Integrating climate change concerns in disaster management planning: The case of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

This background paper describes an action research programme in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, aimed at integrating climate change considerations into district-level disaster management planning. The programme, implemented by GEAG, ISET, and NIDM, successfully moved beyond research recommendations to publish a climate-sensitive District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP) by utilizing 'Shared Learning Dialogues' and the Climate Resilience Framework to bridge gaps between national policy and local implementation.

• Gorakhpur District is highly flood-prone, with data from the last 100 years indicating that floods are increasing in frequency and intensity, now occurring annually in some blocks or every 3–4 years. Approximately 20% of the 4.4 million residents live in cities, and one fifth of the total population is affected by floods, which cause loss of life and significant property and agricultural damage.
• Climate projections for Gorakhpur indicate a significant increase in the intensity of extreme rainfall events. One analysis predicts that rainfall intensities could increase by up to 33%, particularly for events lasting 12 and 24 hours, a finding consistent across six best-fit Global Circulation Models.
• The programme successfully produced a climate-sensitive District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP) for Gorakhpur. This was achieved by providing technical support on vulnerability assessment, using scientific analysis of climate projections to convey urgency to government departments, and embedding a dedicated staff member within the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) for coordination.
• The 'Shared Learning Dialogue' (SLD) process was critical for building capacity and understanding of climate risks. This structured, iterative process of workshops and round table discussions helped various government departments understand vulnerability and resilience building both horizontally (across departments) and vertically (from district to state and national levels).
• The programme's efforts led to systemic policy changes in Uttar Pradesh, including the Gorakhpur DDMA issuing an order to integrate disaster risk reduction into departmental annual development plans and the release of state government orders to further the climate and disaster risk reduction agenda.
• Implementation faced several challenges, including a lack of comprehensive understanding of vulnerability, the perception of climate change as a distant phenomenon by sub-national entities, poor horizontal coordination between departments, and a lack of meaningfully interpreted downscaled climate projections.
• The report recommends that the DDMA initiate regular monitoring and learning mechanisms to update vulnerability databases and that technical design norms be developed for flood-resilient public and private infrastructure.

APA

Wajih, S., & Chopde, S. (2014). Integrating climate change concerns in disaster management planning: The case of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/CDKN_Gorakhpur_Background_Paper-FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Wajih, Shiraz, and Shashikant Chopde. Integrating climate change concerns in disaster management planning: The case of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2014. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/CDKN_Gorakhpur_Background_Paper-FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wajih |first1=Shiraz |last2=Chopde |first2=Shashikant |title=Integrating climate change concerns in disaster management planning: The case of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=October 2014 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/CDKN_Gorakhpur_Background_Paper-FINAL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wajih2014integrating, author = {Wajih, Shiraz and Chopde, Shashikant}, title = {{Integrating climate change concerns in disaster management planning: The case of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, month = oct, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/CDKN_Gorakhpur_Background_Paper-FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }