Development in Coastal Zones and Disaster Management: (Disaster Research and Management Series on the Global South)

In the last two decades, coastal regions have relatively endured some of the fiercest oceanic and geophysical disasters than the earlier decades. Yet, disaster management governance fails to match the human, nonhuman and environmental calamity which is unfolding in its most frequent and unpredictable pattern. Between the Asian Tsunami of 2004 to the devastating Chennai and Kerala floods of 2018 the socio-industrial-livelihood impact alerts governments towards a greater and more serious compliance to laws for coastal conservation. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in 2018 had shocking statistics to share as the deaths and damages related to only Tsunami disaster at the coasts to 251,770 and US$280 billions respectively in the last 20 years (1998-2017) as compared to 998 and US$ 2.7 billion in the previous 20 years (1978-1997). Coastal conservation is no more a question of casual governance but has become a need for survival. The region of South Asia whichranks much higher in its vulnerability, weak resilience and relatively undersupplied governance structures ought to take this responsibility on a priority. The spirit of Hyogu Declaration and the Sendai Framework for Action suggests preparedness and resilience building as key approach areas in coastal governance. The book is incomparable in its holistic and transdisciplinary social science based approach to disaster management which links conservation of marine flora and fauna, ecosystems and land management with decision making processes and coastal regulations. These grass root findings from the subcontinent are substantiated by a section on the most powerful court battle on the Kerala Floods as a guideline for readers to discerningly identify an ‘Act of God’ often used as a veil to hide lack of preparedness, apathy and political greed. This book becomes indispensable reading for anyone involved in research, administration or any level of decision making for the mitigation and prevention of disasters.

Table of Contents:
1. Disaster Management in Coastal Areas: An Introduction.- Part I: Policies, Law and Regulations for Mitigation of Coastal Disasters.- 2. Coastal Conservation in Sri Lanka: Problems and Prospects.- 3. The Coastal Zone Policy in Bangladesh: An Appraisal.- 4. Disaster Mitigation & Planning for Tsunami in Coastal Areas.- Part II: Land, Agriculture and Food at the Coastal Rim.- 5. Coastal Agriculture and Future Challenges.- 6. Land management and Coastal Disasters.- 7. Farmers, Climate and Disaster Management in a Coastal Region.- Part III: Conserving Marine Flora and Fauna.- 8. Marine Animals and Coastal Disasters.- 9. Protecting the Non-Human Animals of Coastal Ecosystems from Disasters.- Part IV: Tackling Vulnerability and Resilience in Coastal Ecosystems.- 10. Building Resilience in Coastal Ecosystems: Problems and Prospects.- 11. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Risks to Coastal Communities.- 12. Disasters and Climate Change Adaptability at Odisha Coast.- 13. Women in 2018 Kerala Floods: A Sociological Narrative.- 14. Climate Change and Coastal Disasters of Bangladesh.- 15. Role of Insurance in Building Resilience for Coastal Zones: Market Versus the State.- Part V: Case Studies.- 16. Coastal Flooding by Dam Mismanagement: Investigative Post-Disaster Study on Criminal Negligence or An Act of God.- 17. Coastal Ballads and Conservation Ironic: Understanding Implementation Slippages of the CRZ Law.- 18. Environmental Sociology of Floods in the Colombo District of Sri Lanka.- 19. Loss and Damages from Cyclone: A Case Study from Odisha, a Coastal State.- 20. Downstream Impact of Melting Glaciers: Climate Change in Nepal and Beyond.-  21. Artificial Intelligence Based Early Warning System for Coastal Disasters.- Part VII Path Ahead.- 22. Critical Coastal Planning to Prevent Coastal Elegy.