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Adaptation to Rainfall Extremes: Role of Dams in India

Author

Listed:
  • Agnij Sur

    (Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi, Delhi)

  • K.S. Kavi Kumar

    (Professor & Dean of Academic Affairs, Madras School of Economics, Chennai, Tamil Nadu)

  • Anubhab Pattanayak

    (Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal)

Abstract

Can large dams keep the floods at bay? In the last twenty years, major flood events in India have wreaked widespread destruction on people’s lives and livelihoods. With a threefold increase in extreme rainfall event in these years, severe flood damages are likely to increase without proper risk management. The increasing trend in constructing dams necessitates careful assessment of the effectiveness of these projects as a flood adaptation measure. The study employs a state-level dataset of India for 1969-2009 on flood damages, monthly average rainfall, and concentration of types of dams in each state taking 2001 census defined state borders. The analysis uses Feasible Generalized Least Squares for estimation, while employing panel corrected standard errors to correct for contemporaneous correlation in the dataset. Controlling for population density, dam concentration and unobserved regional heterogeneity, the study finds significant adverse impact of extreme rainfall on population during the South-West and North-East monsoon periods. The results highlight that large dams built for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation have historically exacerbated flood damages, whereas multipurpose dams have reduced such damages marginally. As the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events and floods are likely to increase under climate change conditions, the potential of mitigation measures such as Dam Safety Act 2021 and Flood Early Warning System (FLEWS) in averting flood damages assumes significance.

Suggested Citation

  • Agnij Sur & K.S. Kavi Kumar & Anubhab Pattanayak, 2022. "Adaptation to Rainfall Extremes: Role of Dams in India," Working Papers 2022-223, Madras School of Economics,Chennai,India.
    • Handle: RePEc:mad:wpaper:2022-223
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    3. Rafael E. De Hoyos & Vasilis Sarafidis, 2006. "Testing for cross-sectional dependence in panel-data models," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 6(4), pages 482-496, December.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Rainfall Extremes; Dams; Adaptation; Development;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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