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Flood Management Kerala is vulnerable to multiple hazards with major flooding in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 and 43% of the state prone to landslides. Kerala State Disaster Management Plan outlines the need for disaster management to reduce hazard risk. Disaster management strategies include four phases: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Flood mitigation in Kerala is provided by structural measures, with 81 dams, reservoirs and flood embankments, and non-structural measures including flood hazard mapping and landslide zoning, but larger scale maps are needed to develop effective mitigation plans. River discharge is monitored at 38 river gauging stations by the Central Water Commission with flood forecasts issued. Kerala has 68 rain gauging stations, under the 265 recommended by the Bureau of Indian Standards to sufficiently cover the state. Preparedness reduces the effects of flooding and landslides. India Meteorological Department (IMD) monitors weather and Kerala State Emergency Operations Centre (KSEOC) issue colour coded extreme weather alerts to district areas affected. Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) provides public alerts through their website and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, GoK Direct – Kerala and IMD Weather App). KSEOC is working with the Geological Survey of India (2020), Kerala University and Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) to develop a landslide early warning system. In 2020, 14 multipurpose shelters were constructed by KSDMA with funding from the World Bank. Civil defence systems have increased training to support search and rescue efforts, and the government has given greater autonomy to local agencies, NGOs and community groups. Response operations involve the implementation of disaster event preparations from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Kerala Fire and Rescue. Following the 2020 floods, NDRF set up 6,300 relief camps with Covid-19 categorisation. Recovery restores social and economic aspects of the local community to the status quo. Damage assessment and cost estimates are made prior to reconstruction with funding from the (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). KSDMA published a handbook on constructing flood and landslide resilient housing. Further national and international assistance may be sought by the state.

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Flood Management
Kerala is vulnerable to multiple hazards with major flooding in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 and 43% of the state prone to landslides. Kerala State Disaster Management Plan outlines the need to reduce the risk of hazards with mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

Flood mitigation in Kerala is provided by structural and non-structural measures. Structural measures include 81 dams, reservoirs and flood embankments. Non-structural measures include flood hazard mapping and landslide zoning, but larger scale maps are needed to develop effective mitigation plans. River discharge is monitored at 38 river gauging stations by the Central Water Commission and flood forecasting occurs in response. Kerala has 68 rain gauging stations, but the Bureau of Indian Standards recommends that to sufficiently monitor rainfall, the state would require 265.

Preparedness reduces the effects of flooding and landslides. IMD monitors weather and Kerala State Emergency Operations Centre (KSEOC) issue colour coded extreme weather alerts to district areas affected. Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) provides public alerts through their website and social media platforms. KSEOC is working with the Geological Survey of India (2020), Kerala University and Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council to develop a landslide early warning system. In 2020, 14 permanent multipurpose shelters were constructed by KSDMA with funding from the World Bank. Civil defence systems have increased training to support search and rescue efforts, and the government has given greater autonomy to local agencies, NGOs and community groups.

Response operations involve the implementation of disaster event preparations from Rapid Action Force (RAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Kerala Fire and Rescue. Following the 2020 floods, NDRF set up 6,300 relief camps with COVID-19 categorisation.

Recovery aims to restore social and economic aspects of the local community to the status quo. Damage assessment and cost estimates are made prior to reconstruction with funding from the State Disaster Response Funds and National Disaster Response Fund. KSDMA published a handbook on constructing flood and landslide resilient housing. Further national and international assistance may be sought by the state.

Recommendations:

 * Implementation of Sponge Cities
 * Increase hydrometric network coverage and improve data reliability
 * Reduce rates of deforestation in upland areas and encourage reforestation
 * Increase flood resistant buildings