Adaptive Capacity Analysis of Flood Prone Regions in Bihar, India

Abstract

Disasters are calamitous events bringing destruction and devastation to life and property. It influences the psychological, socio-economic, political, and cultural state of the populace of the affected area. Anthropocene changes the frequency, magnitude, and spatial distribution of disasters with time. These disasters undermine the progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Disaster risk reduction and sustainable development are closely linked and interdependent. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development acknowledges the need to reduce the risk of disasters. SDG 11 and target 11.5 specifically focus on protecting the people with low income and residing invulnerable situations due to water-related disasters. Seventy-Six percent population of Bihar state in India lives under the constant threat of flood. In 2008, Bihar experienced severe floods affecting more than 2.3 million people in the northern region. From 2000 to 2019, floods affected more than 137 million population and caused 5,800 deaths in Bihar state. The local government plays a vital role in building resilience at varied spatial scales through strengthening adaptive capacity. This study aims at weighing the adaptive capacity of a district using disaggregated data at the community development block level for the flood-affected Kishanganj district of Bihar. The linkage of adaptive characteristics and vulnerabilities has been assessed using the frameworks of the World Bank and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Adaptive Capacity Index determines critical infrastructure for adaptation at the community development block level in a district. It is calculated using the composite index approach for quantifying adaptive strategies. Analytical Hierarchy Process is used to rank adaptive strategies to suggest the institutional framework for coping with the disaster. The paper concludes that the Terhagachh community development block is the most vulnerable as it has the least adaptive measures in place whereas the Pothia community development block is more resilient to floods. The study ranked the institutional assistance and setup aspect as the topmost factors for determining the adaptive capacity of any region. The paper suggests using the Adaptive Capacity Index approach to monitor adaptive capacity and resource utilisation in flood-affected regions.