Western Ghats Faces 1,000% Rise in Floods Amid Delayed Protection
• The proposed Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area (WGESA) has seen a dramatic increase in flood events over the past decades. According to the India Flood Inventory-Impacts (IFI-Impacts), floods in the WGESA districts accounted for 13.4% of all recorded floods in India between 1970 and
• By 2010-2020, this share had surged to 28.9%. The number of flood events in the proposed ESA districts increased by 1,000% during this period, compared to a 410% rise across India. Kerala, Maharashtra, and Karnataka are the most affected states, with Kerala alone accounting for 40.8% of the region's recorded floods. The frequency of floods has also risen significantly, with the average annual number of floods per district increasing 7.1 times from 1970-1980 to 2010-2020.
Impact & Risks
The increasing frequency and intensity of floods in the Western Ghats pose significant risks to the region's ecology and human settlements. Shorter but more frequent floods have disrupted lives and livelihoods, with Kerala, Maharashtra, and Karnataka being the most affected states. Wayanad in Kerala experienced one of India's worst landslides, devastating several villages. The changing flood patterns, including a reduction in average flood duration from 7.3 days in 1970-1980 to 3.4 days in 2010-2020, indicate a shift in the region's climate dynamics. The lack of formal notification for the WGESA further exacerbates the vulnerability of this ecologically sensitive region.
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