How flood affects rural employment in India: A gender analysis

Abstract

It is widely accepted that natural disasters adversely affect agricultural production. Still, less is known about how disasters affect employment patterns in the long run, particularly the gender-differentiated impacts of such weather-related shocks in developing countries. Using employment and flood damage data, this study analyses how floods affect rural employment in 15 major states of India for 1983–2011. In addition, we examine the magnitude of the impact of floods on gender-wise employment in the rural agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. The empirical estimates suggest that flood damage affects female agricultural employment more negatively than male agricultural employment in the long run, controlling for crucial employment determinants. Furthermore, women suffer disproportionately in obtaining employment in the non-agricultural sector in the aftermath of floods. Thus, we conclude that flood damage creates differential impacts on employment by gender, with female agricultural workers more adversely affected than male workers.