How unit 3 is examined
This unit covers how disasters and development affect each other (dams, embankments, land-use; the medium-weight topic asked twice in Jun 2025), climate change adaptation (asked once, Dec 2020) and indigenous knowledge with appropriate technology.
Factors affecting Vulnerabilities, differential impacts, impact of Development projects such as dams, embankments, changes in Land-use etc.
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Definition. <mark>Disasters and development are two-way linked: disasters destroy assets and set development back, while badly planned development creates new hazards and raises vulnerability.</mark>
Key points.
- Disasters hamper development because they destroy roads, homes, schools and crops, divert budgets to relief, and push poor families deeper into poverty.
- Development can increase vulnerability when it ignores risk, for example unplanned cities on flood plains, weak buildings and slums on unstable slopes.
- Vulnerability depends on poverty, poor construction, weak institutions, low awareness, and differences of age, gender, caste, disability and location.
- Development also reduces risk when done well: better housing codes, early warning, roads and hospitals cut losses and speed recovery (positive link).
- Dams risk failure or overtopping floods, submergence and displacement of people, loss of forest and fertile land, siltation, and reservoir-induced seismicity.
- Embankments give a false sense of safety, block natural drainage, cause waterlogging, and when breached flood the protected area more severely.
- Land-use change such as deforestation, wetland filling and hill cutting increases runoff, landslides and floods.
- Mitigation: dam safety audits, emergency action plans, proper resettlement, catchment treatment, land-use zoning, environmental impact assessment and disaster-risk-sensitive sustainable development.
Diagram. <figure class="ds-fig" style="margin:1.4rem 0;overflow-x:auto"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" id="dsfig-u3-01" viewBox="0 0 338 252" width="338" height="252" role="img" aria-label="Cycle. D = development, V = disaster loss and vulnerability, L = unplanned land-use and projects, S = sustainable risk-sensitive development"><style>#dsfig-u3-01 .e{stroke:#454C5A;stroke-width:1.4;fill:none}#dsfig-u3-01 .e.hi{stroke:#2340B8;stroke-width:2.6}#dsfig-u3-01 .n{fill:#FFFFFF;stroke:#16181D;stroke-width:1.4}#dsfig-u3-01 .n.hi{fill:#E3E9FC;stroke:#2340B8;stroke-width:2.2}#dsfig-u3-01 .n.rb-b{fill:#16181D;stroke:#16181D}#dsfig-u3-01 .n.rb-r{fill:#BD3227;stroke:#BD3227}#dsfig-u3-01 text{font-family:"JetBrains Mono",ui-monospace,Menlo,Consolas,monospace;font-size:13px}#dsfig-u3-01 .t{fill:#16181D;font-weight:500}#dsfig-u3-01 .t.inv{fill:#FFFFFF;font-weight:700}#dsfig-u3-01 .kd{stroke:#16181D;stroke-width:1.2}#dsfig-u3-01 .dot{fill:#16181D}#dsfig-u3-01 .ann{fill:#2340B8;font-size:11px;font-weight:700}#dsfig-u3-01 .lbl{fill:#6F7787;font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:700}#dsfig-u3-01 .ptr{fill:#2340B8;font-size:12px;font-weight:700}#dsfig-u3-01 .ah{fill:#454C5A}#dsfig-u3-01 .ah.hi{fill:#2340B8}#dsfig-u3-01 .wl rect{fill:#FFFFFF;stroke:#DCE0E7}#dsfig-u3-01 .wl .t{font-size:12px;font-weight:700}#dsfig-u3-01 .wl.hi rect{fill:#2340B8;stroke:#2340B8}#dsfig-u3-01 .wl.hi .t{fill:#FFFFFF}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .e{stroke:#B1B7C3}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .e.hi{stroke:#8FA3FF}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .n{fill:#161920;stroke:#E6E8ED}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .n.hi{fill:#1E2748;stroke:#8FA3FF}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .n.rb-b{fill:#E6E8ED;stroke:#E6E8ED}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .n.rb-r{fill:#FF7E71;stroke:#FF7E71}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .t{fill:#E6E8ED}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .t.inv{fill:#0F1115}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .kd{stroke:#E6E8ED}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .dot{fill:#E6E8ED}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .ann{fill:#8FA3FF}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .lbl{fill:#858D9C}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .ptr{fill:#8FA3FF}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .ah{fill:#B1B7C3}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .ah.hi{fill:#8FA3FF}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .wl