Disaster management for heritage properties

Disaster Management for

Heritage Properties

Vipin Kumar Rai,Officer on Special Duty

Disaster Management Department

Govt. of Bihar

Disaster …….

Disaster = (Hazard + Risk) x Vulnerability

Hazard = Potentially damaging physical events, Natural or Manmade

Risk = Probability of harmful consequences or expected

lossesVulnerability = Set of conditions that increases

the susceptibility to the effect of hazard

“Disaster” definition in DM Act

1.Catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any

area arising fromNatural or manmade

Accident or negligence, which results in

Substantial loss of Life

Human suffering

Damage or degradation of

Property or Environment

THE MAGNITUDE OF THE INCIDENCE COULD BE BEYOND THE COPING

CAPACITY OF THE COMMUNITY OF THE AFFECTED AREA.

Increasing frequency of disaster…..

• Growing vulnerability

• Rapid Economic development in Earthquake and Flood prone areas

• Poor Governance and decline in Eco System

• Climate Change associated with occurrence of more frequent and intense extreme weather events

State wise list of World Heritage Sites in India

• Assam Kaziranga National Park, Assam Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam

• Bihar Mahabodhi Temple Complex, Bodh Gaya, Bihar

• Delhi Humayun's Tomb, Delhi Qutub Minar and its monuments, Delhi Red Fort, Delhi

• Goa Basilica of Bom Jesus and other churches of Goa

• Gujarat Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, Gujarat

• Karnataka Group of Monuments at Hampi, Karnataka Group of Monuments at Pattadakal, Karnataka

Contd…..

Contd…..

• Madhya Pradesh Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Madhya Pradesh

• Maharashtra Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai, Maharashtra Elephanta Caves, Mumbai, Maharashtra Ellora Caves, Maharashtra

• Orissa Konark Sun Temple, Konark, Orissa

• Rajasthan Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan

• Tamil Nadu Great Living Chola Temples, Tamil Nadu Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu Nilgiri Mountain Railway[1], Tamil Nadu

Contd……

Contd…

• Uttar Pradesh Agra Fort, Agra, Uttar Pradesh

Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh

Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh

• UttaranchalNanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National

Park, Uttaranchal

• West BengalMountain Railways of India, Darjeeling, West Bengal

Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal

Impact of Disaster on heritage properties

• Heritage properties can be exposed to one more type of disaster

• Climate change can also exposing Heritage, natural properties and ecological system

• Climate change may also increase impacts of disaster on heritage, cultural properties through its effects on significant underline risk factors. Any increase in soil moisture for example, may affect archaeological remains and historic buildings, thereby increasing their vulnerability to natural hazards such as earthquakes and floods.

• A hazard could potentially change, degrade or destroy the aesthetics and/ or the natural balance of the ecosystem of the heritage properties.

Contd…..

Risk during the first 72 hrs. after a disaster• Theft of collapsed or damaged fragments or movable objects in the

property.

• Flooding may cause contamination through pollution and mould growth.

• Risks arising from the surrounding environment or habitat.

• Insensitive actions by relief agencies or by volunteers (due to lack of awareness), such as pulling down damaged structures of heritage value or destroying the indigenous vegetation in the name of ‘life safety’. During fire control, additional damage to the heritage property may be caused by the water used for extinguishing the fire.

• Risk of making inappropriate damage assessment of heritage property due to lack of prior knowledge or experience.

• Confusion due to lack of coordination and preparedness.

Contd…

• General Damage to the property’s outstanding universal value during

emergency response activities. Damage or pressure caused by displaced peoples, particularly

regarding camps of displaced peoples, their associated infrastructure and their waste and energy requirements.

Encroachment. Pressure of development and illegal or uncontrolled

development.• For people Injury, mortality or displacement of staff that can reduce capacity

for security, monitoring and enforcement. Loss of livelihood sources linked to the property.

• For cultural sites Looting and theft. Enhanced rate of deterioration of damaged wood or stone. Risk of the loss of authenticity or of falsification through

reconstruction. Water damage from firefighting.

Contd….

Contd…

• For natural sites (and some cultural landscapes)

Outstanding universal value and integrity degraded through habitat loss and poaching.

Pollution from waterborne debris and contaminated watercourses.

Encroachment.

• For existing management systems

Site level office buildings and equipments may be damaged.

Site level staff may be affected.

Information needed to identify risk to

heritage properties• Factors and process that may result in damage or

deterioration • Assessment of probability of occurrence of each hazard• Geographical information on the location of the property, its

boundaries, its buffer zone, its immediate surrounding, access, topography, etc.

• Geological, hydrological and meteorological information on the nature of the climate, soil, fault lines (if any), water table, surface water such as river, etc.

• Thematic maps of the area or region in which the property is located, such as a hazard vulnerability map.

• Information on the history of different disasters affecting the area or the property itself, obtain from historical records and from specific agencies dealing with different types of disaster.

Contd….

Contd…..

• Inventories and the current status of existing management systems and disaster preparedness equipment and facilities in the property, such as for shelter, evacuation and rescue.

• Hazard-specific equipment should also be evaluated, e.g. the different needs for floods, fires, landslide, pollution events and disease epidemics.

• Local and traditional knowledge systems relevant to disaster risk reduction.

• Complete an easily accessible directory of agencies that will take action.

