Chennai study finds community-driven model more effective than centralised climate policies

Chennai, Nov 16 (PTI) As global climate deliberations at COP30 in Brazil focus largely on centralised climate policies, a community-led study in Chennai finds that a shift from top-down disaster management to a bottom-up, community-driven resilience model is more beneficial.

The report, titled 'Future Amidst Flooding–Community Experiences and Demands for Flood Resilience in Vyasarpadi, Chennai', was released by the Chennai Climate Action Group (CCAG), Vyasai Thozhargal, and the Youth Climate Resilience Movement, coinciding with COP30.

"Vyasarpadi’s experience proves that without community-led design and local knowledge, climate actions will fail those most at risk," said Sambath, an environmental health researcher with CCAG and one of the authors of the study, in a statement released alongside the report.

Based on a mixed-methods study covering 120 households across Sathyamoorthy Nagar, MGR Nagar, Thebar Nagar, Damodar Nagar, JJR Nagar, and Kudisai Paguthi in Vyasarpadi, the researchers found that 99.2 per cent of residents surveyed had been directly affected by flooding, with floodwaters entering homes to an average depth of 3.4 feet.

The study found that Vyasarpadi, which lies just 7-8 metres above sea level and is hemmed in by the Buckingham Canal, Captain Cotton Canal, and Otteri Nalla, faces heightened flood risk.

This is due to a combination of encroached wetlands, constrained drainage channels, and tidal backwater effects from the Ennore Creek and the Kosasthalai River.

A hydrological assessment cited in the report pointed to extensive fly ash deposition across about 3.51 sq km of Ennore Creek and 1.51 sq km of the Kosasthalai River, an area likened to nearly 492 football fields.

This has constricted the floodplain, dampened natural tidal fluctuations, and created a hydraulic bottleneck for stormwater leaving North Chennai.

Economically, the report described near-universal distress: 95 per cent of households reported losing income during floods, with a median loss of seven workdays and a median monetary loss of around Rs 2,000.

This comes in a context where the median monthly household income is only about Rs 12,000.

Every respondent reported price hikes for essential goods such as milk, food items, candles, and matchboxes during floods, a trend the authors said pushes already precarious families into deeper debt and prolongs recovery long after floodwaters recede.

Among those who experienced property damage, 73.9 per cent reported losing vehicles.

Nearly 23.3 per cent of respondents said they had lost crucial documents, including Aadhaar cards, ration cards, disability certificates, and medical records, which the report warned creates additional bureaucratic barriers to accessing relief schemes and public services.

The study also documented significant health impacts, with 37.5 per cent of participants reporting flood-related illnesses such as fevers and vector-borne diseases.

Several residents also alleged that government relief either did not reach them or was insufficient in quantity and quality.

An 80 per cent female respondent profile in the survey reflected the central role women play in managing households during crises.

Despite the scale of impact, the study uncovered what it termed a "communication breakdown" between the Greater Chennai Corporation and residents.

It noted that none of the 120 participants knew the corporation’s emergency helpline number 1913 or control room contacts, and that awareness of designated medical officers and community kitchen arrangements during disasters was "virtually non-existent." While awareness of general emergency services like police (100) and ambulance (108) was relatively high, only 28.3 per cent of respondents knew the fire and rescue number.

Additionally, only 17.5 per cent knew the electricity emergency contact, pointing to major gaps in preparedness for multi-dimensional flood emergencies.

Meanwhile, 67.5 per cent reported receiving early warnings, mostly via television, suggesting that formal communication systems are not adequately tailored to or co-designed with the community.

The report situates these findings within a wider climate justice context, noting that North Chennai houses key industrial and infrastructure facilities alongside some of the city’s most marginalised communities.

This includes a ward where nearly 68.9 per cent of residents belong to the Scheduled Castes.

A youth representative from the Vyasai Thozhargal–Youth Climate Resilience Movement said the findings were both evidence and a demand, stressing that those living through the floods must guide resilience-building rather than "distant bureaucratic plans".

Among its key recommendations, the report calls for the systematic dissemination of all emergency contact numbers in formats and languages accessible to residents, as well as locally managed early warning systems that combine mobile alerts with community volunteers.

It also urges clear public information on flood-prone streets, drainage pit locations, and nearby relief infrastructure.

Further, it urges the immediate clearing of drainage bottlenecks in the Buckingham Canal network and prioritises the removal and remediation of fly ash deposits in Ennore Creek and the Kosasthalai River.

The authors also recommend economic safety nets, including compensation protocols designed with daily wage earners and systems to protect key livelihood assets like autorickshaws and two-wheelers.

On health and relief, the study suggests appointing community-nominated health liaisons and building community-managed food and essential supply chains for emergencies.

It also recommends maintaining updated vulnerability maps of elderly, disabled, and pregnant residents, and strengthening measures to control vector-borne diseases in the aftermath of floods.

Concluding that there is a "near-total disconnect" between institutional disaster management frameworks and the lived realities of Vyasarpadi residents, the report highlights the shortcomings of top-down approaches.

It argues that only a sustained, bottom-up approach rooted in local experience can build meaningful flood resilience in North Chennai’s most vulnerable neighbourhoods. PTI JR SSK