Urban flood resilience planning and management and lessons for the future: a case study of Mumbai, India

Abstract

Mumbai city, having an area of 437 km² with a population of 12 million, came to a complete halt owing to the unprecedented rainfall of 994 mm during the 24 hours starting 08:30 on 26 July 2005. At least 419 people (and 16 000 cattle) were killed as a result of the ensuing flash floods and landslides in Mumbai municipal area, and another 216 as a result of flood-related illnesses. Over 100 000 residential and commercial establishments and 30 000 vehicles were damaged. The current paper describes Mumbai's drainage system, the details of the flooding and the measures being taken by the city to mitigate such floods in the future. The Mumbai experience would be helpful for planning response strategies for other large cities to cope with similar events in the future.

Keywords:

• Extreme rainfall
• Urban flooding
• Mumbai drainage system
• Flood resilience