rect{fill:#161920;stroke:#2A2E37}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .wl.hi rect{fill:#8FA3FF;stroke:#8FA3FF}html.dark #dsfig-u3-01 .wl.hi .t{fill:#0F1115}</style><defs><marker id="ah4" viewBox="0 0 10 10" refX="9" refY="5" markerWidth="7" markerHeight="7" orient="auto-start-reverse"><path class="ah" d="M0,1 L9,5 L0,9 z"/></marker><marker id="ahh4" viewBox="0 0 10 10" refX="9" refY="5" markerWidth="7" markerHeight="7" orient="auto-start-reverse"><path class="ah hi" d="M0,1 L9,5 L0,9 z"/></marker></defs><path class="e" d="M59,40 L277,40" marker-end="url(#ah4)"/><path class="e" d="M298,59 L298,191" marker-end="url(#ah4)"/><path class="e" d="M279,212 L61,212" marker-end="url(#ah4)"/><path class="e" d="M40,193 L40,61" marker-end="url(#ah4)"/><g class="wl"><rect x="138.3" y="31" width="61.5" height="18" rx="9"/><text class="t" x="169" y="40" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle">hampers</text></g><g class="wl"><rect x="270.9" y="117" width="54.3" height="18" rx="9"/><text class="t" x="298" y="126" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle">raises</text></g><g class="wl"><rect x="145.5" y="203" width="47.1" height="18" rx="9"/><text class="t" x="169" y="212" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle">needs</text></g><g class="wl"><rect x="9.3" y="117" width="61.5" height="18" rx="9"/><text class="t" x="40" y="126" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle">reduces</text></g><circle class="n" cx="40" cy="40" r="18"/><text class="t" x="40" y="40" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle">D</text><circle class="n" cx="298" cy="40" r="18"/><text class="t" x="298" y="40" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle">V</text><circle class="n" cx="298" cy="212" r="18"/><text class="t" x="298" y="212" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle">L</text><circle class="n" cx="40" cy="212" r="18"/><text class="t" x="40" y="212" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle">S</text></svg><figcaption style="font-size:.82em;opacity:.72;margin-top:.45rem">Cycle. D = development, V = disaster loss and vulnerability, L = unplanned land-use and projects, S = sustainable risk-sensitive development</figcaption></figure>
Comparison of the two directions.
| Aspect | Disasters hamper development | Development shapes disaster risk |
|---|---|---|
| Effect | Loss of lives, assets, livelihoods and GDP growth | Can raise or lower exposure and vulnerability |
| Negative example | 2001 Bhuj earthquake and the 2013 Uttarakhand floods wiped out years of local gains | Building on flood plains, hill cutting for roads, tourism in fragile valleys |
| Positive example | Reconstruction with "build back better" gives safer houses | Cyclone shelters and early warning in Odisha cut deaths sharply |
| Budget effect | Funds move from schools and health to relief | Risk-sensitive planning saves later relief cost |
Impacts of dams and embankments.
| Type | Dams | Embankments |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental | Loss of forest, altered river flow, siltation, methane from reservoirs | Silt cannot spread on the flood plain, so the riverbed rises and drainage is blocked |
| Socio-economic | Displacement of tribal and rural families, loss of farmland, resettlement disputes | Waterlogging, crop loss, and catastrophic flooding when the bank breaches |
| Disaster risk | Failure (Machchu dam collapse at Morbi, 1979), release floods, induced seismicity such as Koyna | Breaches on the Kosi (2008) flooded areas that were earlier considered safe |
Answer frame. For the interrelationship question, open with the definition; then develop points 1-4 with examples, and close with sustainable development as risk reduction. For dams and embankments, open by naming the projects; then develop points 5, 6 and 8 as risks, then environmental and socio-economic impacts, then mitigation; close with "development must be risk-informed".
Pitfall: Writing only that disasters harm development; the examiner also expects development increasing vulnerability.
Asked: [7 marks] (Jun 2025) Discuss the Inter Relationship between Disasters and Development. Asked: [7 marks] (Jun 2025) Discuss the risks associated with the development projects like Dams and Embankments.
