Role of Rainfall in urban floods: A case of Pune city

Abstract

The frequency of floods and disasters have been increasing in the past few decades. The reason behind these incidents could be varied: Climate change, urbanisation and change in land-use patterns. We have taken the case of Pune city, where urban flooding events have been increasing, notably the 2019 floods. We have tried to assess the role of rainfall in these incidents of urban flooding. We have looked at rainfall trends over the past 70 years. Our results show that the rainfall pattern has changed, especially in the last 15 years. Annual accumulation and intensity of rainfall have increased, but whether it has led to increasing floods cannot be confirmed with just rainfall data. There are multiple socio-institutional factors in association with biophysical factors such as rainfall that contribute to urban flooding. A more integrated approach to understanding the causal factors behind urban floods allows us to come up with ways to mitigate and adapt to urban floods.