards, will be increasingly
expected to play a specific and proactive role to build resilience.
In 2015, in response to creating urban resiliency, the sendaiframework
for disaster risk reduction 2015-2030 was adopted at the third UN world
conference on disaster risk reduction, as an international guiding
instrument for disaster risk reduction through 2030. The aim of the
framework is “the substantial reduction of disaster risk
and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the
economic, physical, social, cultural and
environmental assets of persons, businesses,
communities and countries.”
Martin Lim
Strategist for Climate change &
Resiliency, sustainability, R&D,
business development, project
management
Published Jun 2, 2020
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Figure 1 shows recorded disaster events worldwide and indicates an increasing trend as well as number of actual
occurrences. The figure indicates that the number of recorded seismic events (deadliest in terms of loss of life)
is relatively constant, but points to an increase in the reported number of storms and floods. In many parts of the
world, the risks associated with weather-related hazards are on the rise (the risk of economic losses is also on
the rise, although fewer deaths have been recorded). The number and intensity of floods, droughts, landslides,
and heat waves can have a major impact on urban systems and resilience strategies. Depending on the location,
climate change is likely to increase the frequency of precipitation in many regions. This will imply changes in
flood patterns and contribute to upward trends in coastal high water levels.

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•Figure 2 : Losses and damages from disaster related risks (left) and climate
change (right)
•Source : Weather, Climate &Catastrophe Insight, 2019 Annual Report, AON
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•In India, climate change is now being increasingly linked to urban concerns as it is expected to exacerbate the risks in
the infrastructure/resource deficit urban environments across the country.
•The hydro-meteorological risks in the cities are expected to be amplified by climate change with more and more
people exposed to the additional risks. These risks have different impacts on different sections of the society where
some are able to afford mitigative, coping and resilience measures, while some are exposed to higher risks with little
or no protective measures. A resilient and inclusive city approachis required for Indian cities where the infrastructure
and the urban systems can withstand the stresses and extreme weather events and thereby reducing the vulnerabilities
of men, women and children.
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WHAT IS A DISASTER RESILIENT CITY?
•A disaster resilient city:has taken steps to anticipate and mitigate the
impact of disasters, incorporating monitoring and early warning
technologies to protect infrastructure, community assets and
individuals, including their homes and possessions, cultural heritage,
environmental and economic capital, and is able to minimize physical
and social losses arising from extreme weather events, earthquakes or
other natural or human-induced hazards
•Building resilient cities embraces Climate change adaptation, climate
change mitigation and disaster risk management, while recognizing
the complexity of rapidly growing urban areas and uncertainties
associated with climate and disaster risks.
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The underlying motivations for city resiliency encompasses nations, local governments
(including cities), international organizations, and other stakeholders with disaster planning
preparedness. Under the sendaiframework, there are four priorities
1) understanding disaster risk,
2) strengthening governance to manage disaster risk,
3) investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience, and;
4) enhancing preparedness for effective response and to build back better in
recovery.
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Disasters caused by natural and human caused hazards
can strike any time. Therefore, it is important that cities
shall bear a greater responsibility through better planning
and design of disaster mitigation strategies to ensure
urban resilience, reduction of disaster and climate risks,
and the ability to achieve sustainable development with
the aim for cities to better protect the lives and property of
their citizens from the impact of disasters.

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•Disasters present a broad range of human, social, financial, economic and environmental
impacts, with potentially long-lasting, multi-generational effects. The financial management of
these impacts is a key challenge for individuals and governments in developed and developing
countries.
•In recent years, a range of natural and man-made catastrophes have affected both developed
and developing economies around the globe. These catastrophes have generated a broad range
of direct and indirect impacts on society, including loss of life and damage to public and
private property and infrastructure as well as fiscal impacts arising from recovery initiatives,
reconstruction expenditures and decreased tax revenues. Low income economies experience
harder impact as annual disaster losses account for a significant share of Gross Domestic
Product (GDP). Restoring livelihoods, rebuilding economic and social infrastructure requires
substantial financial resources, necessitating the development and implementation of financial
strategies to manage disaster risks. In 2019, the losses and damages from natural disasters was
around US$232 billion while climate change disasters was US$229 billion (see figure 1).
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THE IMPACT OF DISASTERS ON
SOCIETY

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•Investing in sustainable infrastructure is key to tackling the three central challenges facing the
global community: reigniting growth, delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals, and
reducing climate risk in line with the Paris Agreement. The definition of infrastructure includes
both traditional types of infrastructure (energy to public transport, buildings, water supply and
sanitation) and also natural infrastructure (forest landscapes, wetlands and watershed
protection).
•Significant investment is needed over the next 15 years: (around US$90 trillion), driven by a
need to overhaul and replace ageing infrastructure in advanced economies and address the
higher growth and structural change in emerging market and developing countries, especially
with rapid urbanization taking place in many first and second tier cities.
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INVESTING IN DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

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REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION
•A range of barriers must be resolved to raise the quantity and the
quality of infrastructure investment. Concerted action includes
tackling the fundamental price distortions –including subsidies and
lack of appropriate pricing especially for fossil fuels and carbon –to
improve incentives for investment and innovation, to drastically
reduce pollution and congestion, and to generate revenue that can be
redirected, for instance, to support poor emerging countries. A shift to
low carbon economy would have a significant accumulated benefit of
around US$26 trillion as compared to not doing anything at all (see
figure 2).
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From the governmental
perspective, policy
frameworks and
institutional capacities to
deliver the right policies
and enabling conditions
for investment, to build
pipelines of viable and
sustainable projects and to
reduce high development
and transaction costs need
to be mandated. It is also
important to attract private
investment with the social
awareness for sustainable
development.

