Kerala’s expsoure to climate and geophyscial hazards has made 50 taluks vulnerable to landslides, 75 to floods and another 24 to coastal hazards.
More than 50% of the land area of the State is moderately to severely drought susceptible, majorly on the drinking water side and progressive coastal erosion is affecting nearly 63% of the State’s 580 km of coastline.
Sea level is on the rise due to global warming and the projected Sea Level Rise along the coast on a conservative estimation is about 100 to 200 mm over the next 100 years. Backwater banks, islands and filtration ponds/paddy fields are other sections of the coastal zone which are highly susceptible.
As much as 5,619.7 sq.km in the 50 taluks vulnerable to landslides is susceptible area exposing 2,799,482 people; 6,789.5 sq. km and 7,795,816 people in 75 taluks are under threat of being exposed to the floods and 3,13,205 residing in 289.7 sq km in 24 taluks are facing coastal hazards.
The 590 km coast is one of the most densely populated land areas in the country. This coastline is exposed to high waves, storm surges and tsunami. The Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004 affected the 250 km coastline with sea water entering up to 1.5 km inland.
Location
“A Resilient Recovery Policy Framework and Action Plan for Shaping Kerala’s Resilient, Risk-Informed Development and Recovery from 2018 Flood” has pointed out that Kerala is ‘highly vulnerable to natural disasters and the changing climatic dynamics’ given its location along the sea coast and steep gradient along the slopes of the Western Ghats.
The State is prone to a host of natural hazards such as cyclone, monsoon storm surge, coastal erosion, sea level rise, tsunami, flood, drought, lightning, landslide, land subsidence and earthquake.
Kerala’s State Disaster Management Plan had assessed 39 types of known and reported hazard types in the State that may turn disastrous in the event of lack of proper preparedness and risk reduction planning.
Nearly 14.8% of the State is prone to flooding, and the proportion is as high as 50% for some districts. Landslides are major hazards along the Western Ghats in Wayanad, Kozhikode, Idukki and Kottayam districts. Another impact being witnessed is progressive coastal erosion affecting nearly 63% of the State’s 580 km of coastline.
The ambitious Rebuild Kerala Development Programme (RKDP), to be unveiled at the Development Partners Conclave by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Kovalam on Monday, aims to catalyse rebuilding of the State addressing key drivers of floods and other natural disasters and climate change risks and strengthens preparedness against future disasters.
