Abstract
In this study, we try to understand why flood affected people don’t leave floods but adopt numerous coping and adaption measures to live with them instead. We also try to understand the experiences of the flood-displaced households. The study is based on an intensive survey of ten flood affected villages, community level FGDs, and on a sample of the displaced households in Assam, India. We depend on qualitative approach to the study. Based on the responses of the individual households and the information gathered from the FGDs, we decode the important reasons why many households are reluctant to leave floods. We find that the perceived high opportunity cost, societal bonding, loss of access to social security measure, possible cut off from political participation, uncertain livelihoods and social heterogeneity in the destination places act as barrier to leaving the floods. As for the displaced households, we find that people have lost their usual livelihoods, live in poor conditions, and mostly pursue wage works for day to day living. The study suggests that infrastructure like irrigation in particular be provided in flood affected areas to sustain the agriculture based livelihoods of the people, or that enough livelihoods means be offered to the displaced households.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Climate Change, Floods, Displaced People, Coping, Adaptation
