In News:

On August 1, 2024, the central government introduced the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha. This Bill, aimed at amending the existing Disaster Management Act of 2005, has been proposed in response to the increasing frequency of climate-induced disasters. However, the Bill’s provisions have raised concerns about further centralisation of disaster management processes, which may complicate and delay disaster response efforts.

Centralisation Concerns

The Bill continues the trend of centralising disaster management, a feature already prevalent in the 2005 Act. It grants statutory status to existing bodies like the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) and the High-Level Committee (HLC), potentially complicating the disaster response process. This centralised approach has previously led to delays, such as the late disbursement of funds to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, contrary to the Act's intended rapid response.

Proposed Changes

Strengthening NDMA and SDMAs: The Bill aims to bolster the role of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) by having them prepare disaster management plans directly. It also introduces Urban Disaster Management Authorities (UDMAs) for state capitals and major cities, although these bodies may face challenges due to insufficient financial devolution.

Database and Staffing: The Bill mandates the creation of comprehensive disaster databases at national and state levels and allows the NDMA to appoint its own staff, subject to central government approval.

Issues with the Current Definition of ‘Disaster’

Heatwaves Exclusion: On July 25, 2024, the Minister of State for Science, Technology, and Earth Sciences announced that heatwaves will not be classified as a notified disaster under the Act. This decision aligns with the 15th Finance Commission’s view and maintains a restricted list of disasters eligible for assistance, which includes cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, and floods, but excludes climate-induced phenomena like heatwaves.

Inadequate Definition: The existing definition of "disaster" in the Act and the Bill remains narrow, failing to encompass climate-induced events such as heatwaves, which are increasingly recognized globally as significant disasters. Data from the India Meteorological Department shows a record number of heatwave days and related fatalities, highlighting the need for a broader disaster definition.

Critical Issues

Central-State Dynamics: The Bill’s centralisation raises questions about the balance of power between central and state governments. There are concerns that states will remain heavily dependent on central funds, complicating disaster management and response.

Lessons Unlearned: Despite being an update to the 2005 Act, the Bill appears to overlook past shortcomings, including delays in financial preparedness and response. A focus on cooperative federalism and effective disaster management should prioritize practical solutions over a central versus state blame game.

Future Directions: Addressing the challenges of climate-induced disasters and ensuring effective financial and operational preparedness requires revisiting and refining the disaster management framework. Emphasizing cooperative federalism and proactive disaster management strategies will be crucial in improving disaster resilience and response in the face of escalating climate risks.

In light of the recent landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad district, the question arises whether subnational entities like Kerala can access the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)’s Loss and Damage Fund (LDF). While the need for compensation is clear, the process of accessing climate funds is complex.

What is the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF)?

• Established at COP27 in Egypt, the LDF aims to support regions experiencing economic and non-economic losses from climate change.
  • Includes extreme weather events and slow-onset processes like rising sea levels.
• Managed by a Governing Board, with the World Bank as the interim trustee.
• The Board is developing mechanisms for resource access, such as direct access, small grants, and rapid disbursement options.
  • Concerns exist about the speed and accessibility of climate funds, which may affect their effectiveness in immediate disaster recovery.

What has been India’s Role?

• India faced over $56 billion in weather-related damages from 2019 to 2023. Despite this, its National Climate Action Policy prioritizes mitigation over adaptation, leading to limited engagement in Loss and Damage dialogues at COP meetings.
  • High vulnerability in certain regions could benefit from active participation in these dialogues.
• India needs a clear legal and policy framework for climate finance, focusing on locally led adaptation, which is vital for vulnerable communities.
• The Union Budget 2024’s introduction of a climate finance taxonomy raises hopes for increased international climate finance.
  • Without clear guidelines for accessing loss and damage funds, frontline communities remain at risk.
• India should advocate for decentralized fund disbursement methods from the LDF, contrasting with the centralized systems used for other climate funds.

What have been State Interventions?

• State governments, such as Kerala, often bear the financial burden of disaster recovery.
  • Example: The Rebuild Kerala Development Programme post-August 2018 floods, funded by World Bank and KfW Development Bank loans.
  • Focused on infrastructure reconstruction, including roads and bridges.
• Lack of a standardized method for comprehensive disaster damage assessments, especially for slow-onset events, may mean significant loss and damage needs go unassessed.
  • This could hinder India’s ability to access the LDF.
• The Wayanad situation highlights broader challenges in accessing and managing climate finance for loss and damage.
  • A clearer domestic policy framework focusing on locally led adaptation and defined guidelines for accessing loss and damage funds is needed for better climate change protection.

