Chapter 17
Enhancing Frontline Resilience:
Transborder Community-Based
Flood Early Warning System
in India and Nepal
Yeeshu Shukla and Bhanu Mall
17.1 Introduction
Terai
1 belt in India and Nepal is considered one of the most economically backward
areas due to various historical and socio-economic factors. The area is also affected
by recurring floods. The ecological settings through which flooding takes place in
Terai are also diverse. For years, floods have ravaged the lives of the inhabitants
of this area with unrelenting regularity every alternate year and many a times for
subsequent years. The current trends show frequent greater flood problems in the
area than ever before thus resulting in the reversal of any gains on the developmental
front (Singh 2009). The plights of the people are aggravated by regularly affected
crops, health and employment due to regular floods in this region.
There have been significant flood events since 1971 leading to loss of lives and
livelihoods on a regular basis. In July of 1993, Nepal experienced a devastating flood
in the Terai region, which took the life of 1289 people and affected 575,000 people.
In 1998, flood-affected again about half million inhabitants and caused the total loss
of about 2 billion Nepal rupees (approximately $US29 million). The Saptakoshi
River floods and landslides in 2008 affected 28 districts of the country and impacted
more than 300,000 people (Global Risk Identification Program). Similarly, in the
Indian part of Terai, floods have affected caused considerable damage to the poor and
marginalized. In 1998, 127 people lost their lives and more than 90,000 households
1 Terai, also spelled Tarai, region of northern India and southern Nepal running parallel to the
lower ranges of the Himalayas.
Y. Shukla (B)
Christian Aid Organization, London, UK
e-mail: yshukla@christian-aid.org
B. Mall
Poorvanchal Gramin Vikas Sansthan (PGVS) Organization, Lucknow, India
e-mail: drbhanu53@gmail.com
© The Author(s) 2018
S. Hostettler et al. (eds.), Technologies for Development,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91068-0_17
201
Enhancing Frontline Resilience:
Transborder Community-Based
Flood Early Warning System
in India and Nepal
Yeeshu Shukla and Bhanu Mall
17.1 Introduction
Terai
1 belt in India and Nepal is considered one of the most economically backward
areas due to various historical and socio-economic factors. The area is also affected
by recurring floods. The ecological settings through which flooding takes place in
Terai are also diverse. For years, floods have ravaged the lives of the inhabitants
of this area with unrelenting regularity every alternate year and many a times for
subsequent years. The current trends show frequent greater flood problems in the
area than ever before thus resulting in the reversal of any gains on the developmental
front (Singh 2009). The plights of the people are aggravated by regularly affected
crops, health and employment due to regular floods in this region.
There have been significant flood events since 1971 leading to loss of lives and
livelihoods on a regular basis. In July of 1993, Nepal experienced a devastating flood
in the Terai region, which took the life of 1289 people and affected 575,000 people.
In 1998, flood-affected again about half million inhabitants and caused the total loss
of about 2 billion Nepal rupees (approximately $US29 million). The Saptakoshi
River floods and landslides in 2008 affected 28 districts of the country and impacted
more than 300,000 people (Global Risk Identification Program). Similarly, in the
Indian part of Terai, floods have affected caused considerable damage to the poor and
marginalized. In 1998, 127 people lost their lives and more than 90,000 households
1 Terai, also spelled Tarai, region of northern India and southern Nepal running parallel to the
lower ranges of the Himalayas.
Y. Shukla (B)
Christian Aid Organization, London, UK
e-mail: yshukla@christian-aid.org
B. Mall
Poorvanchal Gramin Vikas Sansthan (PGVS) Organization, Lucknow, India
e-mail: drbhanu53@gmail.com
© The Author(s) 2018
S. Hostettler et al. (eds.), Technologies for Development,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91068-0_17
201