THE INDIAN Himalayas grappled with cataclysmic floods this August. Unrelenting downpours propelled by an erratic climate pushed many towns in Himachal Pradesh into a maelstrom of inundation. News reports suggest that the state alone lost more than 150 human lives and incurred damages spiralling to an estimated US $120 million.
Similar destruction has been reported by several towns across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), which is spread over eight countries. In 2023, a rainless July was followed by destructive floods in August in Bangladesh's low-lying district of Bandarban in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The floods submerged approximately 80 per cent of Bandarban's municipal expanse under 4.56 m of water. The flood's primary catalyst was an extraordinary 268 mm of rain within 24 hours. The unplanned construction on the riverbank aggravated the disaster by reducing river navigability and obstructing water flow. The resultant catastrophe underscores a sobering reality: the simultaneous affliction of diminished river capacity and a compromised drainage system, culminating in an inefficient channelling of excess water.
For HKH cities to become resilient, it is crucial for local governments to enforce strict town planning, with the use of spatial land-use planning approaches and associated information technologies for climate change adaptation.
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Denne historien er fra September 01, 2023-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prÞveperiode pÄ Magzter GOLD for Ä fÄ tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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In leading role again
MOVIES AND WEB SERIES ARE ONCE AGAIN BEING SET IN RUSTIC BACKGROUNDS, INDICATING A RECONNECT BETWEEN CINEMA AND THE COUNTRYSIDE
One Nation One Subscription comes at a huge cost
As top US universities scrap big deals with top scientific publishers, Indiaâs ONOS scheme seems flawed and outdated
Return of Rambhog
Bid to revive and sell the aromatic indigenous paddy variety has led to substantial profits for farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Terai region
Scarred by mining
Natural springs of Kashmir drying up due to illegal riverbed mining
Human-to-human spread a mutation away
CANADA IN mid-November confirmed its first human case of avian influenza, with a teenager in the British Columbia being hospitalised after contracting the H5N1 virus that causes the disease. The patient developed a severe form of the disease, also called bird flu, and had respiratory issues. There was no known cause of transmission.
True rehabilitation
Residents of Madhya Pradesh's Kakdi village take relocation as an opportunity to undertake afforestation, develop sustainable practices
INESCAPABLE THREAT
Chemical pollution is the most underrated and underreported risk of the 21st century that threatens all species and regions
THAT NIGHT, 40 YEARS AGO
Bhopal gas disaster is a tragedy that people continue to face
A JOKE, INDEED
A CONFERENCE OF IRRESPONSIBLE PARTIES THAT CREATED AN OPTICAL ILLUSION TO THE REALITY OF A NEW CLIMATE
THINGS FALL APART
THE WORLD HAS MADE PROGRESS IN MITIGATING EMISSIONS AND ADAPTING TO CLIMATE IMPACTS. BUT THE PROGRESS REMAINS GROSSLY INADEQUATE