Why is it in the News?

Securing water for the future as the mantra, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the latest intervention has taken up the Shallow Aquifer Management (SAM) model on a pilot basis in the city.

What is an Aquifer?

• An aquifer is a body of porous rock or sediment that is saturated with groundwater.
• Groundwater enters an aquifer through precipitation that seeps down through the soil.
• It can then move through the aquifer and emerge at the surface via springs and wells.
• Aquifers are classified into two types:
  • Deep Aquifers
  • Shallow Aquifers

What is Shallow Aquifer Management (SAM)?

• In 2022, the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) launched a Shallow Aquifer Management (SAM) pilot program in ten cities across nine states:
  • Bengaluru (Karnataka), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Dhanbad (Jharkhand), Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), Hyderabad (Telangana), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Kolkata (West Bengal), Pune and Thane (Maharashtra), and Rajkot (Gujarat).
• The SAM pilot is overseen by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and supported by the Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM) in Pune and the Biome Environmental Trust in Bengaluru.
• Under SAM, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has identified five municipal parks for implementation this year.

How does it work?

• The project involves drilling shallow water injection borewells to depths of 100-120 feet to extract water from shallow aquifers.
• This process helps recharge the underlying layers during rainfall events by collecting water from the surrounding watershed and directing it through recharge pits.
• Consequently, underground water layers are replenished, leading to a rise in the water table.

Why is it in the News?

As part of a multi-agency effort to locate a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi that crashed in East Azerbaijan province recently, the European Union activated its emergency satellite mapping service at Iran’s request as adverse weather and darkness hampered search and rescue operations.

What is the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS)?

• The Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) is part of the Copernicus Programme, the European Union’s Earth Observation Programme.
• CEMS is managed directly by the European Commission via the Joint Research Centre.
• CEMS supports all actors involved in the management of natural or manmade disasters by providing geospatial data and images for informed decision-making.
• CEMS constantly monitors Europe and the globe for signals of an impending disaster or evidence of one happening in real-time.
• The service immediately notifies national authorities of their findings or can be activated on-demand and offers to provide them with maps, time series or other relevant information to better manage disaster risk.
  • CEMS products are created using satellite, in-situ (non-space) and model data.
• CEMS comprises two components:
  • On-demand Mapping
  • Early Warning & Monitoring
• Copernicus EMS Early Warning and Monitoring offers critical geospatial information at European and global levels through continuous observations and forecasts for floods, droughts and forest fires.
• It includes the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS), the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) and the European Drought Observatory (EDO).
• It also links to the global versions of the early warning systems and the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS) for tropical cyclones.
  • These versions cover the overseas areas of Europe that are often affected by extreme events.
• The service is provided free of charge to all users either in rush mode, for emergency management activities that require immediate response and/or non-rush mode, to support emergency disaster management activities not related to immediate response, analysing pre-disaster risk assessment and population and asset vulnerability or post-disaster recovery and reconstruction.
  • It can be activated only by designated authorised users.

Why is it in the News?

Recently, the Uttarakhand government has constituted two teams of experts to evaluate the risk posed by five potentially hazardous glacial lakes in the region.

What is Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)?

• A GLOF denotes the sudden release of meltwater from a moraine or ice-dammed glacial lake, typically due to dam failure.
• These events pose significant hazards, often resulting in catastrophic flooding downstream, leading to substantial loss of life and property.
• GLOF can be triggered by several factors, including earthquakes, heavy rains, and avalanches.

Key Features of GLOFs:

• • Sudden water releases.
  • Rapid occurrences lasting hours to days.
  • Large downstream river discharges.

Threats Posed by GLOFs in the Himalayan Regions:

• Climate Change Impact: Climate change-induced glacier melt accelerates the formation or expansion of glacial lakes, heightening the risk of GLOFs.
• Vulnerability of Moraines and Dams: Glacial lakes situated behind unstable moraines or natural dams are prone to breaching, as evidenced by events like the Kedarnath floods in 2013.
• Immediate Flood Risks: Abrupt water releases trigger massive floods, causing extensive damage to homes, and infrastructure, and triggering landslides and sedimentation.

