Flood vulnerability, local perception and gender role judgment using multivariate analysis: A problem-based “participatory action to Future Skill Management” to cope with flood impacts

Abstract

Flood impacts and social vulnerability are substantial threats for the sustainable development of the developing world. This study focuses on some particular points of flood impacts and the local concept towards existing management capacity. Additionally, significant focus was given to gender roles and how they may impact measures that aim towards reducing flood risks. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques were applied during the research, in order to understand the perception of the char-land communities on natural hazards, social crisis, resource accessibility, climatic uncertainty and the gender role to cope with flood consequences. Concurrently the questionnaire survey and focus group discussion (FGD) was performed among the local people. This study revealed that majority of the people was directly threatened by the destructive consequences of flood hazards, which in turn, badly influenced the household economies, alongside its education, security and infrastructural prospects. Some decades ago, the application of indigenous techniques was deemed successful as the communities managed to effectively reduce the risk involved with potential floods. However, now the solution is no longer clear as it is disturbed by external climate components. Results showed the vulnerability of the local communities in terms of knowledge, resource access, communication system, proper information dissemination, health, and livelihood. The gender variability is believed to have significant value in terms of flood disaster risk reduction, household development, and family caring activities. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) has clearly identified the gender role in the char-land community. The women's activities are profoundly focused in terms of the flood risk management, and the families generally do not properly appreciate the value of women and their role. However, the problem-based “Participatory Action to Future Skill Management (PFM)” for flood risk reduction in the char-land area can ensure to knowledge empowerment and capacity builds up, to achieve community resilience and sustainability in adverse climate conditions. The government should take appropriate actions in order to figure out the basic problem, and should issue focused policy practices among the char-land communities to bring them in sustainable trends. Keywords: Flood vulnerability, Char-land, Local perception, Gender participation, Resource accessibility and problem-based PFM