Analyzing the Impact of Recurrent Flood Shocks in Bihar: A District-Level Study of Damage Patterns.

Kajal Kumari, Biria Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra
Tina Dutta , BIT,Mesra
Tamalika Koley, IIM, Luckhnow

Bihar, a densely populated low-income state in India, has been suffering from recurrent floods and consequent economic and social losses. Still, there is a shortage of comprehensive studies at the micro-level that highlight the pockets of damages and underscore how these disaster-led damages create differences in the growth paths of the districts within the state. In this backdrop, the current study attempts to: (i) evaluate flood damage by year (2001-2023) and by districts of Bihar, (ii) map the damage patterns and identify the high-high damage clusters and (iii) examine how these disaster-led damages have accentuated the regional disparity within the state. This study utilizes the district-level flood damage data from the Disaster Management Department of the Government of Bihar. It employs non-parametric statistical methods, such as the Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, in conjunction with temporal and spatial analysis, to examine the micro-level flood-damage patterns. Key findings include the disproportionate impact of floods on certain districts, like Madhubani and Darbhanga, which account for nearly half of the total cumulative damage. Spatial analysis identifies the clusters of high flood damage in specific regions. These insights are essential for policymakers to develop effective flood mitigation strategies and promote sustainable development in Bihar.

Keywords: Population, Shocks and Pandemics, Population and Development, Population, Environment, and Climate Change, Qualitative data/methods/approaches

See extended abstract.