Improving Resilience to Cyclones Disasters in India

Synopsis – The Government needs to ensure fiscal rehabilitation for improving resilience to Cyclones disasters.

Introduction-

• The Indian subcontinent is among the worst affected regions of the world when it comes to tropical cyclones. It is due to its 4,670-mile coastline, where a large percentage of the country’s population lives.
• Despite all the planning for reducing risk and forecasting cyclone paths still, cyclones have been incredibly destructive as seen in the case of Cyclone YAAS. Thousands have lost houses and property.
• There is still a lot of work to do. It is in terms of preserving assets and developing fiscal tools to assist people to rebuild their lives.

What are the reasons behind frequent cyclones disasters in India?

Extreme tropical storm precipitation events and accompanying inland floods may become more common. Because the climate continues to warm due to increasing human activities.

• Rising Ocean temperatures – Warmer ocean temperature makes atmospheric and ocean conditions favorable for the intensification of cyclones.
  • It could intensify the speed of the winds by up to 10%. It will result in an increase of 10-15% in precipitation. Both of these factors could cause more flooding and widespread damage.
• Rise in seas level due to global warming.

Impact of recent cyclones- According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report on the State of Global Climate 2020–

• The economic losses caused by cyclone Amphan amounts to about $14 billion.
• Around 2.4 million people were displaced in India, mainly in West Bengal and Odisha.

Ways to address the risk of cyclones and other extreme events

Following cyclone Amphan, the West Bengal government faces allegations of irregularities and corruption in the distribution of financial relief. Governments are in the best position to compensate people against the cost of disasters by spreading the cost across the population. Thus,

• Government should ensure proper distribution of funds without corruption and mismanagement.
• It should make citizens, members in a social insurance model.
• Rebuilding should be green and follow a build-back better approach. It is necessary, considering the negative impact of climate change on tropical cyclones.

Source- The Hindu