Impact of Flood/Landslides on Biodiversity - Community Perspectives

The report of Rapid Impact Assessment of flood/ landslides on Biodiversity is a collaborative effort of Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) and Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) with the technical inputs from a wide range of research institutes and other stakeholders.

The objective of the process was to undertake a rapid assessment of the damages to ecosystem and biodiversity after the floods/ landslides and to lay the foundation for a recovery and ecosystem based reconstruction process at local level.

It is for the first time in India that such an assessment of impact of natural disasters on Biodiversity was conducted at LSG level incorporating community perspectives of the affect on Biodiversity and Ecosystems. The report also outlines long term and short term strategies for environment and biodiversity inclusive sustainable development and provides recommendations for a green growth for Nava Keralam.

A joint team of 4 BMC members, 2 experts and 5 volunteers with representation from KSBB was constituted to conduct a rapid impact assessment of floods/ landslides on Biodiversity in 187 Local Self Government (LSGs) spread across 13 districts. The team visited the affected areas and data was collected in a prescribed format using Open Data Kit software. Focal group discussions were held with farmers, fishermen, tribal people, students etc. The team also conducted field visits to understand the extent and nature of damage and to record the findings in the designated format. The team also held consultations with representatives of line departments for more information and data was also compiled from other secondary sources.