Eleventh International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

In “Global Climate Risk Index Report” 2019, India is ranked 14th. Of its 35 states and Union territories, 22 are considered particularly vulnerable to disasters. Nearly 58.6% of India’s landmass is at risk of earthquakes. More than 40 million hectares, or 12 percent of the land area, are regularly affected by flooding and river erosion, and more than three-quarters of the coastline is regularly threatened by hurricanes. At the same time, 70% of agricultural land is at risk. In the last three decades, India has experienced 431 major disasters with more than 1.5 billion people affected,143,039 people have died. Damage to property and infrastructure is estimated at USD 48 billion. It is estimated that 73% of Bihar’s total land is at risk from flooding. Annual flooding in Bihar account- up to 40% of flood damage in India, affects 22.1% of the population, with 28 of Bihar’s 38 districts considered extremely vulnerable. While the National Health and Nutrition Report NFHS-4- for Bihar showed a general improvement in health and nutrition indicators, the interregional nutritional status remained worrying for the SC category or “boxless” population. A new category of so-called “Mahadalits- More-than-Dalits” was officially introduced in Bihar. They have official special rights to welfare, but in fact they have little access to them. Most of them are landless and 92.5% make a living as unskilled day laborers or agricultural workers. The literacy rate is only 9.8%, the lowest among all Dalits, whose average rate is 22.8%.