Ahead of the Flood Knowledge Summit 2022, the UNU Climate Resilience Initiative (CRI) of people in seven countries from the Global South. Contributors from Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Nepal, Nigeria and the Philippines provided insights on the impact of flooding on their lives, families and communities. All interviewees offer anecdotes and information on the havoc floods and extreme weather events create as well as ideas for policymakers from their own regions that could also be useful or adapted for other flood-hit areas of the world.
The destructive, often devastating, impact of flooding does not recognise national borders. Conversely, the cross-border nature of many policy-related solutions can be a useful tool for prevention and damage limitation as countries and governments across the world grapple to understand and implement the most effective ways to tackle the worst outcomes of the climate crisis.
A cross-border, solutions-focussed approach is a key objective of the UNU’s CRI which seeks to share knowledge, shape policy and drive action by drawing on the experience of those in flood-prone areas of the world.
The interviews were conducted by Aiswarya Augus, an MPP candidate at UNU-MERIT and a Research Intern at the CRI.
Experiences from the Philippines
Joyce Ann Avellanosa used to live in Makati City on the outskirts of Metro Manila. After completing her MBA from Maastricht School of Management, she is currently the Real Estate Coordinator for Lucid Motors in Amsterdam. Here, she shares her experiences of growing up in the Philippines, and the changes she has seen through the years.
Living in the Philippines means frequent exposure to typhoons and floods. Due to the regularity of such events, it may be expected that the country is well-equipped to face these disasters and build back quickly – but this would not be an accurate expectation.
Joyce grew up experiencing typhoons and the subsequent floods year after year. Although the government has introduced improvements, for example, to drainage systems and by increasing the heights of many streets, there is still more to be done. Joyce is keen to understand if climate change affects the intensity of typhoons as much as the frequency. For example, in 2020, on Luzon island, a mountainous island with volcanoes and rice fields, the typhoon’s intensity caused landslides and obstructed rivers and roads. Although improvements over the years have been forthcoming, the government tends to resort to quick fixes rather than permanent solutions. As well as addressing the problems arising from this short-term approach, the government could introduce laws to prevent the building and development of river basins, ultimately harming the country in the long term.
Another problem is that the improvements are not uniform across the Philippines. Areas with more budget allocation, like Metro Manila, benefit more than those where the budget allocation is lower. In those regions with limited financial resources, local communities have stepped up their planning and preparedness for evacuation and whilst this is a positive development, they would likely benefit from budget and other support from the central government. One significant improvement over the years has been improvements in waste segregation practices across the regions, which is essential to prevent drainage system blockages during floods and to reduce the amount of waste ending up in the oceans.
Many communities have practised specific, long-term sustainable behaviour. For instance, when coconut trees are knocked down by strong winds in a typhoon, they are not thrown away but different parts such as the fruits, leaves, and wood are made use of, thus encouraging a circular economy in the area. Some areas have also restricted tourists as they believe tourism, at times, encourages unsustainable behaviour. In areas prone to typhoons, with constant flooding and strong winds, such as north of Ilocos, they have adopted natural and more water-resistant rocks for house building and construction.
However, Joyce has noticed barriers as well as positive developments in people’s responses. For example, people often underestimate or ignore weather forecasts because, psychologically, it is difficult to leave their property. In addition, there is a possibility of getting looted in rural areas during these times and this fear of being robbed also adds to the barriers within the community.
Joyce shared her vivid memories about the 2013 super typhoon Haiyan, locally known as Yolanda. She remembers it to be the most devastating typhoon in her lifetime. Her brother, like many people, was stranded for days in his university. Many others had to stay in metro stations and cars to escape the effects of the flood. Although the rain was not particularly heavy, it lasted for two days. Tacloban was one of the highly affected regions and many people lost their lives and buildings were wrecked. Joyce suggests that more flood-resilient infrastructure has to be put in place as a matter of urgent policy priority and she would like to see the government collaborate more with the private sector.
Insights on Indian Floods
Ranjan Panda, known as the Water Man of Odisha and a climate crusader, takes us through the journey of his research and work over the past thirty years in the field of water and climate change.