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TRANSFORMATION IN FINANCE
•There is greater awareness of accountability in sustainable development but
the transformation of the traditional fiscal system to a sustainable financial
system will take time to evolve. This transformation is especially crucial to
deliver the scale and quality of investment needed in order to augment
financing from all sources especially private sources -long-term debt finance
and institutional investor capital, reduce the cost of capital and enable
catalytic finance from development finance institutions (DFIs).
•Investments to accelerate adoption of clean technology R&D and deployment
to reduce the costs and enhance the accessibility of more sustainable
technologies are needed in the future roadmap. Multilateral and other DFIs
can support countries and catalysea virtuous circle of action on sustainable
infrastructure but public investments continue to be essential. Hence, private
finance will need to significantly scale up to meet infrastructure requirements.
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PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPING RESILIENT
WARD PLAN
• Interactive hazard maps to comprehend the physical climate risks and social vulnerability
• Interactive hazard maps useful in mitigation aspects
• Hazard maps useful in all stages of hazard management including preparedness, response,
recovery with active participation of community
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•Process-Hazard mapping
•Approach/Methodology-Orientation of communities on climate change and its impacts•
Land-use survey to delineate ward boundary with the help of facilitator and communities •
Participatory GIS and GPS for physical and social vulnerability mapping • PLA tools using
recall methods for flood hazard assessment
•Data Collection-Qualitative and quantitative information on physical and social
vulnerability • Google Images • Toposheets
•Outputs-• Interactive hazard maps to comprehend the physical climate risks and social
vulnerability • Interactive hazard maps useful in mitigation aspects • Hazard maps useful in
all stages of hazard management including preparedness, response, recovery with active
participation of community

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HAZARD MITIGATION
•The environmental phenomena that affect the urban
children are important in the context of urban
resilience. Heat and cold waves, cloud bursts,
increasing humidity, cyclones, temperature and rainfall
variability (flood and droughts) are affecting the life of
children in cities. Besides a resilient urban development
which helps in mitigating the disaster and climate
impacts, it is also important that mitigation measures
are adopted to address the causes of such hazards and
environmental factors. Urban governance facilitating
mangrove plantation and protection, maintenance of
green spaces and water bodies, green energy, ecological
and soil conservation, plantation and other such
mitigation measures are important towards urban
climate and disaster resilience and reducing
vulnerabilities of children.
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A DISASTER RESILIENT CITY:
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• Is one where disasters are minimisedbecause the population lives in homes and
neighbourhoodswith organized services and infrastructure that adhere to sensible
building codes; without informal settlements built on flood plains or steep slopes because
no other land is available.
• Has an inclusive, competent and accountable local government that is concerned about
sustainable urbanization and that commits the necessary resources to develop capacities
to manage and organize itself before, during and after a natural hazard event.
• Is one where the local authorities and the population understand their risks and develop
a shared, local information base on disaster losses, hazards and risks, including who is
exposed and who is vulnerable.
• Is one where people are empowered to participate, decide and plan their city together
with local authorities and value local and indigenous knowledge, capacities and
resources.

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A DISASTER RESILIENT CITY:
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• Has taken steps to anticipate and mitigate the impact of disasters, incorporating
monitoring and early warning technologiesto protect infrastruture, community assets and
individuals, including their homes and possessions, cultural heritage, environmental and
economic capital, and is able to minimize physical and social losses arising from extreme
weather events, earthquakes or other natural or humaninducedhazards.
• Is able to respond, implement immediate recovery strategies and quickly restore basic
services to resume social, institutional and economic activity after such an event.
• Understands that most of the above is central to building resilience to adverse
environmental changes, including climate change, in addition to reducing greenhouse gas
emissions.

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NATIONAL POLICY ON
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
The National Policy on Disaster Management was formulated in India in 2009, post
to the Disaster Management Act which came into existence in 2005. The Policy
envisions to build a safe and disaster resilient India by developing a holistic,
proactive, multi-disaster oriented and technology driven strategy through a culture of
prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response. National Disaster Management
Authority, India The Government of India, in recognition of the importance of
Disaster Management as a national priority, set up a High-Powered Committee
(HPC) in August 1999 and a National Committee after the Gujarat earthquake, for
making recommendations on the preparation of Disaster Management plans and
suggesting effective mitigation mechanisms. The Tenth Five-Year Plan document
also had, for the first time, a detailed chapter on Disaster Management. The Twelfth
Finance Commission was also mandated to review the financial arrangements for
Disaster Management.
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THANK YOU