Disaster Prevention and Management in the Era of Climate Change with Special Reference to Kerala Flood 2018

The paper examines disaster prevention and management in Kerala within the context of climate change, using the 2018 floods as a critical case study. It situates Kerala as a highly hazard-prone state due to its coastal location, steep Western Ghats terrain, and changing climatic patterns, noting that floods, landslides, and coastal hazards pose recurring risks. The study highlights that the 2018 floods were the worst since 1924 and exposed structural weaknesses in preparedness, planning, and mitigation systems.

The analysis identifies key drivers that exacerbated the 2018 flood impacts, including extreme rainfall, high reservoir storage levels, poor watershed management, environmental degradation, unregulated sand mining, and inappropriate land-use practices. Drawing on rainfall statistics, PDNA data, and government reports, the paper demonstrates how ecological stress and development pressures intensified flooding, landslides, and infrastructure damage across the state. It also documents sector-wise losses affecting housing, agriculture, livelihoods, infrastructure, health, and education.

The paper argues that Kerala’s disaster management approach remains largely response-centric, with limited integration of vulnerability assessment, mitigation, and disaster risk reduction across development sectors. It calls for stronger institutional capacity, risk-informed planning, sustainable financing mechanisms, improved data and early warning systems, and mainstreaming DRR into policy and development priorities. Overall, the study underscores the importance of rethinking development pathways and strengthening multi-level governance to build a more resilient Kerala in an era of climate change.