February 9, 2016

Earth Institute, Columbia University,

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION INCLUDING New York
Sustainable Urbanism International,
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION Bangalore
Indian Institute of Technology,
OF GUWAHATI IN CONTEXT OF DYNAMIC GROWTH New Delhi

ASDMA, GOVERNMENT OF ASSAM

Project Recommendations (Key Areas)
1. Urban Planning and Development
2. Natural Resources - Hills and Water Bodies
3. Data, Information and Decision Support
4. Natural and Artificial Drainage
5. Community and Institutions

Changing Climate, Dynamic Growth hold the key to Guwahati flood risk
1 URBAN PLANNING
AND DEVELOPMENT
Mainstreaming Flood and Natural Disaster Risk
 Integrating disaster risk reduction into comprehensive master plan and other city level plans
 Flood and landslide zoning
 Systematize evictions of encroachers
 Plan for increasing overall coping capacity
 Consistently enforce regulations- Set clear guidelines and time table, Standardize “no objection”
certifications for hill cutting and for the “completion certification”, across all agencies. ‘Right Wrong
Campaign’ – on Hill area development, for example.
 Increase low‐income housing and land allocation for residential uses in Comprehensive
Masterplan: enhanced number of affordable housing for lower income families and Implement plan
for three “New Towns” and for enhancing density of existing residential areas in new Master Plan

Urban Planning & Development 1/5

Statutory Measures
 Rules for Water bodies Conservation Act to be formulated and implemented
 Rules for Hill and Forest Conservation Act to be formulated and implemented
 Flood risk areas and flood protections to be integrated into the recent Building Bye-laws
 Development control regulations incorporating resilient building design

Urban Planning & Development 2/5

Infrastructure and Services
Roads and Transport
 Assessing, rationalizing, and modifying all road levels to allow water to flow down. Road levels need
to be matched to other road/drain levels and also to the levels of the houses in the area as many road
levels are higher than the house level
 Identify roads and bridges that get frequently flooded and mark alternative routes and put boats in
place to prevent traffic chaos
 Evacuation plans formulated with community participation
Drains
 Cleaning, De-silting, Installing silt traps and providing drain covers
 Identify and remove culverts and blockages on drains and streams
Urban Planning & Development 3/5
Infrastructure and Services (continued)
Water supply
 Investigate potential flashpoints where sewage, flood water, and treated water get mixed
 Alternate water supply for flood prone areas
Sewage and Solid Waste
 Build neighborhood solid waste collection areas on higher ground and garbage dumping ground
outside city on higher ground with impervious bed to prevent contamination of ground water
 Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan
Power
 Re-locate main transformers on higher ground
 In neighbourhoods that get frequently flooded, install solar power as back up for generators
Urban Planning & Development 4/5
 Infrastructure and Services
Short Term
Urban Planning and Development
 Flood and landslide zoning
 Systematize evictions of encroachers
 Rules for Water bodies Conservation Act and Hill and
Forest Conservation Act need to be formulated and
implemented
 Flood risk areas and flood protections need to be
integrated into the recent Building Bye-laws
 Relief, rescue and evacuation plan for the city
Infrastructure
 Assess disaster risks for key infrastructure and assets
 Neighbourhood level waste collection system
 Systematic cleaning, desilting and repairs of drains
Long Term
Urban Planning and Development
 Integrating disaster risk reduction into comprehensive
master plan and other city level plans
 Integrating disaster risks into Land‐use planning and
large scale urban projects
 Increase low‐income housing and land allocation for
residential uses
 Development control regulations incorporating
resilient building design
Infrastructure
 Road Levels and Drainage Design
 Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan
Urban Planning & Development 5/5
2 NATURAL RESOURCES
(HILLS AND WATER BODIES)
Protection of Water Bodies
 Public Consultations– ‘Campaign to stop Destruction of Guwahati’s Wetlands’
 Citizen Forums – ‘Monitoring Encroachment Champions’
 Formalize Rules and Regulations for Existing Acts
 Develop detailed maps of Deepor Beel, Silsako Beel, Bondjaan Beel, Borsola Beel and Sarusala Beel
 Wetlands and Swamps - Integrated Watershed management, from the regional level down
 Systematize settlement and construction in eco‐sensitive zones – ‘How to’ campaign materials on
good practices: Terracing and Hill Cutting, Land and Road Development, Building on sloping land

