and livelihoods while finding ways to cope better with
the changing nature of the floods. However, people can
become too dependent on these structures, which limits
their motivation to cope and adapt in other ways.
Communities become used to the protection of the
embankment, which gives them a false sense of security
and confidence to expand their settlement right up to
the river bank. When the embankment collapses, the
communities’ sense of security collapses as well.
Lack of irrigation – The lack of public irrigation facilities
Young women using local boats during the floods in Assam.
in these areas is a major impediment to increasing
agricultural productivity by limiting the communities’
restoration of degraded lands, innovative agriculture
options for winter crops, especially the cultivation of
on degraded land, alternative livelihoods for people
boro rice. Thus, the capacity of the communities to cope
affected by floods, and routine relief and rehabilitation
with post-flood shortages of food is limited.
work. People stay in vulnerable places like embankments
or close to riverbanks due to the lack of environmentally
Environmental factors
and culturally suitable rehabilitation and resettlement
packages. The lack of reliable early warning systems
Changed nature of disasters – Although people are
has also hampered people’s preparedness for floods.
used to riverine floods, the increased intensity and
frequency of floods have made them more vulnerable.
Local politics and governance of embankments – Three
Erratic and irregular patterns in rainfall have created
consecutive major floods in Matmora from 2007-2009
uncertaintly for rainfed agriculture. Floods due to
were mainly the result of a failure to repair and maintain
regular breaches in embankments and the increased
the embankment in a timely and technically sound
sediment load in floodwaters have caused widespread
manner. These events and the apparent assumption that
sand deposition, the scale and intensity of which are
floods will breach the embankments every rainy season
now beyond the known coping mechanisms of these
could suggest that bad governance, corruption, and
communities.
an unholy alliance between the contractors, politicians,
and government departments are hindering proper
Conclusions
maintenance.
The changing nature of water hazards in recent years
External assistance and intervention – Relief and
has made people more vulnerable and rendered
rehabilitation development agencies, local NGOs, and
traditional adaptation practices less effective. Cultural
welfare organisations have helped the communities
traditions and perceptions can affect people’s
cope with the immediate effects of floods and return
vulnerability and adaptation practices both positively
to normal life. Their assistance has provided food and
and negatively. Both the poor and the rich are
water supply, plastic sheets, medicine, hygiene kits, and
vulnerable in different ways.
facilities for rehabilitation such as boats, raised seed
bank, and high-rise platforms. NGOs have also helped
Women suffer more during floods, which may confine
to sensitise and train local communities to prepare for
them to their households on raised platforms with a
floods, which has been useful.
heavy load of responsibility and work to manage
drinking water, cooking, and tending their children and
livestock. When women are in a boat to transport them
Infrastructure factors
somewhere, they must hold back nature’s call due to
Embankments and flood management structures –
the lack of toilet and bathroom facilities, and put their
Embankments and structural measures serve as both
sanitation and hygiene on hold.
enabling and disabling factors to adaptation. They
protect people from floods and erosion over the
Self-help groups mostly women groups, need to be
immediate term and allow people to attend to their lives
supported with financial subsidies to enable them to
48
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76