Floods have become a norm

Imlisanen Jamir

 

There is only so much we can do about natural calamities, but when disasters like flooding become the norm, the status quo must go.


Every year, we're back in the same boat; whether it be landslides in the rest of the state or intensive flooding in Dimapur. Something is going on and we have to be conscious of it.


Three days of continuous rainfall resulted in the Dhansiri swelling up, breaking its embankments and affecting hundreds of families in several localities along the river.


Flooding has and will always be a problem here. Our waterways are tasked with draining enormous swaths of land. And while floods were a problem before settlements increased, we haven’t done much, if anything, to help alleviate the problem since this town’s boom in population.


Areas along rivers used to be wetlands. When the river flooded, nothing was harmed. Floodplains have since been developed and now when the river floods, homes are affected.


Our attempts at controlling water through means like levees have been occasionally successful. That is, until conditions align and we experience the kind of flooding that we’ve become accustomed to.


A changing climate coupled with our attempts to prevent local flooding are going to magnify the disasters resulting from future flooding events. Homes and property in the floodplain are going to face increased risk.


The best answer is to address flooding concerns now through proactive management of the land. Though a large financial commitment, inaction will not only allow flooding to continue to wreak havoc, but could also compound an already serious issue.


Debate the extent to which human activity is contributing to the crisis if you will, but we need to stop denying the obvious. Our weather is changing, and not for the better, unless you happen to like frequent and unpredictable flooding. And we are not prepared for Waterworld.


If we are serious about mitigating the impacts of extreme weather — in this case flooding — we need to do more than break out the sandbags.


What do we need to do? For one thing, we need to revisit where we allow and even encourage development. Historically, development in flood-prone areas has been acceptable. Living in proximity to the water appeals to many, for good reasons. And with that proximity, the risk of flooding has always existed. But we're not talking about manageable risk any longer. We're talking instead about near certainty.


It's not just about flooding. The increase in violent storms and heavy rains is straining municipal infrastructure. Improving storm water management systems is essential and won't be cheap. Neither is improving erosion control, another must-have to mitigate extreme weather.


We could have started to work on climate change mitigation sooner. But we didn't. Now we're paying the piper. Covering his bill isn't going to be easy.

 

Comments can be sent to imlisanenjamir@gmail.com