Massive Floods in Dubai

In recent years, Dubai, renowned for its towering skyscrapers, luxurious lifestyle, and innovative infrastructure, has faced an unexpected and formidable challenge: massive floods. While the city’s skyline is often synonymous with modernity and progress, these inundations serve as a stark reminder of nature’s unpredictable force. Characterized by intense rainfall events exceeding the city’s drainage capacity, these floods have inundated streets, disrupted transportation networks, and tested the resilience of Dubai’s urban planning. Amidst the gleaming architecture and bustling streets, the city grapples with the reality of adapting to climate change and ensuring its infrastructure can withstand the increasing frequency and severity of such natural disasters.

Tags: GS Paper – 1— Physical Geography — Water Resources

Prelims: Rainfall, Drainage System, Climate Change, Cyclones, Tornados.

Mains: Impacts of Climate Change in India and World, Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Clean Energy.

Context:

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a severe thunderstorm brought one of the heaviest rainfalls on record, following its impact on Oman before reaching the UAE.
Meanwhile, Mumbai, located across the Arabian Sea, is experiencing a humid heat wave with a high relative humidity of 55% persisting for several days.

UAE is situated in arid regions and receives around 94.7 mm of rain annually. However, this recent event was exceptional, with over 142 mm of rainfall recorded in a 24-hour period, marking a historic occurrence for the region.

Possible Causes of Extreme Rain:

Climate Change: The phenomenon of climate change, compounded by factors such as natural climate variability (e.g., El Niño and La Niña), has contributed to the occurrence of extreme rainfall events.
Global Warming: Rising global temperatures have led to increased evaporation of water from land, oceans, and other bodies of water. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, resulting in intensified storms characterised by higher precipitation intensity, duration, and frequency.
Cloud Seeding: Cloud seeding involves the introduction of substances like silver iodide crystals into clouds to enhance rainfall, particularly in regions facing water scarcity. The UAE, situated in a hot and arid environment, has actively pursued cloud seeding initiatives to augment precipitation.
Thunderstorms: Atmospheric disturbances and turbulence, arising from factors such as unstable warm air rising rapidly, ample moisture for cloud formation, and upward air currents induced by weather fronts, sea breezes, or topographical features, can generate thunderstorms.

What are Thunderstorms?

Thunderstorms, also known as electrical storms or lightning storms, are weather phenomena characterized by the occurrence of lightning strikes and the production of audible thunder in the Earth’s atmosphere.
They typically occur in warm, humid environments and can bring about intense rainfall, hail, and powerful winds. Thunderstorms often develop in the afternoon or evening and can persist for a few minutes to several hours.

Formation:

Cumulus Stage: Ground heating due to solar insolation leads to intense lifting of warm air, creating a low-pressure area (convection). Surrounding air rushes in to fill the void, leading to the formation of towering cumulonimbus clouds.
Mature Stage: Strong updrafts of rising warm air cause clouds to develop larger and rise higher. Powerful winds, often accompanied by lightning and thunder, signal the arrival of the thunderstorm. The course of the storm is often erratic due to the interaction between updrafts and downdrafts.
Dissipating Stage: Hail may form when clouds reach heights where temperatures are below freezing, leading to hailstorms. The thunderstorm subsides relatively quickly, and clear weather begins to prevail.

Extreme Weather Events in India:

In 2023, India faced a series of unprecedented climatic phenomena, signalling a concerning new normal attributed to climate change.
The year began with record-breaking temperatures that surpassed a 123-year-old record in February.
Cyclonic Event: The Arabian Sea saw the formation of cyclone Biparjoy, lasting an astonishing 13 days, marking the longest-duration cyclone since 1977. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), extreme weather events occurred on 314 out of 365 days in 2022.
Loss of Human Lives: Erratic weather conditions expose millions of Indians to climate disasters, resulting in thousands of deaths annually and economic hardships due to decreased farm productivity.
These events claimed 3,026 lives and damaged 1.96 million hectares of crop area.
IPCC assessments in 2023 provided compelling evidence that global warming is exacerbating severe climate-related events such as continuous heavy rainfall.
India is experiencing a 3-5% loss of GDP due to climate change, a figure that could increase to 10% if warming exceeds 2 degrees Celsius.
Shifting Monsoon Patterns: Prolonged deficit rainfall periods followed by intense downpours characterize the shifting monsoon patterns, which have been strengthening over recent decades.
Warmer temperatures, increased moisture in the air, and the impact of the southwest monsoon are leading to heavy rainfall concentrated within short durations.
Recent heavy rainfall in northern India is attributed to the interaction between a low-pressure weather system known as the western disturbance and the southwest monsoon.

Case study:

The ongoing south-west monsoon has wreaked havoc in Kerala. Heavy flooding has caused the deaths of at least 360 people in Kerala since June, the worst natural disaster to strike the southern Indian state in decades. More than 1 million people have been displaced and are recovering in relief camps after 80 dams were overrun by torrential rains.

Causes of Floods in India:

Heavy Rainfall: During the monsoon season from June to September, India experiences intense and erratic rainfall, often exceeding the soil’s absorption capacity and drainage system’s capacity to manage excess water, resulting in floods. In July 2023, Delhi received significant rainfall, contributing to widespread flooding.
Snowmelt: Rising temperatures cause snow and glaciers in the mountains to melt, leading to increased water flow into rivers and streams downstream, potentially causing floods. In February 2021, a glacial burst triggered a massive flash flood in Uttarakhand.
Cyclones and Storms: Coastal areas of India are susceptible to strong winds and heavy rains from cyclones and storms, leading to storm surges that can inundate low-lying areas and cause coastal flooding. For instance, Cyclone Amphan in May 2020 brought high winds and storm surges to West Bengal and Odisha.
River Overflow: When the water level in rivers exceeds their carrying capacity due to factors like heavy rainfall, snowmelt, cyclones, dams, or siltation, it can lead to river overflow and subsequent flooding. In 2023, heavy rainfall in upstream states caused the Yamuna River to overflow its banks, flooding areas along its course.

