Disaster risk reduction through the learning of traditional knowledge of built heritage: a case study of village- Bagori, Uttarkashi, India

Abstract

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 calls for a historic shift from an emphasis on disaster management to address disaster risk management. It also focused on to prevent new risk, reduce existing risk and strengthen societal and environmental resilience. United Nation also addressed disaster risks in the context of sustainable development and in building resilience through enhanced national and local capabilities to manage and reduce risk. In the light of these international forums, this paper is an attempt which tries to investigate the various physical aspects of traditional knowledge of the built heritage of the hills of Uttarakhand that contributed in surviving the impacts of disasters for long time and helped in mitigating and sustaining the disaster risk. The study gives an overview and explains the viewpoints of sophisticated built heritage with relation to the designs with traditional pattern, limited materials and technologies, which is a kind of survival design for mitigation of unavoidable disaster. It brings out the findings how and why the traditional wisdom is not effectively adapted in the contemporary built environment. The qualitative data collection and analysis is based on the intensive primary survey of the village Bagori in Uttarakhand state of India. The adaptation of this traditional wisdom dovetailed with modern practices will certainly contribute in the sustainable development of the disaster prone region.