Why are Buildings Collapsing in Flash Floods in North India?

The Environmental, Psychological and Ethical Dimension

This article probes into the whys of disasters through the prism of Deep Ecology in the Built Environment.

Image Source: Px Fuel

How most of us crave to book that captivating sea/river/valley facing room while holidaying in our favourite destinations. Oblivious to the consequences of our momentary desires, we unintentionally generate a need for hotels and resorts with ‘Instagram-worthy views. Naturally, to make hay while the demand rises, stay and leisure facilities begin to sprout erratically on fragile ecologies- a result of us laying importance on the ‘view’ factor as opposed to environmental consequences and future concerns of safety.

As we witness in horror, our jaws dropped, dumbfounded- entire hotel buildings perched on precarious riverine edges collapsing and getting swept away within seconds in ghastly landslides, we casually go on to blame authorities for blatantly handing out permits for hospitality buildings on eco-sensitive zones. But what we fail to understand and acknowledge is that somewhere as a society, it is we who have fueled this egregious abuse and loss of lives because of our unending whims and fancies. 

In his book The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems, renowned author and physicist, Fritjof Capra speaks of a crisis of perception, one that leads to a blinkered, isolated approach to problem-solving. The devastation in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh stands as a stark testament to this very crisis. In this case, the need (generated by us) gives rise to rapacious capitalism (hospitality businesses), wherein the shining money prospects blind considerations of future crises. Capra then introduces the concept of Deep Ecology, a term coined by Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess in the early 1970s, that is essentially a systems-thinking approach that calls out for fresh perspectives that ultimately lead to a positive social paradigm shift. Let us briefly look at this concept to try and flesh out the caveats that are leading to this alarming series of disasters.

The Web of Life, A Deep Ecology approach Image Source: Medium

Deep Ecology transcends the notion of the world as a mere assemblage of disconnected entities, instead viewing it as a network of phenomena that are fundamentally intertwined and interdependent. It does not regard humans as the centre of life, but recognizes the inherent value of all living beings, thereby viewing humans as just one particular strand in the web of life. What Capra continues to illustrate is that the essence of this approach is to ask deeper questions that emerge from a profound ecological awareness. There is an almost spiritual dimension attached to this thought process, wherein we pose questions not just around facts but around deeper values. Its concerns stem from an ecological perspective, rooted in our relationships with one another and future generations, all perceived through the interconnectedness of the web of life.

Reinforcing this approach further, he calls for a shift in paradigm from anthropocentric (human-centred) values to ecocentric (earth-centred) values, a worldview that acknowledges the inherent value of non-human life. This transformation engenders an ethical dimension wherein our inherent scruples and ethics- our moral compass begins determining our own choices. In essence, if we begin to immerse ourselves into a deep-ecological system of thinking, we will unwittingly make choices that maintain a balance in the web of life and that foster reverence for the network of relationships in nature.

So in essence what Capra implies is that the connection between an ecological perception of the world and corresponding human behaviour is not based on logic but on psychology. The root cause of why buildings are collapsing in North India is because of an attitudinal problem, a fundamental issue around inherent values. What I am suggesting is at a deeper level. Well, yes there are issues around mismanagement, corruption, and political expediency, all fueled in an age of consumption, but all of this stems from a psychological attitude of severing the human spirit from natural networks.

Deep ecology with its innate spiritual dimension speaks of perceiving Nature and self as one. Arne Naes elucidates this phenomenon of expanding the self through an expressive reflection on environmental ethics:

“Care flows naturally if the “self” is widened and deepened so that protection of free Nature is felt and conceived as protection of ourselves…Just as we need no morals to make us breathe…(so) if your “self” in the wide sense embraces another being, you need no moral exhortation to show care…You care for yourself without feeling any moral pressure to do it…If reality is like it is experienced by the ecological self, our behaviour naturally and beautifully follows norms of strict environmental ethics.”

When we begin questioning the root cause of all such occurrences that throw the equilibrium off of natural systems, the answers will invariably point to solutions emerging from a deep ecological perspective. Acclaimed writer Amitav Ghosh in his book “The Great Derangement” builds a strong case around these very attitudinal issues. He exposes how, in the face of climate change and disasters, we continue to be deranged, repeatedly failing to learn from our past mistakes.

Before the sands of time slip through our fingers, it is imperative that we break free from our shackles of self-absorption and instead embark on a journey of self-reflection. We must recalibrate our value systems and ethics, anchoring ourselves in groundedness and humility, and mould our lifestyles to make them synchronous with the complex and fragile web of life. By doing so, we not only align ourselves with the interconnected tapestry of nature but also open ourselves to discovering transformative solutions that can address the pressing issues of our time.

An inextricable part of the Web of Life. AI-generated image.