Mitigation Strategies for GLOFs:

• Risk Assessment and Zonation: Identify high-risk areas and implement necessary mitigation measures, including mapping and modeling, as outlined in the 'Guidelines for Preparation of Disaster Management Plans for Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF)'.
• Early Warning Systems: Establish monitoring networks with sensors to detect changes in glacial lakes and provide timely warnings to vulnerable communities.
• Utilization of Technology: Leverage remote sensing and GIS-based tools for monitoring glacial lakes and surrounding areas.
• Regulation of Construction: Implement construction codes to regulate development in high-risk zones, exemplified by the 'Guidelines for the Construction of Earthquake Resistant Buildings' developed by the NDMA.
• Capacity Building Initiatives: Enhance skills and resources through training programs conducted by institutions like the National Centre for Disaster Management, in collaboration with the private sector and NGOs.
• Infrastructure Development: Invest in infrastructure to redirect potential floodwaters away from communities and critical infrastructure.

Why is it in the News?

Effective execution of elections demands thorough planning, where a crucial aspect is the meticulous formulation and implementation of the District Election Management Plan (DEMP).

About the District Election Management Plan (DEMP):

• The District Election Management Plan (DEMP) is a comprehensive document designed to ensure the smooth conduct of elections, employing statistics and analysis.
• According to the Election Commission of India, the DEMP must be prepared at least six months before the tentative poll day.
• Collaboration among election officials, administrative authorities, law enforcement agencies, etc., is crucial for the execution of the DEMP.

Key components of the DEMP include:

• District Profile: A district profile providing foundational electoral strategy, featuring political maps outlining constituencies, key demographic and infrastructure statistics, and a brief on the district’s administrative setup and socio-economic features.
• Polling Stations: Detailed strategies for enhancing the availability and accessibility of polling stations, ensuring essential facilities such as ramps, electricity, lighting, drinking water, toilets, and internet connectivity.
• Special Attention to PwD and Senior Citizens: Addressing the requirements of voters with disabilities and senior citizens through dedicated help desks, round-the-clock control rooms, home voting options, and advanced postal ballot voting for essential service personnel.
• Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Plan: Integration of the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) plan, focused on increasing electoral participation.

• • Planning, training, welfare, and deployment strategies for election personnel, along with training initiatives for district-level teams to enforce the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and equip all election personnel with the necessary skills and knowledge.

Regarding Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)?

• Management of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) is vital to uphold the integrity of the electoral process, encompassing strategies for secure storage, availability, transportation, and maintenance of both EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs).
• The District Election Management Plan (DEMP) contributes to enhancing the voting process by ensuring its organization and accessibility to all voters.
• Furthermore, the principles employed in the DEMP, such as meticulous planning, collaboration, and transparency, offer valuable insights applicable beyond elections, providing lessons for broader governance.
• The emphasis on advanced planning, data-driven decision-making, and stakeholder collaboration highlighted by the DEMP is instrumental in addressing challenges effectively.

Why is it in the News?

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed its assets to aid the local administration in dousing the raging forest fire that started recently in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district.

What is a Forest Fire?

• A forest fire, also known as a wildfire, is an uncontrolled fire that occurs in forested areas or other vegetated landscapes.
• These fires can spread rapidly, fueled by dry vegetation, high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds.
• Once ignited, they can quickly grow in size, consuming vast areas of land, vegetation, and wildlife habitat.
• Wildfires pose significant risks to human safety, property, ecosystems, and air quality.

Causes of Forest Fire:

• Forest fires are caused by Natural causes as well as man-made causes.
  • Natural causes: Many forest fires start from natural causes such as lightning which sets trees on fire.
    • However, rain extinguishes such fires without causing much damage. High atmospheric temperatures and dryness (low humidity) offer favorable circumstances for a fire to start.
  • Man-made causes: Fire is caused when a source of fire like naked flame, cigarette or bidi, electric spark, or any source of ignition comes into contact with inflammable material.

Types of forest fire:

• Surface Fire: This type of forest fire spreads primarily along the ground, consuming surface litter such as dry leaves, twigs, and grasses.
  • The flames engulf the forest floor as they advance.
• Underground Fire: Underground fires, also known as muck fires, burn with low intensity beneath the surface, consuming organic matter and surface litter.
  • These fires often spread slowly and can continue burning for months, destroying vegetative cover.
• Ground Fire: Ground fires occur in sub-surface organic fuels such as duff layers under forest stands or organic soils of swamps.
  • They burn herbaceous growth and organic matter beneath the surface, often transitioning from smoldering underground fires.
• Crown Fire: Crown fires involve the burning of the crowns of trees and shrubs, sustained by a surface fire.
  • They are particularly hazardous in coniferous forests, where resinous material can fuel intense flames.