Hills and Water bodies 1/3

Forests and Hills
Hills and Forests
 Clear definition and boundary marking of hills and forest land
 Removal of unauthorized construction and encroachment
 Building of channels to minimize erosion
 Planting on hillsides
 Reforesting as necessary in forest areas on hills
 Reinforcement and securing of cut surfaces in hills
Housing and Development on Hills
 Relocation of developments on hills as necessary
 Provision of low-income housing in flood and mudslide safe areas
 Building retrofitting and design for disaster resilience (Landslide)

Hills and Water bodies 2/3

 Hills and water Bodies
Short Term Long Term
Water Bodies Water Bodies
 Campaigns and Citizens Fora  Integrated Watershed management
 Study development around water bodies and  Plans for protecting and revitalizing waterbodies in
systematize settlement and construction in eco- GMA
‐sensitive zones
 Include communities through formal consultations

Hills and Forests Hills and Forests

 Clearly define and demarcate hill and forest land
 Remove of unauthorized construction and
encroachment
 Reforesting as necessary in forest areas on hills
 Reinforcement and securing of cut surfaces in hills
 Appropriate hill slope conservation initiatives in
identified areas to reduce levels of siltation
 Building retrofitting and design for disaster resilience
(Landslide)
 Building retrofitting and design for disaster resilience
(Landslide)

Hills and Water bodies 3/3

3 NATURAL AND
ARTIFICIAL DRAINAGE
Artificial Drainage
 Integrated urban drainage and enhancing performance of existing drainage system
 Develop a “One Drain Map” for all of Guwahati’s major and secondary drains, and (over time)
tertiary drains – to complement WRD’s ‘Comprehensive plan of natural drainage congestion’
 Identify system wide defects – regular backflows, geographically specific flooding reasons
 Identify critical systemic problems such as size of drains, rerouting of channels, re-levelling of
secondary drains relative to primary drains, extensive reinforcing embankment walls
 Subject key assumptions of system‐wide drainage to CC and population growth
considerations – as input into major infrastructure plan & CMP – towards One Drain Action Plan
 Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) drainage solutions that provide an alternative to the direct
channeling of surface water through networks of pipes and sewers to reduce pressure on existing
drains especially in event if heavy rainfall – infiltration devices, vegetated surfaces, permeable paving,
filter drains, infiltration basins, retention ponds..
Natural & Artificial Drainage 1/3
Natural Drainage
 Installing and cleaning filters and silt traps to drains and streams that pour into bigger streams, lakes, and rivers
 Removal of unauthorized development and encroachment in and around rivers, streams, and waterbodies
 Establishing and securing boundaries and edges. Security is in terms of reinforcement to keep from collapsing
and also secured from encroachment and infilling
 Cleaning and De-siltation
 Removal of excessive plant growth in the lakes and ponds
 Installation of visible water level monitors at regular distances in all rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds
 Modification of rivers and Streams : Increase the flow area, Relief channels
 Flood Defenses: Barrier embankments and flood walls
 One Drain Action Plan
Natural & Artificial Drainage 2/3
Natural & Artificial Drainage
Short Term
Artificial Drainage
• One Drain Map and One Drain Plan of Action
• System‐wide drainage analysis based on CC and • Sustainable drainage systems
population growth
• Identify system wide defects and critical issues
Natural Drainage
• Securing boundaries and edges
• Cleaning and De-siltation
• Removal of unauthorized development and
encroachment in and around rivers, streams, and
waterbodies
Long Term
Artificial Drainage
• Integrated drainage plan
Natural Drainage
• Flood Defenses: Barrier embankments and flood
walls
• Modification of rivers and Streams : Increase the
flow area, Relief channels
• Integrated Watershed Management
Natural & Artificial Drainage 3/3
4 DATA, INFORMATION
AND DECISIONS
Data, Information and Decision Support: Systems
are key
 Data management and decision support systems for collection, analysis and dissemination of
critical information to key stakeholders to facilitate improved and informed decision making
 Flood reporting system which will provide key insights into the disaster events and help in deciding
short term and long term mitigation measures
 Urban flood early warning system would extend flood reporting system to integrated long term
forecasts and tools for interdepartmental coordination and implementation.
 Monitoring is recommended as part of the decision systems to understand and assess events and
related efforts (long and short term) as a learning tool

Data to Decision Support 1/2

Data, Information and Decision Support
Short Term
• Identify critical data requirements
• Develop reporting framework
• Systems and data infrastructure
• Flood Reporting System
Long Term
• Data Management and Decision Support
Systems
• Flood Early Warning System
• Audit and Monitoring Framework
Data to Decision Support 2/2
5 COMMUNITY AND
INSTITUTIONS
Awareness and Capacity Building: ‘Community’ is key
Disaster risk communication at community level
 Awareness building about linkages between solid waste, drains and flooding
 Awareness building about hills and siltation
 Citizen flood reporting system
Institutional Capacity building for all key departments and agencies
Community driven initiatives
 Community level afforestation drives
 Community Based Risk Assessment
 Community Based Relief, Rescue and Rehabilitation

