WWW.GFDRR.0RG Stories of Impact A series highlighting achievements in disaster risk management initiatives Rapidly Assessing Flood Damage in Uttarakhand, India REGION: SOUTH ASIA RESULTS & ACHIEVEMENTS COUNTRY: INDIA " Th Jont RpidDamae NedsFOCUS AREA: RESILIENT RECOVERY *The Joint Rapid Damage Needs Assessment conducted by GFDRR, the The state of Uttarakhand, India, is all too familiar with the World Bank, and the Asian Development adverse impacts of high rainfall and fooding. However, Bank informed a $250 million recovery the monsoons of 2013 brought together a devastating and resilience project on behalf of the ant enaioleeoent soi aloftion combination of environmental and social factors that resulted Internationalin the country's worst disaster since the 2004 tsunami. A * The Assessment also provided the multi-day downpour brought early and torrential rainfall to necessary groundwork for the Govern- much of the mountainous region, triggering the collapse of a ment of Uttarakhand and other agencies glacial lake dam and causing heavy fooding and landslides to quickly prioritize and respond to the that claimed upwards of 4,000 lives and affected nearly a regions most affected by the disaster. million people. * Teams supported by GFDRR identified a In partnership with the Government of Uttarakhand and the need for more than $661 million in recovery and reconstruction funds, ain D op ank, the Wrd Bank, a G lobal catalyzing an immediate response on behalf of the government. conducted a Joint Rapid Damage Needs Assessment (JRDNA) for the region soon after the disaster, completing * In addition to short-term needs, the a thorough analysis of damage to a variety of social and Assessment also provided valuable economic sectors in just over a week. The assessment insight on actionable areas for risk reduction to build resilience against future flood events, such as enhanced hydrome- recovery and reconstruction efforts to begin. teorlogical systems, robust early warning systems, strengthening of the State Di- saster Management Authority, and more. Q G F D R R "0THE WORLD BANK the ~ ~ monsoons .. of--.- 203bogt IoehraU eattn Context The Uttarakhand disaster was aggravated by an ongoing LESSONS LEARNED Hindu pilgrimage and especially busy tourist season. Thousands were stranded when heavy flooding washed away bridges, roadways, and other infrastructure, requiring the and risk reduction efforts. The findings from the mobilization of the Indian Army, Air Force, and Paramilitary Assessment clearly showed the scale and socio- troops to help evacuate more than 110,000 people from economic impact of the food damage, which surpassed affected areas. any historical precedent in the region and was the second largest national disaster in decades. The report The flash flooding also set off a series of catastrophic also uncovered the extent of seCtor-specific damage of landslides that decimated mountain-dwelling communities. In the flooding, which included an estimated $1 billion loss response, the Government of Uttarakhand requested support in tourism revenue for the year and, by the end of the from both the World Bank and the Asian Development recovery period, more than $3.8 billion in total economic Bank, bringing together teams of experts to work alongside losses. Road connectivity was revealed to be an essential government officials in assessing recovery and construction component for a more resilient tourism sector, informing needs in the region, especially in regards to infrastructure, a World Bank project to improve infrastructure, enhance housing, services, and livelihoods. weather impact forecasting, and better mitigate risks from severe storms and landslides. Approach Previous recovery efforts can inform reconstruction The need to quickly start reconstruction and rehabilitation, strategies. The Assessment also recommended the coupled with incessant rainfall and limited accessibility creation of a comprehensive recovery and reconstruction to remote areas, brought challenges and urgency to the framework that would provide a sequenced, prioritized. JRDNA project. The effort: and programmatic action plan to guide resilient * Was broadly based on the Damage and Loss rebuilding and investment. The suggested strategy drew Assessment (DaLA) methodology developed by upon various lessons learned from prior recovery efforts the United Nations and updated and expanded by in regions such as Bangladesh, Mexico, and Haiti, which GFDRR. included the importance of both immediate action and * Aimed to give the Government of Uttarakhand detailed analyses of lost assets, along with 'build back smarter' guidelines to incorporate resilience into reconstruction projects. Next Steps * Focused on the floods' impact on 10 specific The Assessment provided the Government of Uttarakhand sectors-housing, public buildings, roads and bridges, with preliminary steps towards a comprehensive recovery urban and rural infrastructure, livelihoods, irrigation, and reconstruction framework. Area specihc studies tourism, energy, and environmental-enabling rapid were recommended to generate detailed and prioritized and effective recovery efforts. needs for reconstruction efforts, along with hnancial * Detailed findings on the impact of the flooding and implementation strategies. These recommendations and resulting landslides in a comprehensive report informed a $250 million project funded by the World Bank delivered to the Government of Uttarakhand in early that aims to ensure sustainable social and economic August 2013. restoration in the region. "The need to immediately start the recovery and reconstruction work, especially in the most affected areas, prompted the needsfor a rapid assessment to understand the nature of damages post-disaster." - Subhash Kumar, Chief Secretary, Government of UtLarakhand Contact Shaela Rahman I Senior Communications Owhcerh GFDRR srahman@worldbank.org a +1W202-458-0283 www.gwfderr.oarg *Atf hgures in US m tollars