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Mehewa Ward, Gorakhpur, India: Extreme Rainfall, Climate Change and Flooding (Policy Brief)

Author: Sarah Opitz-Stapleton

The causes of waterlogging and flooding in Gorakhpur City are diverse and complex. Rainfall events during the monsoon - some extreme amounts falling in short durations and others comprised of multiple days of steady rain - can trigger massive flooding. In many wards of the city, such as Mehewa Ward, duration and depth of waterlogging and flooding is more determined by drainage, development and solid waste management than it is by any single rainfall event. The infilling of historic ponds and lakes for development, without the necessary stormwater and wastewater drainage network, reduces rain infiltration and causes localised flooding and waterlogging that disrupts business and damages household assets in Mehewa. This policy brief describes the types of rainfall events that currently trigger flooding and waterlogging in Mehewa, and how climate change might alter the frequency of these events. 

Citation: Opitz-Stapleton, S. (2013). Mehewa Ward, Gorakhpur, India: Extreme rainfall, climate change and flooding. Boulder, CO: Institute for Social and Environmental Transition-International.

Funded By: The Rockefeller Foundation