Communities and Institutions 1/3

Institutions
Urban Flood Management cell/nodal committee: Institutional coordination and streamlining is
critical. Recommend the establishment of an Urban Flood Management cell/nodal committee
within the ASDMA with representatives from key departments and agencies as well as expert
advisors, chaired by the Chief Secretary.
This cell/nodal committee empowered to direct all activities pertaining to flood management
and landslides in GMA.
Standardize operating procedures regarding disaster risk prevention, relief and rescue

Communities and Institutions 2/3

 Communities and Institutions
Short Term Long Term
 Develop citizen flood reporting system  Community driven initiatives for afforestation
 Develop communication material and drive, risk assessment relief, rescue and
preparedness guides for communities rehabilitation
 Periodically (Pre-monsoon and post-monsoon)
organize stakeholders meeting to review the
events, measures and future Actions
 Capacity building workshop
 Urban Flood Management cell/nodal committee

Communities and Institutions 3/3

PROJECT PARTNERSHIP EFFORT
CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH
Assam State Disaster Management Authority
District Disaster Management Authority
Forest Department
Guwahati Municipal Corporation
Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority
Kamrup Metro DC Office
Pubic Works Department
Revenue Department
Water Resources Department
& Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Lachit Nagar, Ganesh Para and Dhiren Para Residents
Component1: Identification of key features of local climate and its projections
for the GMA
Output 1.1: Historical climate data collection and analysis for the GMA
IIT, Delhi  Identify and collect from IMD detailed information on daily weather from GMA
weather station
 Define, identify and analyze historical weather characteristics and extremes
Output 1.2: Climate forecast simulations and analysis for GMA
IIT, Delhi  Validate global and regional climate model simulations for the present day
 Develop 30-year time slice future projections
 Produce and store downscaled climate forecast simulation data on project server
 Examine the characteristics of changes in climate extremes in the meteorological
subdivision
Component 2: Mapping vulnerabilities to climate extremes, and assessing
future risks based on past trends
Output 2.1: Analysis of socioeconomic conditions and growth pattern of the GMA
SUI, Bangalore  Collect relevant socioeconomic data of the GMA
 Investigate patterns and drivers of historical development of the GMA
Output 2.2 Assessing risks and vulnerabilities to climate extremes of the GMA
CGSD, Earth  Review of tools and methodology for assessing urban climate extremes risk vulnerability
Institute, New York  Map likely (climate extremes-related) flooding scenarios if current patterns of
development continue (BAU) in the GMA
SUI, Bangalore  Research on key flooding events, impacts and reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts
over the last 30 years
 Map the changing impacts of climate extreme risks on the iconic cultural heritage
Component 3: Mapping of key stakeholder institutions and their actions in the
GMA, identifying key decisions
Output 3.1: Field study of two neighborhoods in GMA to investigate climate risk management practices
SUI, Bangalore  Identify and select two contrasting neighborhoods in the GMA in which to perform a
climate extremes risk field study
 Conduct field study (with research and stakeholder engagement) to investigate
traditional spatial and cultural practices
Output 3.2 Stakeholder and institutional landscape analysis
SUI, Bangalore  Catalogue and map key efforts to plan for and manage climate risks in the GMA
CGSD, Earth  Identify key gaps (e.g. necessary tools, resources, framing) in current planning efforts on
Institute, New York adaptation to climate extremes in the GMA
 Engage stakeholders at different spatial levels within GMA to identify key decision
pathways to enhance resiliency
Component 4: Adaptation solutions for climate extreme-related flooding in the
GMA
Output 4.1: Tools to support suite of climate risk management solutions
SUI, Bangalore,  Identify tools to enable spatial expression of risks from climate extremes across time
CGSD, Earth scales to inform planning and designing climate risk adaptation solutions in the GMA
Institute, New York,
IIT, Delhi
Output 4.2: Adaptation solutions for the GMA for climate extremes related flooding
CGSD, Earth  Identify a suite of adaptation solutions for climate-extremes related flooding for the
Institute, New York, GMA, based on research and outputs from other project components
SUI, Bangalore,  Engage key stakeholders in local government, the community and private sector,
CGSD, Earth facilitated by relevant government agencies, to discuss, evaluate and improve upon
Institute, New York, the identified suite of solutions
IIT, Delhi  Finalize suite of adaptation solutions for climate extremes related flooding for the
GMA