Climate extremes andloss and damageLessons from Uttarakhand Disaster, India

SADED

CLIMATE EXTREMES AND

LOSS AND DAMAGE

Lessons from Uttarakhand Disaster, India

Preface

Acknowledgement

Contents

List of Abbreviations

1. Introduction

Table 1: Activities undertaken during the study

2. Methodology

7.

3. The Uttarakhand Disaster; Why and How

3

4

n IMD terminology, extremely heavy rainfall 244.5 mm in

a day very heavy is between 124.5 and 244.5 mm/day

town in the Mandakini valley

Source of this information is Uttarakhand State Action Plan on Climate Change

3.1 Why this happened

5

6

In Uttarakhand, 60% of the land is under the control of the forest department, whereas

private land for residences and agriculture constitutes roughly about 10-11%, thus increasing the pressure

on any available land.2004 Tsunami or the 2002 earthquake were .

3.2 The Climate Connection

7

Table 2: Average rainfall in June in Dehradun

Dehradun

Shrestha, U. B., Gautam, S. & Bawa, K. PLoS ONE 7, e36741 (2012)

Box 1: Cases of extreme rainfall have doubled in last 50 years: IITM

4. Assessment of Damage and Loss

4.1 Loss of human lives

4.2 Housing

Box 2: Case study of Mrs. Pulma Arya, Didsari

4.3 Agriculture and agricultural land

4.4 Horticulture

9

4.5 Livestock

4.6 Road, connectivity and other infrastructure

10

4.7 Education and health services

4.8 Tourism related Livelihoods

11

5. State Response; Rescue, Relief and Rehabilitation

12

Table 3: Compensation announced by the Uttarakhand Government

6. Needs Assessment

7. Role of Warning, Information and Preparedness in Disasters; Lessons from Phailin

13

Unofficial estimates hover around 50,000 human lives lost

Box 3: Extracts of the minutes of the meeting between GSI and Geological and Mining

department of Uttarakhand government

Box 4: CAG Report trashes disaster management in Uttarakhand

14

15

Andhra Pradesh and Odisha provided strong concrete cyclone shelters to safely enclose the people

from the riskNearly a million people were evacuated from the cyclone affected areas during near-super cyclone

‘Phailin’ in Odisha/ Andhra Pradesh in October 2013

8. A Reflection on the Development Model in Uttarakhand

9. What Message does Uttarakhand Disaster has for Climate Change Negotiations

Box 5: Excerpt from COP 16 Decision

10. Climate Change and Disaster; Need for a Human Rights Based Approach to Disaster Reduction and Sustainable Development16

17

18 19

10.1 Climate change and disaster

17

20

10.2 Global response to disaster and disaster risk reduction

21

22

20

10.3 Experience and Lessons learned from implementation of

Hyogo Framework of Action

10.4 Opportunity that lies ahead

23

24

10.5 Recommendations on fundamental principles in

addressing climate change and disaster in the

SDGs

In July 2012, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the 27 members of a High-level Panel to

advise on the global development framework beyond 2015, the target date for the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs). The Panel was co-chaired by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of

Indonesia, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, and Prime Minister David Cameron of the United

Kingdom, and it includes leaders from civil society, private sector and government. The Panel

submitted its report on 30th May 2013. 24 The Open Working Group was established on 22nd of January 2013 by decision 67/555 (see A/67/L.48/rev.1) of the General Assembly. The 30-member (OWG) of the General Assembly is tasked with preparing a proposal on the SDGs and will submit its report by the end of the 68th session (September 2014) of the United Nations General Assembly.

Annexures

Annexure-I

Profile of Villages

Gajoli

Didsari

Maneri

Netala

Aungi

Annexure-II

List of Respondents

Annexure-III

Scholarly writings on Uttarakhand disaster

Annexure-IV

News Clippings

Annexure-V

Experience Sharing and Way Forward for Effective Disaster

Management

Our Publications

Beyond Copenhagen Collective (BCPH) is a coalition of more than 40 organizations and networks working on the issues of sustainable development, environment, sustainable agriculture etc. We have been extensively engaged with India’s response to Climate Crisis, Domestic Action and its position in International negotiation process under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We have tried to attract global attention on due consideration of agriculture and food security in climate change negotiations, state responsibility and accountability for climate justice.

Organizations and networks part of the BCPH collective bring with them varying experiences and expertise, ranging from grassroots works with farmers and peasant communities to engaging with policy makers and the policy through policy analysis, advocacy, lobbying, engaging with the media through their sensitization and orientation; and undertaken documentation and scientific exploration in climate change, sustainable agriculture and food security. The focus of our work emanates from the understanding that there is an urgency to work in collaborative action on climate change and climate justice issues. The collective proposes to address these issues through a variety of actions at local, state/provincial, national and global level.