The effects of floods and climate change are not unknown to India. Ranjan hails from Odisha, a state in the eastern part of India, and can recall the days before the Hirakund dam was built on the Mahanadi River to ensure less flooding. Although the dam was built to control flooding, due to the improper management of the barriers, even the regions less prone to floods in the downstream area started facing floods in the 1980s. Another fact that has contributed to flooding is the extreme precipitation events. For example, on a day in 2018, the region received around622mm of rainfall, more than 50% of the entire year’s average. The increased precipitation and the mismanagement of the dams created a deadly combination.
In Ranjan’s perception study conducted in 1994-95, people agreed there was a visible change in the seasons and that the summer was becoming longer and the rest of the seasons shrinking. The trend is visible in his studies, and it was worrisome even then. Scientific research undeniably shows that the influence of climate change is enormous, and the intensity of climate disasters is increasing. The growth in coastal flooding is generating serious concerns, including about the aftereffects, among all the affected states in the region. As people become more concerned about these, initiatives such as Heat Action Plans for the cities and flood modelling studies by local universities are being formulated as a countermeasure. However, more action is needed as, even today, many urban local bodies have no distinction between flood plains and normal land. Preparations also have to be at the national and state level policies to try and solve the issue of the distinction between flood plains.
Currently, there are State Climate Action Plans, which are updated every five years to help keep climate change activities under control. But Ranjan also stated that there is a need to integrate the different plans at the state and local levels. There needs to be awareness generation to make people realise the gravity of the situation, but more importantly, policymakers have a leading role to play. Different departments and schemes must be harmonized to get optimum results. For any activity involving the environment that impacts climate change, pre-planning in line with the Climate Change Action Plan of Odisha is necessary and should be given prime importance.
Due to inaction from stakeholders, forced displacement occurs. In Odisha, sea level rises have caused the displacement of thousands of people with thousands more on the verge of eviction. When this happens, the primary coping mechanism adopted by many is to migrate and find new patches of land on which to settle. Government aid is something they look forward to, to invest in solid infrastructure building materials to make the houses strong enough to withstand cyclones or floods.
The state and local governments also need to work on improving sanitation and basic infrastructure facilities to prevent an increasingly negative impact on people’s health. Thus, hygiene and sanitation become critical aspects, and the impact on the exchequer will grow and the poorest people and those living in vulnerable geographical pockets will suffer the most. NGOs and civil society are also involved in providing sanitation facilities and advice wherever required.
Finally, Ranjan recommends adapting the water management principles to be on par with the current reality, adapting ecosystem-based interventions like wetland restoration, and demarcating the floodplains as the steps to work on.
Bangladesh’s victims of climate change
Ahmad Abdullah Rifat is a software engineer and a data analyst from Bangladesh. He also has experience working in flood prediction domain in the eastern and northern areas of Bangladesh using satellite data. He shares insights about his society-based learning.
Super cyclones and flooding often propel Bangladesh to the top of the global news agenda. During the rainy season, the northern part, close to the Himalayas, and the eastern part, close to northeast India, are flooded on an almost annual basis and the effects, felt particularly in the east, last for around one month. The effects of cyclone-related floods tend to last for no more than three to seven days.
Ahmad also talked about the increase in cyclones and the intensity of flooding. From 1971 to 2000, there were three cyclones, but since the 2000s there have been seven or eight super cyclones. Similarly, with the floods post-2005, there have been massive floods lasting more than 15 days. Frequencies have increased for the past 20 years and are attributed to climate change. Given the geographic location of Bangladesh, flooding will always be present, but the factors of climate change accelerating the flooding is a matter of growing concern.
Dams have been built and are monitored continuously and cropping seasons are regularly adjusted to adapt to the situation. The government is taking many important steps in order to reduce the scale of the disasters. Infrastructure is often adapted to address flooding so that ground floors can be kept open for water passage and valuable possessions are moved to be stored on the upper floors. This practice is also adopted in schools and government buildings.
Many communities are likewise adapting to changing situations. On farms, cattle are enabled to survive the floods by recreating flooded situations in cattle sheds. Coupled with 90% accuracy in flood predictions these actions have helped provide early warnings, thereby reducing damage and loss of life.
