Understanding Disasters and Their Management:
A disaster is an unfortunate event that causes damage to infrastructure as well as human lives. The ecological and environmental damage, loss of lives, and destruction depend on the intensity of the disaster. The measures taken to deal with disasters in a holistic way are known as disaster management. Now let us understand why and how a natural disaster such as the landslides in Wayanad, Kerala, happened and what we can do to deal with them.
Why did the Wayanad Landslide Happen?
There are many reasons behind the landslides that happened in Wayanad, Kerala. Let us understand the major ones:
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Unplanned development:
Unplanned development of land resources in any area causes a great deal of pressure on the environment. The first thing it does is break the ecological balance and harmony of nature from within. For example, trees hold the soil together during rains. But excessive deforestation can cause soil erosion, which in turn can cause landslides during heavy rains. This is the reason economic development via land resources should be done in balance with natural land resources. This unplanned development has played a huge factor in the Wayanad crisis in Kerala.
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Unusual rainfall patterns:
Wayanad has recorded more rainfall than usual in the past 30 days. Climate scientists believe that the heating up of the Arabian Sea is creating deep cloud systems, which in turn cause heavy rainfalls for an extended period of time. This is the leading factor in causing landslides in a short amount of time in the Wayanad region. The people were unable to cope with the destruction in such a short amount of time, which caused humanitarian crises for the whole region.
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Impact of climate change:
Climate change is the leading contributor to the number of natural disasters all over the world. Due to global warming, the weather patterns are being disturbed, and extreme weather conditions are getting more normal with each passing year. This has had a huge impact on ecological systems in the state of Kerala, which ultimately contributed to the Wayanad landslides.
The Role of NGOs in Disaster Relief:
The Wayanad disaster has caused disproportionate crises among the communities in the affected areas. Hundreds of families have lost their loved ones; many are still missing, and disaster relief organisations are working to help these people as much as they can. With all the governmental organisations, military personnel, and health workers working, it is time for the NGOs to step up for the support of the people of Kerala. Riddhi Siddhi Charitable Trust often works in the face of these disasters to help people in times of need. We need your support for fundraising to make sure we are able to stand up for our fellow people in times of crisis.
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