Examples-mitigation through flood control and

environmental regeneration: Venice city (Italy)

Disastrous flooding of 4th November 1966 in Venice (Italy)

Italy launch an action plan to save Venice by developing and approving special laws

for the cities, making sizeable some and resources available, setting up special procedures and instrument for the historic cities and its

lagoon

Example- Integrating heritage in urban and regional

planning :- risk preparedness for historic city of Ayutthya

in Thailand

Flooded monuments due to incessant heavy rainfall in 1995

Several projects were formulated at regional level in

Thailand including construction of dams and reservoirs, grass plantation along the banks of

major rivers, floodwater retention projects, dredging of

waterways and removal of water weeds.

Example-mitigation through monitoring and early

warning system: glacial lake outburst floods in

Sagarmatha National Park in NEPAL

Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs)

Global climate change causes the melting of most mountain glaciers leading to the formation and rapid expansion of glacial lake. The 1977 flood destroyed park facilities and tourist lodge located along the riverbeds. The 1995 flood

killed 20 people, washed away houses, cultivated land and livestock and completely destroyed a Hydropower station.

Example-mitigation in the face of a potential El

Nino event and Climate change: Chan Chan

Archaeological zone (Peru)

The vast and fragile site of Chan Chan Archaeological zone (Peru)

Example of Repair and restoration of damage cultural

properties : Kobe (Japan) following the 1993 earthquake

• Accurate identification of state of damage.• Appropriate retrofitting measures for improving seismic

resistance and retaining heritage values• Special committee constituted to examine the repair policy for

cultural properties.• Committee members comprised architectural historians

specialist in structural studies and repair engineers.• Committee determine the approaches for retrofitting following

the priority order-Additions using traditional techniques and traditional materials,

e.g. Reinforcement of roof with palm tree rope.Additions using traditional techniques and those derived from

them, and traditional and modern materials, e.g. reinforcement by Carbon fibers sheets.

Additions using modern techniques and modern materials e.g. inserting an Iron frame in the structure for load sharing

Replacements using modern technique and modern materials e.g. through base isolation of the structure

Example : Traditional knowledge systems to

protect heritage properties

• Traditional knowledge system for earthquake resistant constructions in Kashmir and Gujrat.

• Traditional constructions survived the devastating earthquake of 2005 and 2001 respectively-

In Kashmir earthquake traditional structures built using local building techniques of TAQ and Dhajji Dewari

Traditional dwellings of the earthquake prone Kutch region in Gujrat the Bhungas (Circular shape good at resisting lateral earthquake forces) have also withstood the earthquake.

Wattle and daub construction in Gujrat where wood is used for reinforcement for the wall have prove to be very effective.

Reasons we should preserve our heritage

• Architectural beauty is good for your brain. A relativelynew area of neuroscience known as neuroaesthetics says thatbeauty in art and design makes us happy. scientists can trackbrain activity when people respond to design and beauty.

• Historic buildings are physical links to our past. It'snot just about saving bricks, but about saving the layers andlayers of information about our lives and those of ourancestors. Without that, we'd erase the stories of our past, as ifthe people who came before us never existed.

• Historically significant buildings contribute to ourcity's cultural and economic well-being.

• Heritage preservation is more labour-intensive,which means more jobs.

• They're generally either places of great naturalimportance, or remnants of major turningpoints/achievements in human history and,

• The symbol of Pride of a Nation.

Vulnerability of Bihar

• 73% of its land area and 74% of population are vulnerable to recurrent flood.

• 30 districts are in most sensitive seismic zone V and IV.

• Scantly Rainfall once in 3-4 years. Precipitation in rainy season is not so consistent, hence once in every 3-4 years 17 southern districts of Bihar have to face drought like situation.

• Whole of Bihar is susceptible to Cyclone, hailstorm, fire and boat accidents.

Achievement of Bihar in the field of

disaster management• Department of Disaster ManagementPrior to 1977-78 Department of Disaster

Management in Bihar was primarily a section of Revenue and Land Reform Department called by “Relief and Rehabilitation”,

Separated from its mother department in 1979. On 18.03.2004 vide Government notification the

name of department was converted as “Disaster Management Department”.

The nodal department responsible for preparedness, co-ordinated response, relief and rescue works in all type of disasters.

Contd….• Bihar State Disaster Management Authority has been established

vide notification no. 3449 dated 16.11.2007 and is now fully operational.• DDMAs in all the districts have been notified vide Govt. notification no.

1502 dated 03.06.08. It is responsible for implementation of all government contingency plans.

• State Executive Committee has been established vide government notification no. 1597 dated 25.06.08 under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary, Bihar.

• National Disaster Response Force• State Disaster Response Force• State Disaster Management Plan• Standard Operating Procedure for flood• Standard Operation Procedure for drinking water crisis

management.• Formulation of SOP for Drought and Earthquake is under

preparation • Shatabdi Anna Kalash Yojna• Standard Relief Norms(2014-15)

Contd….

Contd…..

• State Emergency Operation Centre & Control Room• Resource Mapping Inflatable Motor boat Fiber Motor boat Country boat GPS Set Satellite Phone Mahajal Tent Inflatable emergency lighting system Advanced life saving ambulances Life jacket NDRF/SDRF Battalions with all latest equipments for search

and rescue operations.• Capacity Building Training programmes for divers, Community,

Motorboat divers, Life guards, Medical first responder etc