People’s reluctance to move to rescue shelters has lowered over time as they realize that if they stick with their belongings, they will likely be washed away in the floods. Ahmad strongly believes that the government and people are doing what they can, and now the privileged countries responsible for climate change should take action and help the affected countries.
Bangladesh is on the receiving end of many of the worst effects of climate change, even without contributing much to it. He urges the global community to form a foundation to support poorer countries like Bangladesh, which fall victim to the aftereffects of climate change and global warming.
In terms of the community, Ahmad suggests that the people who are not directly affected by the floods help out those who are. The effects of the flood will last longer than the flood itself, and many people have to restart many elements of their lives from scratch each time. So, the unaffected people should come forward to help others get back on their feet. The Bangladeshi government could also make a fund from contributions by the unaffected people, which can be used to rebuild the society. Indeed, Ahmad concludes that we need to raise our voices to create a global foundation, funded by the countries contributing to climate change, to provide compensation to the affected countries who are just victims of climate change.
Experiences from Nigeria and South Africa
Babatunde Abimbola Abiola is a behavioural and environmental economist who is a PhD student and lecturer from Nigeria. He shares his learnings from Nigerian and South African communities.
African countries stand apart from many others in their experiences of intense floods and droughts. Africa falls victim to the impact of climate change with minimal contributions to the cause and its nations do not always have the infrastructure to effectively manage the impact of extreme weather events. More than 80% of African farmers rely on regular weather patterns for crop cultivation as the irrigation systems are not efficient when there is a deviation from what may normally be expected. Babatunde tells us that the increasing number and intensity of climate shocks lead to income shocks, meaning a greater pressure on societies and families including more children not in school and even increased gender-based violence because of pressures at home. In his opinion, the developed nations contributing to climate change must lead by example, which would mean a significant reversal of the situation and behaviours as they are today.
People in Africa are often religious and might accept the climate shocks as punishment from God. Babatunde points out that many people are not fully aware of how different human activities are contributing to climate risks and leading to floods and droughts and view the impact as out of the hands of humans. In some countries, tree-felling to turn wood into charcoal for export to Europe provides an income. However, many don’t fully realize that this is bad for the environment, especially as the number of living trees drops dramatically. Babatunde says there needs to be more awareness about individuals’ impact on climate and the benefits of planting more trees. Climate change has led to the drying up of lakes and lower grazing land for cows and other animals and he suggests that if the world can unite in the way it did to fight the pandemic, then countries should come together to fight against and reduce climate shocks.
Many African governments are also relatively unresponsive to the situation. They focus mainly on areas that bring them immediate income and funds such as the money that comes from Nigerian oil exports and South African natural mineral reserves. Babatunde sees the need for environmental research and lobbies to convince people and governments of the risks and urges them to act now. He reckons that thinking globally and acting locally can contribute much to climate action.
Although public policies are not yet fully formed or in place, in many cases the community has started responding. For example, South Africa is among the few countries that have imposed a ban on plastic bags and many communities are trying to clear plastic waste that blocks drainage systems, which could, in extreme weather conditions increase the impact of flooding. Plastic also goes to the oceans and ultimately affects fishing stocks. Increasingly innovative solutions are being found that reuse and recycle plastic into strong long-term bags and other useful products. In time, people are likely to adapt to, and welcome, the new and more climate-friendly options presented to them.
Babatunde also feels that African governments will be more willing to listen to experts from their own continent. Regional experts, rather than European or American researchers, who know local situations and systems, can better convince policymakers to act. He also believes that developed countries should be more inclusive of African expertise on environmental issues. More research funding should be made available to African researchers to provide evidence and convince people and governments to start acting now. Lastly, he emphasizes the need for more environmental lobbyists to think globally and act locally
Responding to floods in Nepal
Saurav Rimal is the founder of Discover City Pvt Ltd., which deals with smart infrastructure. He shares his thoughts about disasters and responses in Nepal and his journey in helping people.
