Developing micro level resilience index for Indian Sundarban adopting resilience indicators for measurement and analysis (RIMA) methodology

Abstract

• Communities along West Bengal coast devastated by cyclone-induced multi-hazards. • To comprehend the resilience strategy, four pillars of RIMA-II have been explored. • Villages affected differently and bounce back diversely. • Vulnerability and risk exposure are negatively correlated with the resilience index. Tropical cyclones induced multi-hazards have wreaked havoc on coastal communities in the last two-three years in coastal West Bengal, India. This research article aims to highlight the essence of these people's resilience to cyclone induced multi-scale hazards focusing on the Kakdwip Subdivision of Coastal West Bengal (Indian Sundarban Portion). Indicators in explaining RIMA-II, four pillars have been examined: Access to Basic Services (ABS), Assets (AST), Social Safety Nets (SSN) and Adaptive Capacity (AC). A total of 18 indicators from four pillars have been considered (6 from ABS, 4 from AST, 3 from SSN, and 5 from AC) and associated data has been gathered through a primary survey. In order to fully understand the village level scenario, the study has also used the Resilience Capacity Index (RCI). With the exception of Kuemuri, which is located in the far north-eastern part of the research area and is the most resilient, the study's findings show that the villages with a higher score (>56.81) are more resilient than others and are typically found in the section of Kakdwip Sub-northern Division. The least resilient settlements are clearly identified by their geomorphological location. Additionally, the resilience index shows a favourable relationship with the demographic index and a negative relationship with vulnerability and hazard exposure.