Risk Governance Perspectives for compounding hazards: a case study in Megacity Kolkata

ABSTRACT

The Kolkata Megacity is vulnerable to several hazards ranging from weather related to biological tidal upsurge, earthquake, cyclone, urban storm/heavy rain-induced flooding and waterlogging, and others. The Kolkata Metropolitan Area is a continuous stretch of the urban and peri-urban area along with the east and west coast of the Hooghly River, which is surrounded by some rural regions acting as a green belt as protecting cover of the city. Cyclone Amphan on May 2020 made landfall and wreaked havoc when the world was already reeling under the COVID-19 pandemic. The twin disasters—hydrometeorological and biological hazard compounded—and the cascading impacts have affected a significant population on West Bengal. Present study explores the risk governance perspectives in the context of dual disasters. The study also reflects the need of risk informed community preparedness for immediate response and early recovery as the key element for the resilience building. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.