A first-of-its kind World Bank supported ‘EPIC Response framework to better manage climate extremes,’ is being piloted in flood-prone Assam, along with a new tool developed by Netherland-based research institute to improve disaster preparedness and enhance flood forecasting. The project will benefit around 6 million people and is part of a larger $500 million WB investment program for Assam.
The framework enables various agencies in the Northeastern State to assess the status of their flood and drought protection programs, identify where collaboration can be enhanced, and track progress over time,” said the World Bank in a statement here. With the climate-induced monsoon becoming more erratic and unpredictable, bringing extreme rainfall on the one hand and sudden drought on the other.
Worryingly, India’s drought-prone area has increased by 57 percent since 19971, while instances of heavy rainfall have risen by almost 85 percent since 2012. This can have far-reaching impacts, affecting several generations.
Given the urgency of staying ahead of the changing climate, the World Bank, with support from Deltares, a Netherlands-based research institute, has put forward the EPIC Response framework (Enable, Plan, Invest, Control) to mitigate the climate threats.
The program seeks to reduce the vulnerability of Assam’s people to climate-related disasters and help the state develop its substantial water resources in an integrated and sustainable manner.
Bhaskar Das, Chief Technical Officer, Flood and River Erosion Management Agency of Assam (FREMAA) pointed out:”The Water Resources Department and the State Disaster Management authorities are working in close coordination and in an integrated manner.”
As per experts, while states like Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala and Odisha - face many common challenges, they have different climatic, economic, and social conditions. In Karnataka, for instance, around 20,000 water bodies have dried up and, in many districts, groundwater is depleting by the day. In Assam, on the other hand, where the mighty Brahmaputra flows, floods, riverbank erosion, and encroachment of riverine areas are the major challenges, in Bihar where many rivers flow down from the mountains of Nepal carrying large sediment loads, more than 70 percent of the land is flood-prone.
The Netherland firm developed tool is a decision support system that enables various agencies to assess the status of their hydro-climatic risk management systems, identify areas where program components can be strengthened, ascertain where collaboration can be enhanced, and track progress over time. The results can facilitate a policy dialogue to generate a common understanding of their programs’ status, as well as the challenges and opportunities for enhancing flood and drought risk management systems.