According to a recent report, the flash flood that devastated Dharali village in Uttarakhand, leaving dozens missing and feared dead, was a result of a critical failure in “last-mile communication.” Despite the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing warnings two days in advance, the message did not effectively reach the community, turning a preventable forecast into a full-blown tragedy.
The Problem with Current Climate Communication
The incident in Dharali highlights a broader problem: climate communication in India is often too abstract and inaccessible. The report argues that for warnings to be effective, they must be:
Messages need to be delivered in a way that creates a sense of immediate danger, not as a routine forecast.
Information should be broken down into easy-to-digest formats and delivered in local languages to ensure it is understood by all community members.
The report contrasts the Dharali tragedy with the success of Odisha, which has built a robust, decentralized communication system for cyclone warnings. This system uses a multi-pronged approach that includes loudspeaker announcements, door-to-door mobilization by volunteers, and community awareness drives, which has been proven to save lives.
Democratizing and Visualizing Climate Information
The report states that climate change is often seen as an “elite conversation” that is disconnected from the realities of those most vulnerable. To combat this, climate communication must be democratized, with everyone from media professionals to citizens playing a role in sharing information.
The use of visuals, videos, and social media is highlighted as a powerful tool to make complex data relatable and create a “cognitive shortcut” that helps people understand danger quickly. The report warns that when communication fails, it is not because the information was unknown, but because it was not delivered with enough urgency and clarity to prompt action.