Long-term Implications of Humanitarian Responses: The Case of Chennai

Following the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, Tamil Nadu lost about 8,000 people and the lives and livelihoods of over 897,000 families were affected. In 2015, Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, was brought to a standstill by floods which killed 289 people, left 1,000 injured, and damaged property and livelihoods worth US$2.2 billion. These extreme events and others, such as the 2003–04 drought and the 2016 cyclones, mobilised humanitarian action from a range of actors in Chennai. This study examines how humanitarian responses and post-disaster relocations fit into the wider development vision of large and fast-growing metropolises such as Chennai.