Topic: Disaster and disaster management
Q6. India’s flood management is still dominated by structural measures, often neglecting catchment-wide solutions. Assess the need for integrated flood governance. (10 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: TH
Why the question:
50,000 people affected by flash flood in Subarnarekha River in Odisha.Key demand of the question:
To assess India’s continued reliance on structural flood control, analyse neglect of catchment-wide solutions, and justify the urgency for integrated flood governance.Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Mention rising flood risk and the mismatch between current structural control methods and complex climate-driven basin dynamics.Body:
- India’s reliance on embankments, dams and outdated flood control mindset over holistic adaptive approaches.
- How neglect of upstream catchment health, land use and interstate coordination aggravates flood risks.
- Why integrated flood governance — basin-level planning, climate adaptation, and local capacity — is essential for resilience.
Conclusion:
Emphasise urgent transition to climate-smart, integrated basin-wide flood governance to protect vulnerable communities.
