A framework for assessment of flood vulnerabilities – case of Narmada River Basin, India

Abstract

The aim of this study is to lay a framework for evaluating flood vulnerabilities. Specifically, it applies the proposed methodology to evaluate flood vulnerability index (FVI) across 21 districts comprising a significantly large part (drainage area of 85 859 km2) of Narmada River basin in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The study assesses sensitivity, adaptive capacity indices, and the exposure risk over a chosen set of 22 climatic, demographic, social and economic parameters, and applies principal component analysis to evolve a composite FVI. The results rank various districts for their vulnerabilities to floods. The analysis indicates that, in the study area, around a third of the vulnerability is accounted by two factors: a lack of adaptive capacity of the community and heightened sensitivity to floods. There exists significant scope to modify these two factors by appropriate policy interventions at the social and economic levels. It is expected that the framework would be of use to stakeholders such as planners, policymakers, flood management authorities, field engineers, district administration and local non-governmental organisations who strive to make the community less vulnerable to floods.