Frequency of Forest Fire in India:

• Seasonality: Forest fires in India are prevalent from November to June, with peak activity typically occurring in April and May, encompassing both small-scale and large-scale incidents.
• Vulnerability: The 2019 India State of Forest Report (ISFR) highlighted that over 36% of the country's forest cover is susceptible to frequent fires, with 4% categorized as extremely prone and an additional 6% as highly fire-prone.
• Affected Regions: Dry deciduous forests experience severe fires, with Northeast India, Odisha, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Uttarakhand being particularly vulnerable areas.
• Recent Incidents: Notable fire outbreaks occurred in 2021 across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland-Manipur border, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, including wildlife sanctuaries.
  • In 2023, Goa faced large bushfires under investigation for potential human causes.
• 2024 Trends: Recent reports indicate heightened fire activity in Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya, and Maharashtra, with increased incidents along the Konkan belt, coastal Gujarat, southern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, coastal Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
• Southern India: While Andhra Pradesh and Telangana witness fire incidents, forests in southern India, primarily evergreen or semi-evergreen, are less prone to fires, although Tamil Nadu has experienced recent wildfires.

Reasons Behind This Year's Fires:

• Climate Factors: Dry conditions, high temperatures, clear skies, and light winds have fueled forest fires in southern India.
• Temperature Trends: February 2024 was exceptionally hot, making it the hottest month in southern India since 1901.
• Heat Accumulation: Above-average temperatures over the past months led to a buildup of heat, drying out biomass in forests ahead of the summer season.
• Excess Heat Factor: Western Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are experiencing higher-than-normal EHF values, increasing the risk of heat waves.
• Mild Aridity: Lack of rain and high temperatures have classified most districts in southern India as mildly arid.

Why is it in the News?

A new waste management technology that allows pyrolysis at a community level could help rural Indians cut indoor air pollution, improve soil health, and generate clean power, a recent study has claimed.

What is BioTRIG?

• BioTRIG represents a novel waste management technology centered around pyrolysis, poised to mitigate indoor air pollution, enhance soil quality, and foster clean energy generation across rural India.
• This community-oriented pyrolysis system is ingeniously crafted to utilize locally generated waste, offering a sustainable solution tailored to village environments.
• The innovative process yields three valuable by-products: bio-oil, syngas, and biochar fertilizer, presenting multifaceted benefits for rural communities, from cleaner energy sources to enhanced agricultural productivity.
• Moreover, the self-sustaining nature of BioTRIG enables the utilization of syngas and bio-oil to fuel subsequent pyrolysis cycles, with excess electricity catering to local energy needs, fostering self-reliance and sustainability.
• By harnessing the clean-burning properties of bio-oil and the soil-enriching qualities of biochar, BioTRIG empowers rural households to transition away from traditional cooking fuels while concurrently enhancing agricultural resilience and carbon sequestration efforts.

Significance:

• Computer simulations indicate that the BioTRIG system holds the potential to significantly mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from communities, potentially reducing them by nearly 350 kg of CO2-eq per capita per year.
• This projection underscores a noteworthy positive influence on both climate emissions and public health.
• The BioTRIG technology could mark a paradigm shift in waste management practices and energy generation methods within rural India, promising transformative benefits for communities.

What is Pyrolysis?

• Pyrolysis is a transformative chemical recycling method that disassembles residual organic matter into its fundamental molecular components.
• This innovative process entails confining the waste within an oxygen-deprived enclosure and subjecting it to temperatures exceeding 400 degrees Celsius.

Why is it in the News?

Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the continuation of “Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP)” with a total outlay of Rs. 4,100 crore for a period of 5 years from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

About the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP):

• The FMBAP Scheme is being implemented throughout the country for effective flood management, erosion control and anti-sea erosion and to help in maintaining peace along the border.
• The scheme benefits towns, villages, industrial establishments, communication links, agricultural fields, infrastructure etc. from floods and erosion in the country.
  • The catchment area treatment works will help in the reduction of sediment load into rivers.
• The Scheme aims at the completion of the ongoing projects already approved under FMP. 

The Scheme has two components:

• Under the Flood Management Programme (FMP) component of FMBAP with an outlay of Rs. 2940 crore, central assistance will be provided to State Governments for taking up critical works related to flood control, anti-erosion, drainage development and anti-sea erosion, etc.
  • The pattern of funding to be followed is 90% (Centre): 10% (State) for Special Category States (8 North-Eastern States and Hilly States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and UT of Jammu & Kashmir) and 60% (Centre):40% (State) for General/ Non-Special Category States.
• Under the River Management and Border Areas (RMBA) component of FMBAP with an outlay of Rs. 1160 crore, flood control and anti-erosion work on common border rivers with neighbouring countries including hydrological observations and flood forecasting, and investigation & pre-construction activities of joint water resources projects (with neighbouring countries) on common border rivers will be taken up with 100% central assistance.
• The Scheme has the provision of incentivizing the States which implement flood plain zoning, recognized as an effective non-structural measure for flood management.