Nepal is a landlocked country and is therefore hit by disasters in ways that are different to countries that are not landlocked. Some of those differences were highlighted by the disasters that took place during the pandemic which Saurav experienced directly. For example, during a major landslide in the Lamjung area, he and volunteers from his company distributed food, medicine, and other essential goods to the affected people. Saurav talks about the catastrophes in Sindhupalchow and Kathmandu during the pandemic being an eye-opener which spurred him to get more actively involved in giving back to society. His work has always meant that he has been significantly involved with local communities during disasters and he was able to start and build his own company based on the knowledge and networks he developed from his time working in the Prime Minister’s office in Nepal.
Saurav also shares his experience during floods in 2020 when he had to travel to the affected region to extend support as the water levels were rising. He spent the night with affected communities and remembers it to be a scary incident as they were stuck in the region for the whole night, and it was only the next day the response team could reach the area. Saurav talks about climate change being a global issue, but its cause is each one of our actions. For example, Nepal doesn’t have many tree planting activities, and Saurav believes planting more trees will help lessen the effects of climate change and floods. He also points out the need for policies prohibiting people from building new properties on the riverbanks. These policies will help in minimizing losses and causalities from the floods as well as help with reducing their frequency.
Even when the government has designated a disaster unit, they somehow fail to respond and mitigate the disaster’s effects adequately. The instability of the central government also plays a role in this, and local governments are generally not well-equipped to handle such situations. Communities during such disasters can also panic. People like Saurav take on the responsibility of advising the local government and partnering with them to execute the best possible solution for disaster response. The teams for rescue and response include doctors, as people often neglect their health during disasters. There are doctors in the group who can cater to the general and mental well-being of the victims as experiencing a disaster can be a traumatic and stressful experience, and the mental well-being of the victims should also be of prime importance.
Communities and citizens must be more aware and responsible when buying land, for example, by making sure it is not on the riverbeds, and considering how they can plant more trees. Saurav also suggests that such policies could be set and enforced by the government and that people more generally need to take ownership for their actions as they affect climate change and must start acting on it before it becomes too late.
Brazil's Nature-based solutions
Maria Aparecida D’auria Parra is a retired primary school teacher and an entrepreneur from Brazil. She shares her experiences of floods in Brazil with Guilherme Parra
Floods in Brazil have increased in intensity over the years. Since 2019, more than 200 lives have been lost annually to floods. Maria remembers being exposed to floods in Brazil from her childhood. There were significant preparations at her home to get the family through the rainy season and survive the floods. However, despite these preparations, she and her brothers were traumatized as they felt they would drown with water coming in so quickly. She is 67 years old today, and even now, she gets anxious as the weather gets darker.
Climate change increasingly affects this situation by making floods more frequent. Maria believes that government structures need to be in place, and only the government can help so that the population does not suffer, by ensuring, for example, regular cleaning of the storm drains (culverts). Over the years, Brazil has adapted nature-based solutions like building rain gardens and resorted to traditional solutions including using more robust and resilient materials to build the country’s infrastructure.
Maria’s family’s preparations to fight the floods included installing floodgates to restrict the water flow. But sometimes cars passing through the streets caused ripple effects, leading to waves of water crossing the floodgates and entering their house. Water also entered from drains, and the solution was to stay on the second floor of their home. However, the water seeping in would cause much personal damage as the wooden floors became loose and water-clogging destroyed furniture. In addition, there wasn’t always enough time or space to shift these to the second floor to save personal belongings. She also believes that a person’s trauma during floods or disasters is often disregarded and not discussed. Being exposed to it herself as a child, she can speak for many like her that the cost of government inaction to bring in more structures to mitigate these disasters causes lifelong anxiety and feelings of helplessness.
Maria reiterates the power to act and resolve these challenges lies with the government. Although communities try to work to mitigate the effects, including by installing flood gates or holding extensive discussions in residents’ groups, ultimately nothing much can be changed by them alone. The change must come from the people in power. She feels disappointed that Brazil’s government collects taxes but does not put them to use to protect its citizens in these times of peril. The solutions do not differ depending on who is suffering from the weather and flood – the difference is made by the people in power who can act towards reducing or mitigating the impact
NOTA BENE
The opinions expressed here are the author’s own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of UNU.
MEDIA CREDITS
UN Photo/Nektarios Markogiannis
