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Vulnerabilities to flood hazards among rural households in India

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Abstract

Flooding constitutes the most predominant natural disaster in India. The degree and causes of vulnerability to flood risk vary by society, geographical region and over time. The rural people of India are highly vulnerable to flood hazards due to high dependence on natural resources for livelihood and poor socio-economic situations. The information regarding the degree of vulnerability of these people is limited. In order to formulate improved adaption policies and effective programmes to reduce vulnerability, it is crucial to quantify the vulnerability of rural households affected by floods at a regional level. Our study provides insight into the vulnerability of rural households affected by floods in India. We use primary data of 220 flood-prone rural households of Odisha state in India for analysis. The vulnerability is analysed using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index and the Socio-economic Vulnerability Index. Our results show that these households are vulnerable to flood in more than one dimension. Sociodemographic characteristics such as a low literacy rate, a high dependency ratio and a weak housing structure increase these residents’ vulnerability. Access to social networks and social institutions plays a significant role in uplifting poor rural households. Our study concludes that the vulnerability of a household is governed by both non-climatic factors and the incidence of floods. The findings of our study may be considered in developing policies and programmes that will reduce the flood risk. The recommendations we suggested in this study can be applied in other south Asian counties with similar socio-economic profiles.

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Notes

  1. ST and SC are terms used in the Indian Constitution to refer to specific tribal and caste groups that face social exclusion and are granted administrative and welfare privileges to help offset their disadvantage (Thomas et al. 2015). ST and SC continue to be among the most socio-economically disadvantaged groups in India and have some of the lowest health outcomes in the country (Balarajan et al. 2011)

  2. The MPCE for rural Odisha and urban Odisha is 904.79 rupees and 1830.35 rupees, respectively; the national MPCE average is 1287.17 rupees for rural areas and 2477.03 rupees for urban areas

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for the financial support for the research. We would also like to thank Stiftung Fiat Panis for their financial support during data collection. We are also grateful to Nagesh Barik of CIFA, Odisha, for the help and support provided during data collection. We honour the contribution of people in the research site for their responses and support during the data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany

    Anu Susan Sam, Harald Kächele & Klaus Müller

  2. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Telangana, 502324, India

    Ranjit Kumar

  3. Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt University, 10117, Berlin, Germany

    Anu Susan Sam & Klaus Müller

  4. Agribusiness Management Division, ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, 500030, Telangana, India

    Ranjit Kumar

  5. Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Schicklerstraße 5, 16225, Eberswalde, Germany

    Harald Kächele

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  1. Anu Susan Sam
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Sam, A.S., Kumar, R., Kächele, H. et al. Vulnerabilities to flood hazards among rural households in India. Nat Hazards 88, 1133–1153 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-2911-6

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