3.1. Feedback on participation in risk mapping

Another one is that before the flood, it was a house and it was like that, then the local government started to elevate the road okay simply elevated the road year after year. As a result, what happened, they can see that it makes the houses more vulnerable; water can easily come to the house, and it is really risky for them.

This chunk discusses the impact of local government decisions, specifically the elevation of roads, on the vulnerability of houses to flooding. Over time, by raising the roads, the surrounding houses became more susceptible to flooding because water could accumulate around them more easily. This means that instead of the elevation providing safety, it inadvertently increased the risk of damage from flooding.

Think of it like moving your house onto a higher platform but not considering that the surrounding area is still low-lying. Instead of being safe from rising water, now the water just flows around and pools at your doorstep, making your home more at risk.

There is also an encroachment by on Mithi river some people are encroaching, this is a Mithi river you can see that new constructions arise. Municipal authority actually demolished these places recently, but again new constructions are coming.

This chunk highlights the issue of encroachment along the Mithi River where people build structures too close to the water. The ongoing demolition by municipal authorities signifies an effort to manage this encroachment. However, despite these demolitions, new constructions keep appearing, indicating a persistent problem where people, perhaps driven by necessity or lack of housing, repeatedly settle in these risky areas.

Imagine a beach where people keep building sandcastles right up to the waterline. Each time the tide comes in and washes them away, they rebuild in the same spot, ignoring the danger. The riverbanks represent similar risky choices made by residents.

What we found that in 1980 it was a mangrove area totally on Mithi river, but in the early 1990s or late 1980s, some settlements have come, especially the construction workers started to build temporary houses.

This portion explains the transformation of the land near the Mithi River from a natural mangrove area in 1980 into a settlement area with temporary houses by the 1990s. This transition reflects broader urban development patterns where natural landscapes are replaced by human habitation, often leading to increased vulnerability to natural disasters like floods.

Think of how a naturally protective shoreline in a coastal area gets slowly converted into vacation homes. As these homes replace mangroves or wetlands, the buffer that protects the land from storms and floods diminishes, making the area more susceptible to damage.

The flood level in 2005 and these areas, the red mark areas close to the Mithi river, these areas were around six to ten feet of water, six to ten feet that is more than a human height. Also, they had two to five feet in most of the parts.

This chunk provides data from the 2005 flood, highlighting that areas near the Mithi River experienced severe flooding, with water levels reaching up to ten feet, significantly impacting housing. Many houses were inundated, and this emphasizes the severity of natural disasters on urban areas that are poorly managed or planned.

Consider a bathtub where you pour water over the edge; eventually, it overflows. The rise in floodwater illustrates a critical overflow situation, as areas that should have been safe become completely submerged under water during extreme weather events.

They were facing annual waterlogging in these series, and you can see here that most of the building most of the houses they face this one to two feet waterlogging annually and it continues for around two to three hours.

This piece explains the recurring problem of waterlogging in the area, where heavy rains lead to one to two feet of standing water around homes for hours at a time each year. This repetition indicates a severe infrastructure issue and highlights how frequent waterlogging can damage properties and create unsafe conditions.

Think of a sponge that, when soaked, retains water and becomes heavy. Just like neglecting to wring out the sponge leads to excessive moisture and damage, regular waterlogging without proper drainage leads to building deterioration and ongoing safety concerns.

After we finish this exercise of connecting many more mappings and all we ask people to mark us on how they were involved in this project of risk mapping... but some cases we did not improve people's power, capacity... they cannot carry out their projects.

This section reflects on the feedback gathered from the community regarding the risk mapping project. While many aspects of the project were well-received, participants highlighted that despite having information, their ability to take action was limited due to a lack of resources and the absence of actionable plans. Community engagement is essential, yet it needs to empower individuals rather than just inform them.

Imagine planning a school event—while sharing ideas is great, if the students are not given responsibilities or resources to execute them, the excitement will fade. Similarly, communities need actionable steps and support to feel empowered.

We started to develop an action plan for reconstruction, and rehabilitation, response, and relief of this area... to appeal people to carry the vital documents during evacuations.

This final chunk discusses the collaborative effort to create an action plan aimed at improving reconstruction and preparedness in the area. The goal is to identify what local communities can do on their own and what external help they might require, ensuring a clearer path to safety and recovery in future emergencies.

Picture a team preparing for a big sports match; they strategize about plays they will execute themselves and which teammates they need to count on for support. An effective action plan works similarly, outlining both self-sufficiency and collaboration with others during a crisis.

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