76324 Issue #3 February 2013 Projecthighlights Application of GIS for Cyclone Risk Mitigation Infrastructure National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project – Orissa Overview National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project India is highly vulnerable to natural hazards, particularly (NCRMP) earthquakes, flood, drought, cyclone and landslides. In The National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) the last decade, India has seen some major disasters is a national level Government of India (GoI) including the Bhuj earthquake in 2001 and the Tsunami flagship programme on cyclone risk mitigation to be in 2004. India has a coastline of 7,516 km covering 13 implemented in cyclone prone coastal States and Union coastal States and Union Territories, of which 5700 km Territories (UTs), focussing on ex ante risk mitigation are prone to cyclones of various degrees. interventions. The NCRMP is being implemented by The coastal districts of Odisha are prone to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) frequent cyclonic storms and concurrent flood with assistance from the World Bank and supported by hazards. The Odisha Super-cyclone of 1999 killed over the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). 8,900 people and 440,000 livestock, affected more than 15 million people and disrupted over 2 million Approach households across 14 districts of the state. The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority The NCRMP supports India’s major policy shift (OSDMA) set up after the super cyclone of 1999 from reactive disaster response to proactive risk was the first Disaster Mitigation Authority set up in management and allows implementation of a demand the country. India in the last decade has also made driven programme aimed at reducing cyclone impacts significant strides in moving from reactive emergency in vulnerable areas and strengthening capacity of response to being proactive and implementing disaster various institutions. The World Bank offers significant preparedness and risk reduction initiatives. experience in translating national risk mitigation strategies into effective policies and implementable Photo above: May 1, 2008 - Tropical Cyclone Nargis in the Bay of and sustainable investment programs. Furthermore Bengal at 04:40 UTC. the design and implementation of the NCRMP will offer www.gfdrr.org Projecthighlights Left: Schematic representation of Coastal Regulation Zones. Below: The Multipurpose Cyclone Shelter designed by IIT Kharagpur and verified by the WB – NDMA are built to function in multiple ways during non disaster time. They are disable friendly and are the responsibility of the Cy- clone Shelter Management and Maintenance Committee (CSMMC) established around each MCS. important lessons to be shared with other countries in their The four components of the NCRMP are: a) Early efforts to systematically address the reduction of disaster Warning Dissemination System (EWDS) and Capacity risk. The NCRMP has integrated lessons from Bangladesh’s Building for Coastal Communities; b) Cyclone Risk Mitigation risk mitigation efforts. Close to 500,000 people lost their Infrastructure; c) Technical Assistance for strengthening lives in the cyclones that hit Bangladesh in 1970 and another capacity towards DRM and d) Project Management and 138,000 people fell victims to cyclones in 1991. However Implementation Support in 2007, cyclone Sidr of intensity similar to that of the 1970 cyclone resulted in 3,800 deaths. Post 1970 Bangladesh Cyclone Risk Mitigation Infrastructure focussed strongly on cyclone risk mitigation and by 2007 it component had around 2,500 cyclone shelters across 19 coastal districts, The NCRMP is expected to be undertaken in three phases with a robust Early Warning Disaster System (EWDS) along with Phase I covering the states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. In coastal green belts and embankments in place. In 2007 when Odisha the implementing partner is the Odisha State Disaster SIDR hit, over 1.5 million people benefitted from the improved Management Authority (OSDMA). EWDS and took refuge in the cyclone shelters. The NCRMP is spread over the six coastal districts of The objective of the NCRMP is to reduce vulnerability Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsingpur, Puri and of coastal communities living in the coastal states and UTs Ganjam that have the highest population density in the state of India to cyclone and other hydro meteorological hazards and a high decennial growth rate. The NCRMP comprises 149 through i) improved early warning and communication cyclone shelters and 6 shelter-cum godowns, 69 packages of link roads connecting 191 shelters to main roads and a total systems, ii) enhanced capacity of local communities to of 10 embankments of about 60 km length. The portfolio also respond to disasters, iii) improved access to emergency includes up-grading of existing roads and providing bridges shelter, evacuation, and protection against wind storms, suitable for evacuation, drainage improvement measures and flooding and storm surge in high risk areas, and iv) repair and up-grading of