3.2. Study Area Overview

This is Mumbai, the financial capital of India, this is also Mumbai at Dharavi area close opposite to Bandra-Kurla complex, and this is Mithi river, mangrove forest and this is Bandra-Kurla and this is Dharavi areas okay, this is our study area.

This chunk introduces Mumbai as the chosen study area. It highlights two significant locations: Dharavi and Bandra-Kurla complex. Though Mumbai is known as a thriving financial hub, Dharavi is noted for its unique challenges and community dynamics. This geographical context is essential for understanding the complexities of disaster risk governance, as it provides a backdrop for community participation in disaster management.

Imagine a bustling city where skyscrapers symbolize financial prosperity, but hidden within the city are communities facing daily struggles. Just like a thriving farm might have a patch of dry land, Mumbai celebrates both its wealth and the challenges within its poorer districts.

In 2005 there was a catastrophic disaster in Mumbai, one day 1000 almost 1000 millimetre of rainfall and it paralyzed the city, 60% of the city were indirectly or directly affected okay. Around 1,000 people were killed due to this flood just one day flood or 2 days flood.

Here, we learn about a pivotal event in Mumbai's history: the 2005 flood, where an exceptional amount of rain fell in just one day. This extraordinary weather led to widespread flooding and chaos, affecting a majority of the city and leading to significant loss of life. The magnitude of this disaster emphasizes the importance of preparedness and community engagement in risk governance.

Consider a severe thunderstorm that brings unexpected heavy rain. Just as a neighborhood might struggle with overflowing gutters and flooded streets, a city like Mumbai faced a disaster on a much larger scale—with human lives and infrastructure at stake.

This is Maharashtra, and this is Mumbai you can see Mumbai and then here is our study area Dharavi this is Mithi river coming for Vihar, Powai and this is Dharavi area and this is our study area, two study areas basically Kalaquila and Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in Dharavi.

This chunk provides a visual representation of the study area, identifying its boundaries and key locations such as the Mithi River and settlements in Dharavi. By mapping out these areas, we can better understand the environmental challenges and vulnerabilities faced by the communities living there, which is crucial for effective disaster risk management.

Imagine looking at a map of your hometown and identifying areas that flood during heavy rains. Just as those flood-prone areas need special attention, Mumbai's Dharavi requires focused strategies to manage its unique challenges.

So you can see here more clearly that is encroached land on the settlement on Mithi riverbank it was earlier a mangrove forest. These are some of the glimpse of 100 square meter area total population is within this small place 25,000. We had a project there, one integrated disaster risk management for megacity Mumbai by Kyoto University, along with in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation of here in Mumbai and school of planning and architecture and other many Institutes like JJ College of Architecture, Tata Institute of Social Science. They were involved in this project for integrated disaster risk management megacity Mumbai.

This section highlights the serious issue of population density and land encroachment along the Mithi River in Dharavi. It notes that an astonishing 25,000 people may live in just a small area of 100 square meters, leading to increased vulnerability during disasters. The collaborative project developed to address these challenges emphasizes multi-institutional involvement in disaster risk management.

Think of a crowded room where too many people share a small space. Just as that situation can lead to chaos, densely populated areas like Dharavi increase the risk during disasters, making effective management critical.

We set up a small office in a ward G-North ward, MCGM, a research hub from there imagine this is a timeline, we started to say used to go to Dharavi and say people hey hello how are you, and then we started to build kind of rapport with the people. People say hello, how are you they are talking about many issues, they are concerned about their livelihood issues, their job, family issues, housing issues. We have chat over on tea stall and juice shop wherever whatever places we have, then they started talk about the flood and waterlogging problem in this area and we had continuous discussions and we said can we help you? can you help you some manner, before that we did not really put our plan to them we just wanted to know that this proposal should come from them and we should also try to understand them their concerns?

This part describes how researchers initiated engagement with the community in Dharavi by building rapport and relationships. By being present in local spaces like tea shops and engaging in conversations about the community's concerns, they created a platform for residents to voice their issues. This participative approach is essential for effective disaster risk governance, as it places the community's needs and ideas at the forefront.

Imagine a teacher who listens carefully to students' concerns before setting classroom rules. By building trust and understanding, the teacher can tailor the environment to better suit students' needs, just as the researchers did with the community.

So they said that yes we need some help if you can do to manage better the flood we are facing every year. So we developed risk mapping and then over the period of time we developed an action plan with them. I will talk about that how we involved these communities into this decision-making process. That was the phase one and that we first identified the stakeholder and we developed a base map and also Phase two we developed a risk mapping and prioritisation of work.

In response to community needs, researchers collaborated with residents to create risk maps and action plans for flood management. This collaborative phase involved identifying stakeholders, which is vital for inclusive decision-making, and prioritizing necessary actions, ensuring that the most pressing issues are addressed first.

Similar to how a community might come together to create a neighborhood watch plan, involving everyone in these discussions ensures that the solutions chosen are effective and representative of the community's actual needs.

We use different kind of tools like mapping, group discussions, town watching, observations, photographs, secondary data collection techniques and methods were also used like content analysis, documentations okay. So this is some of the photographs during the survey. Here is some of the glimpse and picture you can see that we what we conducted open-ended interview, group discussions.

This final chunk outlines the various methods utilized to engage with the community and gather data. Techniques like mapping and group discussions allow researchers to visually and verbally capture community insights, while diverse methodologies, including observational studies and interviews, enhance the richness of the data collected.

Think of a chef using different ingredients to create a diverse meal. Just as varying methods help to paint a complete picture when addressing community concerns, a combination of research methods allows for a deeper understanding of local challenges.

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