Importance:

• While the primary duty of flood management lies with the State Governments, the Union Government actively promotes and advocates for the adoption of modern technology and innovative approaches.
• Additionally, projects executed under the RMBA component serve to safeguard critical installations of security agencies and border outposts situated along border rivers from the perils of floods and erosion.
• Furthermore, the scheme includes provisions for incentivizing states that implement flood plain zoning, a recognized and effective non-structural measure for flood management.

Why in the News?

Recently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has developed in-house software named ‘ENCORE’ designed for efficient candidate and election management.

About ‘ENCORE’:

• The Election Commission of India has designed in-house software for complete Candidate and election management through ‘ENCORE’ which stands for Enabling Communications on Real-time Environment.
• This provides a seamless facility for Returning Officers to process candidate nomination, affidavit, Voter turnout, counting, results and data management.
• The ENCORE counting application is an end-to-end application for returning officers to digitize the votes polled, tabulate the round-wise data and then take out various statutory reports of counting.
• An additional application, the ENCORE Scrutiny Application, allows Returning Officers to scrutinize online nominations submitted by candidates.
• This process involves verifying and marking the status of nominations as Accepted, Rejected, or Withdrawn, facilitating the creation of the final list of contesting candidates and symbol assignment.
• The ECI offers an online portal for candidate nomination and affidavit submission.
• Candidates can create accounts, complete nomination forms, submit security deposits, and plan their visits to the Returning Officer through this portal.
• The Candidate Affidavit portal is designed to display information about a candidate's financial assets and liabilities, offering transparency in candidates' financial disclosures.
• The ENCORE Nodal App serves as a platform for various government departments, including fire, education, police, environment, and CPWD, to issue 'no objection' certificates.
• These certificates are required before granting permission for political parties or candidates to hold rallies, road shows, and meetings, ensuring that all necessary clearances are obtained before public events.

Why is it in the News?

There is non-compliance with the provision of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, the Supreme Court observed December 1, 2023 after going through the affidavit filed by the corporation.

What is About Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)?

• The Supreme Court of India, in 2001, mandated the creation of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund and the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
  • Initially, an ad-hoc CAMPA was established in 2006 to manage the Compensatory Afforestation Fund.
• (CAMPA) are meant to promote afforestation and regeneration activities as a way of compensating for forest land diverted to non-forest uses.
• National CAMPA Advisory Council has been established as per orders of The Hon’ble Supreme Court with the following mandate:
  • Lay down broad guidelines for State CAMPA.
  • Facilitate scientific, technological and other assistance that may be required by State CAMPA.
  • Make recommendations to State CAMPA based on a review of their plans and programmes.
  • Provide a mechanism to State CAMPA to resolve issues of an inter-state or Centre-State character.

CAMPA Act:

• To address the loss of forest area and ensure sustainability, the Government of India introduced the CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) Act.
• This legislation establishes the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund in the Public Account of India and a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund in the Public Account of each state.
• These funds receive payments for compensatory afforestation, net present value of forests (NPV), and other project-specific payments.
• The National Fund gets 10% of these funds, while the State Funds receive the remaining 90%.
• As per the Act, companies diverting forest land must provide alternative land for compensatory afforestation.
• For afforestation purposes, companies are required to pay for planting new trees in the alternative land provided to the state.

What is the News ?

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was recently signed by the Management & Entrepreneurship and Professional Skills Council (MEPSC) and Magic Bus India Foundation, a prominent non-profit in the education and skilling sector.

Facts About:

MEPSC is a horizontal Sector Skill Council (SSC) that was established using a unique Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in 2013 and registered as a Section-8 (Not for Profit Company) under the Companies Act.

The Ministry of Skill Development has been providing guidance to the Council during its operations.

The only organization promoting it is the All India Management Association (AIMA), which is the highest authority for the management profession in India.

MEPSC receives support from the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and is acknowledged as an awarding body by the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), the skills regulator.

Over the next ten years, MEPSC aims to train and certify about 4.75 lakh trainees, create and develop 50 Qualifications Packs (QPs)/National Occupational Standards (NOS), and train over 550 trainers.

It will take the lead on skill development programs in five major areas, including:

• Assessment and training
• Professional skills (including Security)
• Non-Teaching job roles in the education sector
• Entrepreneurship

The MEPSC Board of Directors is made up of several well-known and experienced business leaders, academics, NSDC, AIMA, and Ministry officials.