existing embankments, and creation strengthening DRM capacity at central, state and local levels of corpus funds for operation and maintenance of cyclone in order to enable mainstreaming of risk mitigation measures shelters. The objective of this component is to improve the into the overall development agenda. access to emergency shelters, evacuation and protection against cyclones, wind storms, flooding and storm surge in The process of CRZ mapping high risk areas. Particular attention has been given to addressing and is done at multiple levels. It managing social and environmental issues arising on account typically starts with integration of location of infrastructure in coastal areas, which are environmentally sensitive and have vulnerable populations. of data using topo maps from An Environment and Social Monitoring Framework (ESMF) has been developed outlining screening, detailed assessment the Survey of India (SoI) and of social and environmental aspects. There is a provision for CRZ maps from Orissa Space preparation of Environment Management Plans (EMP) and Resettlement Action Plans (RAP) as measures to mitigate Application Centre (ORSAC). risks. 2 The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) is a major concern environment assessment and analysis. To meet this objective Projecthighlights as all the sub projects are located within 10 km from the a robust methodology supported by the use of scientific tools coastline. Land along coastal stretches of bays, estuaries, like the Geographical Information System (GIS) and remote backwaters, seas, creeks and other such which are influenced sensing have been used in this project. by tidal action have been declared as Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) by the GoI. Broadly CRZ includes the land between the GIS mapping low tide line (LTL) and high tide line (HTL), the land upto 500m from the HTL, 150m on either side of a river/creek of Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer based width 350m, 100m on either side for a river/creek that is 100 application of technology involving spatial and attributes – 350m wide and the actual width of the river/creek that is information to act as a decision support tool. It keeps less than 100m wide. information in different layers and generates various combinations pertaining to the requirements of decision making. The prime objectives of inclusion of GIS/ Remote ■■ For regulating developmental activities, the coastal Sensing techniques for NCRMP are to help project planning stretches are classified into and implementation and creation of data for future reference ■■ CRZ I – Ecologically sensitive and important areas and for disaster management. Since the inception of the GIS areas between the HTL and LTL cell in the OSDMA in 2007, the databases on Administrative ■■ CRZ II – Developed areas, close to the shore, mainly information, Infrastructure information, Terrain information, urban or built-up areas Climatic information, Demographic information, Resource ■■ CRZ III – Undisturbed areas and those areas which do information, Event information, others have been developed. not belong to categories I or II These databases were effectively utilised in the planning ■■ CRZ IV – Coastal stretches in the Andaman & Nicobar, phase of NCRMP. Lakshwadeep and other small islands Majority of the planned interventions like the Environment Screening construction of cyclone shelters, repair or improvement The project area is located in the sensitive coastal track of of existing infrastructure like saline embankments and Odisha. It was a challenge to screen the project area from roads providing connectivity to cyclone shelters or tower the environmental point of view. The availability of various installation for communication are unlikely to have any thematic layers with the GIS cell of the OSDMA made this significant or irreversible environmental damage. However exercise relatively easy and cost effective. The Environment critical environmental and social issues which may arise and Social screening involve a number of steps which include on account of improper site selection, which become even village selection and vulnerability study. All the project areas more important in coastal areas have been avoided and were screened using the GIS platform and necessary measures considerably minimized by effectively using the Environment were taken accordingly. The process typically starts with Screening exercise. This has ensured that no sub-project with integration of various thematic layers including topographic any likelihood of creating significant or irreversible adverse maps from the Survey of India (SoI) and CRZ maps from Odisha impact on the environment is taken up without proper Space Application Centre (ORSAC). GPS data on proposed Left: Example using a combination of data sets the GIS team was able to identify and demarcate the road connecting the Multipurpose Cyclone Shelter to the main road. Then using Google Earth images merged into the GIS platform they were able to verify the actual ground condition. This does not eliminate the need for actual field verification, but greatly aids the same. Right: In the case of the Saline embankment from Khairnal to Paliabandha village Ganjam district the GIS platform allowed to simulate the coverage that the embankment would provide. They were able to optimise and redesign the embankment so as to assure better coverage. 