Climate-proofing: Guwahati

Rohit Kumar Das(M. CIWEM. CWEM Maidenhead, United Kingdom) Guwahati’s ambitions of being the economic hub of Northeast India and the gateway to Southeast Asia cannot materialize unless environmental and climate-related risks are mitigated.

Guwahati needs urgent action on climate change. And this action must materialize at multiple levels, driven by the express intent and commitment of the political executive at the highest levels, supported by administrative bodies and civic institutions. Common citizens also have an important part to play as fighting climate change needs collective action.

Climate change and rapid urbanization, unplanned growth and destruction of natural ecosystems have had a detrimental effect on the ecology and environment of the city. Guwahati is prone to floods and landslides and is located on the earthquake-prone (zone V) belt. In addition to being vulnerable to these natural hazards, the city of Guwahati is frequently affected by seasonal flash floods, which are not entirely caused by natural factors alone.

Climate change driven by global carbon emissions is a contributing factor and will further increase the risks as extreme weather events will be increasingly frequent and with devastating impacts. The government of Assam and other development actors will increasingly be involved in the urban humanitarian and post-disaster response in the city. It is a scientific fact that global carbon emissions have contributed to climate change and that is wreaking havoc in Guwahati and the rest of Assam.

But it is also a fact that much of the damage has been caused due to historic mismanagement of urban planning, destruction of natural drainage and water bodies/beels and rampant encroachment of hills. The recent flooding of June 2022 has shown that urban flooding impacts everyone irrespective of their socio-economic condition, but it impacts the economically vulnerable people disproportionately. Future flood events are likely to put additional strain on the State exchequer as the Government spending on disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction is going to increase.

The economic costs of flooding are enormous and will most certainly hamper economic growth, leading to losses in human life and livelihoods. Guwahati urban areas present unique challenges in terms of complexity and scale, and many existing ways of working were originally developed to address these challenges. Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has published detailed reports[1] and recommendations for resolving the urban flash flood situation in Guwahati.

The implementation of the recommendations will most certainly help in alleviating the situation. As a short-term immediate response, I would like to call upon the Government of Assam to establish a high-powered inter-departmental task force comprising senior executives from GMDA, GMC, Water Resources Department, PWD, APDCL and ASDMA etc. will help to streamline efforts and derive efficiencies in terms of government spending and pooling of resources and expertise.

The Task Force could commission a strategic study on physical climate risks and the cost to the State exchequer and local economy and a comparative economic assessment of the costs and benefits of mitigation measures. The Taskforce shall ensure that all government departments are working in coordination. This Taskforce could report directly to the political executive represented by the Hon’ble Chief Ministers Office (CMO) and the Minister for Guwahati Development.

Sufficient administrative, legal and financial resources should be accorded to the Taskforce to implement measures on a war footing. In fact, some of the existing government spending could be refocused and redirected towards achieving the task force objectives. In the medium to longer-term, the Government of Assam should commission an integrated climate-resilience improvement programme in collaboration with development banks such as ADB/World Bank etc.

Drawing upon the international expertise and rapid implementation of mitigation measures will help achieve rapid results and put Guwahati on the pathway to a climate-resilient city that will eventually become an engine of economic growth and prosperity for Assam and Northeast India. .