Increased socio-vulnerability to floods around flood protection structures: case study of Ganga and Brahmaputra basins (India)

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article presents a socio-hydrological investigation of the paradoxical increase in flood-related damages despite the growing economic investments in flood protection structures (FPS) in the Brahmaputra and Ganga basins. The change in socio-economic activities in the floodplains is studied, followed by conceptualizing a high-resolution socio-vulnerability index (SoVI) based on data acquired from remote sensing sources. There is a noticeable increase in socio-economic activities triggered by the construction of FPS. Moreover, factors such as proximity to FPS, type and cost of structure, and regional attributes have been found to significantly influence the community’s perception of flood risk and, consequently, the presence of the levee effect. Hence, this study establishes a correlation between the increased SoVI and the growing FPS investments. The findings are expected to help stakeholders identify the critical characteristics that escalate social vulnerability in the floodplains and thereby strategize investments in flood protection measures.