Impacts of Floods in India:

Loss of Life:

Floods in India result in fatalities due to drowning, injuries, infections, or electrocution. On average, about 1,600 lives are lost annually due to floods, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in the country. In 2023, at least 60 deaths were confirmed due to floods in North India.

Damage to Property:

Floods damage or destroy houses, infrastructure, crops, livestock, vehicles, and other assets. Approximately 75 lakh hectares of land are affected by floods annually, causing damage worth Rs 1,805 crore to crops, houses, and public utilities. In 2023, floods extensively damaged landmarks in Delhi, including the Red Fort and the Supreme Court.

Displacement of People:

Floods force people to evacuate their homes, disrupting their lives and livelihoods. This displacement creates humanitarian crises by affecting access to food, water, sanitation, healthcare, and education.
In 2020, floods displaced about 5.4 million people in India. In 2023, thousands were displaced in North India, particularly in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

Environmental Degradation:

Floods lead to soil erosion, habitat alteration, water pollution, and increased risk of landslides and epidemics.
They impact the ecological balance of rivers and wetlands, endangering species like the Gangetic dolphin and gharial. Floods also contribute to economic losses by disrupting agriculture, industry, trade, and tourism.

Economic Losses:

Floods adversely affect India’s economic growth by reducing agricultural output, disrupting industrial production, affecting trade, and increasing expenditure on relief and rehabilitation.
The tourism sector suffers from damage to cultural heritage and natural attractions. Annually, floods cost India about $14 billion in direct losses, according to the World Bank.

Solutions for Flood Management in India:

A. Structural Measures:

Storage Reservoirs:

Constructing artificial storage reservoirs helps in storing water during high-flow periods and releasing it during low-flow periods.
This moderates flood peaks, reduces water volume and velocity downstream, and serves purposes like irrigation and power generation. For instance, the Bhakra Nangal Dam on the Sutlej River aids in flood control, power generation, and irrigation.

Embankments:

Building raised embankments along riverbanks confines water flow within channels, protecting adjacent areas from flooding.
Embankments increase river carrying capacity and can provide access roads and recreational spaces. The Kosi embankment project in Bihar aims to prevent flooding by constructing embankments along the Kosi River.

Diversions:

Constructing diversion structures helps in redirecting water flow from one channel to another, reducing flooding by transferring excess water to less vulnerable areas or storage reservoirs.
Projects like the Indira Gandhi Canal divert water from rivers to arid regions for irrigation and drinking.

B. Non-structural Measures

Flood Forecasting and Warning:

Utilising meteorological and hydrological data, flood forecasting systems provide advance estimates of approaching floods, enabling timely evacuation and reservoir operations.
The Central Water Commission operates flood forecasting stations across India, issuing alerts and bulletins.

Flood Plain Zoning:

Regulatory measures restrict or regulate land use in flood-prone areas based on vulnerability, aiming to minimise exposure and damage to settlements and infrastructure.
Guidelines from the NDMA classify land into prohibited, restricted, regulated, and free zones to promote conservation and restoration of natural buffers.

Flood Insurance:

Financial measures like flood insurance provide compensation for flood-related losses, reducing the burden on the government and incentivizing risk reduction measures.
Schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana cover crop losses due to floods and other calamities.

Flood Awareness and Education:

Social measures involve raising awareness and imparting knowledge about floods to various stakeholders, enhancing preparedness and response capacity.
The NDMA conducts awareness campaigns and training programs on flood management, disseminating information on hazards, mitigation, early warning systems, and evacuation procedures.

UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year’s Question (PYQs)

Prelims:

Q:1 La Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in Australia. How is La Nina different from El Nino? (2011)

La Nina is characterised by an usually cold ocean temperature in the equatorial Indian Ocean whereas El Nino is characterised by unusually warm ocean temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
El Nino has an adverse effect on the south-west monsoon of India but La Nina has no effect on the monsoon climate.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans: (d)

Mains

Q:1 With reference to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines, discuss the measures to be adopted to mitigate the impact of recent incidents of cloudbursts in many places of Uttarakhand. (2016)

Source: IE

FAQs

Q: What causes massive floods in Dubai?

Massive floods in Dubai can be caused by heavy rainfall, which is relatively rare in the region. Additionally, poor drainage infrastructure and urban development on floodplains exacerbate the situation, leading to water accumulation in low-lying areas.

Q: How does Dubai mitigate the impact of floods?

Dubai employs various measures to mitigate the impact of floods, including the construction of drainage systems, retention ponds, and flood barriers. Additionally, strict building codes are enforced to ensure infrastructure resilience against extreme weather events.

Q: Are massive floods a common occurrence in Dubai?

No, massive floods are not a common occurrence in Dubai due to its arid climate. However, when they do occur, they can have significant impacts due to the city’s rapid urbanization and limited natural drainage systems.

Q: What should residents do during a massive flood in Dubai?

During a massive flood, residents should stay indoors and avoid venturing into flooded areas. It’s crucial to follow instructions from local authorities, evacuate if necessary, and avoid driving through flooded streets to prevent accidents and vehicle damage.

Q: How does Dubai plan to address future flood risks?

Dubai continuously invests in infrastructure and urban planning to address future flood risks. This includes upgrading drainage systems, implementing green infrastructure solutions, and incorporating climate-resilient design principles into new developments to minimize the impact of extreme weather events. Additionally, public awareness campaigns are conducted to educate residents about flood preparedness and safety measures.

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Massive Floods in Dubai – UPSC