Climate Change Adaptation- IPCC Scenario and Scenarios in the context of India
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Definition. <mark>Climate change adaptation is adjusting natural and human systems to actual or expected climate effects so as to reduce harm and use opportunities; mitigation, in contrast, cuts greenhouse gas emissions at the source.</mark>
Key points.
- Adaptation is needed because rising temperature, sea level and extreme rainfall increase floods, droughts and cyclones, so its objective is to reduce vulnerability and build resilience.
- Structural approaches are physical works such as sea walls, flood embankments, and cyclone shelters; non-structural ones are early warning, land-use rules, insurance and awareness; ecosystem-based ones are mangroves, wetlands and afforestation.
- Examples: drought-tolerant crops in agriculture, rainwater harvesting for water, coastal mangroves, and green and flood-resilient urban planning.
- IPCC scenarios project future warming under different emission paths (low, medium and high emission pathways), and every pathway shows more extreme events, so adaptation is needed even if mitigation succeeds.
- In the Indian context the scenarios point to more heat waves, an erratic and more intense monsoon, glacier retreat in the Himalaya, sea-level rise on the long coastline, and more cyclones, floods and droughts.
- India responds through the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) with its eight missions, State Action Plans on Climate Change, and the NDMA guidelines; internationally through the UNFCCC, the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework.
Comparison.
| Basis | Adaptation | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Aim | Reduce harm from climate effects | Reduce greenhouse gas emissions |
| Example | Sea wall, mangroves, crop change | Solar power, afforestation, efficiency |
| Scale of benefit | Local and immediate | Global and long term |
Answer frame. Open with the definition and the adaptation versus mitigation contrast; develop need and objectives, then the three approaches with one example each for agriculture, water, coast and city; close with India's NAPCC and IPCC scenarios, stating that adaptation and mitigation must go together.
Asked: [7 marks] (Dec 2020) What do you mean by "Climate Change Adaptation"? Write in detail.
Relevance of indigenous knowledge, appropriate technology and local resources
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Definition. <mark>Indigenous knowledge is the traditional, locally tested wisdom of a community for coping with hazards, and appropriate technology is simple, affordable technology that suits local needs and skills.</mark>
Key points.
- Communities have long used stilted houses, flood-season crop patterns and reading of animal and weather signs to reduce risk.
- Local resources such as bamboo, stone, labour and village institutions allow quick, cheap and sustainable response and rebuilding.
- Appropriate technology is easy to maintain and culturally accepted, so people actually use it.
- Combining it with modern science improves community-based disaster risk reduction.
- Examples from India are the earthquake-resistant Kath-Kuni and Dhajji-Dewari houses of the Himalaya, the Andaman islanders who moved to high ground before the 2004 tsunami, and traditional johads and step-wells that store rainwater against drought.
- Its limit is that local knowledge is not always documented or scaled, so it should be recorded, validated and supported by planners rather than replaced.
Last-minute revision
- Disasters and development affect each other in both directions.
- Poor planning raises vulnerability; good development lowers it.
- Dam risks: failure, floods, displacement, seismicity.
- Embankments: false security, waterlogging, severe breach floods.
- Deforestation and land-use change increase floods and landslides.
- Adaptation adjusts to climate impacts; mitigation cuts emissions.
- Adaptation approaches: structural, non-structural, ecosystem-based.
- India: NAPCC; global: IPCC, UNFCCC, Paris Agreement.
- Indigenous knowledge is local, tested and low-cost.
- Kosi embankment breach (2008) and Machchu dam failure (1979) are the standard Indian examples.
- Koyna is the example of reservoir-induced seismicity.
- Sustainable development means meeting present needs without raising future disaster risk.
Memory hooks
- DDV: Development can Deepen Vulnerability.
- Dam risks: FDSS (Failure, Displacement, Siltation, Seismicity).
- Adaptation approaches: SNE (Structural, Non-structural, Ecosystem).
- Adapt = adjust to change; mitigate = make emissions less.
Coverage checklist
- Factors affecting Vulnerabilities, differential impacts, impact of Development projects such as dams, embankments, changes in Land-use etc.: Jun 2025 interrelationship; Jun 2025 dams and embankments.
- Climate Change Adaptation- IPCC Scenario and Scenarios in the context of India: Dec 2020 climate change adaptation.
- Relevance of indigenous knowledge, appropriate technology and local resources: no past questions.