2018 Reports

Kedarnath: Flood and Humanitarian Loss in Uttarakhand Districts in India

Dickinson, Thea

In June 2013, extreme monsoon rains in Uttarakhand, India, triggered catastrophic flooding and landslides across thirteen cities, with Kedarnath being the hardest hit, resulting in over 6,000 deaths, 500,000 injuries or displacements, and $1.5 billion in economic losses. Contributing factors included early and unusually intense monsoon rainfall, snowmelt from retreating glaciers, deforestation, and insufficient infrastructure and early warning systems, which magnified the disaster’s impacts and increased vulnerability to water-borne illnesses. In response, the Uttarakhand Water Management and Regulatory Act (2014) was enacted to improve water resource management, regulate land use, and reduce future flood risks, but effective implementation and complementary climate-adaptive policies remain crucial. This case highlights how climate change, unplanned development, and layered vulnerabilities can converge to create preventable humanitarian and public health crises.