3 Projecthighlights infrastructure, but has also helped in project planning and implementation. In addition, the use of GIS has helped in phasing of the work. For example out of the 149 cyclone shelters proposed, about 100 are outside CRZ and do not need any environmental clearances. They have been taken up for Phase I. For the remaining shelters that fall under the CRZ or require other environmental clearances, the processes for EIA and other clearances have been initiated. Beyond the NCRMP, one of the significant achievements of this exercise is the integration on to a single GIS platform of the diverse data sets from multiple sources at different scales, making them compatible and useable across a wide spectrum. Using of GIS to locate this infrastructure has assured that substantial portions of the infrastructure like roads, bridges, The Khursiapat MCS, Mahakalpada Block, Kendrapada District being accessed canals and embankments will use existing alignments and by affected population in boats. (24/09/09) are unlikely to involve land acquisition except for minor site locations is collected from the field and positioned in the widening/upgradation when required by design. The new GIS data layers. The next stage is the integration of thematic Multipurpose Cyclone Shelters are planned either in existing layers like roads, forest land, water bodies, weather data and school campuses or other government lands. The adverse others that was obtained from different sources like from impacts are likely to be negligible. the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Space The GIS platforms created are already being used for a Research Organisation, Forest Department, Land and Revenue wide variety of other purposes like for locating developmental Department and others. A 1 km buffer is plotted around the projects and to pin point air dropping of relief material to site to check its location with respect to forest land and other Indian Air Force personnel during disasters. environmentally sensitive areas based on the thematic layers The use of GIS based mapping is playing a major role already integrated into the GIS. Presence of environmentally in achieving the objectives of the NCRMP. It is helping in sensitive areas is ascertained and applicability of regulations enhancing the effectiveness of early warning dissemination is confirmed. Social consultations are carried out through systems and communication, improving access and evacuation the Gram Sabha and social screening is undertaken as per and in better locating infrastructure. Managers can generate the guidelines. The need if any of Environment Impact maps at micro and macro level indicating vulnerability to Assessment (EIA) or Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and any different extents under different threat perceptions. Locations other regulations, rules and clearances is determined and likely to remain unaffected or remain comparatively safe can appropriate action taken. be identified, alternate routes to cyclone shelters, camps, CRZ mapping of the sites is done at multiple levels. Some and important locations in the event of disruption of normal sites would be clearly established as within the CRZ and others surface communication can be worked out, missing links in outside it, some others would be outside the CRZ but still the road network can be identified. In addition identification within the vicinity of environmentally sensitive areas and some of existing coastal vegetation cover and analysis for plantation sites whose situation may not be clear. There may be need requirement could be made. to follow up with further field verification of doubtful areas. GIS mapping has helped not only with the location Satellite data from various sources have been integrated into of Cyclone Risk Mitigation Infrastructure, but also greatly the GIS layers and been used for verification and for generating served in Project Management and Implementation and a precise picture of the site and its surrounds. has helped across all the components of the NCRMP. It has There are other details that are also verified like whether strengthened capacity at central, state and local levels and the location is on a piece of Government land, whether it is mainstreamed risk mitigation into the overall development within the school campus or at least in the immediate vicinity agenda. It has played a vital role not only in the successful and other such. All of which also go into establishing a well implementation of the NCRMP in Odisha, but also is serving informed programme implementation plan. Thus detailed GIS as an example for the programme across the country and mapping work has not only informed decisions on location of even internationally. Disclaimer: The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other informa- tion shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. DISASTER RISK & CLIMATE CHANGE UNIT