Dushyant S. Mohil is Country Lead – Program Manager – Partners for Resilience, Wetlands International.
Integrated approaches such as Eco-DRR can provide a rich base of natural resources in the district, can serve as opportunities for reducing the economic vulnerability of the communities, which in turn would positively impact the social, physical and environmental vulnerabilities.
There is increased awareness about the role ecosystems play in reducing the impacts of hazards and climate change. These include restoring and protecting forests on steep slopes to reduce mountain hazards such as avalanches, landslides and rockfall; wetlands for absorbing excess floodwaters; coastal ecosystems such as dunes, coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves to reduce coastal hazards and erosion. Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction and Adaptation (Eco-DRR) approaches include more inclusive natural resources management with risk reduction across broader landscapes such as Ridge-to-Reef, Integrated Water Resources Management, Integrated Coastal Zone Management, which recognize the connectedness between human activities and natural resources management across landscapes or watersheds while including disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation activities such as early warning and preparedness. In parallel, ecosystem degradation is closely linked to decreased resilience, especially in regions vulnerable to climate change impact.
Wetlands International South Asia has been leading the Partners for Resilience (PfR) programme for the last ten years promoting Integrated Risk Management approaches such as Eco-DRR. As part of the programme, we are working with district administration and with the support of Panchayat leaders to implement Eco-DRR approaches in Mahishi block, Saharsa, Bihar, which is part of the Kosi Basin.
Landscape Settings
The landscape is drained by Kosi notoriously known to change its course (records suggest the river was flowing 160 km east of its present course), subjecting large areas to prolonged inundation and resulting damage to crops and assets. The Kosi starts its journey at about 7,000 metres in the Himalayan range. Its upper catchment is located in Nepal and Tibet. It has a large catchment area, and the hills are mostly loose soil. When it rains, this soil is easily eroded and quickly carried down steep slopes, which is why the river carries heavy silt load. After reaching the plains, the Kosi bed widens drastically and spread the silt and sand in the shape of a huge fan. This megafan, about
180 km long and 150 km wide, is the floodplain. Saharsa district is part of the floodplain.
Intermittent wetlands, colloquially called Ahar-Pyne, act as natural buffers of the landscape – absorbing excess rain and river overflows during the monsoon months and discharge the same during dry months to meet the irrigation needs of the communities. A recently conducted ecosystem services assessment concludes the cultural significance of wetlands in addition to the other ecosystem services that the people depend.
Growing Pains
A considerable portion of land in Bihar is waterlogged. The condition in the landscape of the entire Saharsa district, including that of Mahishi Block (intervention site for PfR:SP) has been exacerbated due to development: construction of embankments, rail and roads networks, reclamation of the river bed, development on floodplains and convergence of wetlands for agriculture altering the natural drainage. Since the creation of flood protection measures (embankments) from the 1950s till 2003 and the creation of the Kosi barrage in 1962, a considerable portion of the land is waterlogged; impeding the river’s natural ability to drain the area. The condition has worsened due to the creation of canals, roads and railways.
Besides floods, the landscape in recent times faces an acute shortage of water in the summer months, primarily due to excessive groundwater extraction and reduced recharge by wetlands. The impact of the changing landscape and nature of floods has been immense. People’s livelihoods, mostly related to agriculture, is adversely affected due to increase in waterlogging and sand casting (due to silt deposition). High poverty rates and seasonal migration remains significantly high for this region.
Floods were never seen as a disaster in North Bihar; they were a blessing. Almost everyone aligned their crops with the annual floods to reap good harvests. However, since the creation of embankments, that is not possible.
In recent years, the intensity and frequency of floods have increased significantly. The Himalayan River has one of the highest annual sedimentation loads in the world, making it highly prone to flooding; with de-siltation as another option being considered by locals living around. Further, climate change-induced glacial melting leads to dangerously high-water levels in Kosi, and potentially more silt, leading to catastrophic floods like the one in 2008. From the embankments, it is evident to the naked eye that the river is flowing at a higher level. As a result, the river water seeps outside through the embankments, while rainwater and streams outside cannot enter the river. Rather than draining the area, the Kosi is sending its water back into it. The groundwater is also unfit for drinking; hence, the dependency on ecosystems such as wetlands is greater than ever.
Solutions
With the gradual intensification of agriculture and fragmented connectivity of river channel with wetlands, these changing water regimes are creating multiple vulnerabilities.
Since 2016, PfR, through its partner – SEEDS, has been conducting interactions with community members and carrying out assessments to understand risk drivers in the landscape. These assessments are carried out using hazard vulnerability and capacity tools and ecosystem services valuation, using participatory exercises techniques for identifying gaps and major issues and concerns to be addressed concerning the ecosystem services, infrastructure and livelihoods.
GIS is further used to understand the extent of change in land use and land cover. Resource maps, social maps, and crop and seasonal calendars are regularly drawn up after transect walks with community elders to familiarize them with their environment and plan accordingly. Further, community capacities on Eco-DRR are built for assessing local water contexts to understand vulnerabilities, monitor wetlands and prepare for extreme hydrological events.
Integrated approaches such as Eco-DRR can provide a rich base of natural resources in the district, serving as opportunities for reducing the economic vulnerability of the communities, which in turn would positively impact the social, physical and environmental vulnerabilities. The fertile soils of the floodplains and availability of freshwater for the communities mean an increase in agricultural productivity, allowing the communities to engage in multi-cropping techniques. The wetlands also provide opportunities for fish and fox nut cultivation.
Prevention measures such as sustainable management and restoration of wetlands can mitigate the increasing risks of floods and droughts. Restoration of wetlands can regulate hydrological regimes in a landscape, thus preventing the excess build-up (floods and waterlogging) as well as recharging groundwater for dry conditions (droughts). Eco-DRR remains a cost-effective approach and offers multiple solutions in a changing climate.
