Author: Pratibha Raut
AIT Library Call Number: AIT Thesis no.RD-18-05
Year: 2018
Academic Program: Regional and Rural Development Planning (RRDP)
Type: Thesis (M. Sc.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 2018
Examination Committee: Mokbul Morshed Ahmad (Chairperson); Phuoc Lai Nguyen, Surendra Man Shrestha (Examination Committee Members)
Abstract: With climatic threats and vulnerabilities rising in South Asia, the need to integrate disaster based adaptation planning along with country specific development goals is highly imperative in today’s context, particularly for developing countries like Nepal. This study aimed to delve deeper into understanding the local context of flood-based adaptation for Hadiya VDC in Eastern Nepal. Furthermore, it specifically aimed to compare two groups, namely Dalits and Non-Dalits, in order to assess their existing adaptation strategies, analyze the socio-economic barriers for better adaptation and propose policy recommendations. This study had a total sample size of 90 households which was split into 45 households each for both the groups. Data was collected via surveys, FGDs, Key Informant Interviews and Participant Observation. Statistical tools like MS Excel and SPSS was used to analyze the quantitative data whereas qualitative methods like mapping, coding, summative content analysis and descriptive analysis to analyze the qualitative data. This study is by and large mostly descriptive supplemented by some quantitative data and analytical insights. The findings revealed that the existing adaptation strategies in the community are primarily spontaneous and indigenous with some forms of modern technologies being adopted recently for only the Dalits. Some of the major risks that were identified comprised of further destruction to assets, agricultural productivity and quality of agricultural land for the Non-Dalits whereas the Dalits could potentially be driven further into poverty in case of repeated threats by floods in the future. The poor economic status of Dalits, lack of opportunities for occupational diversification, social marginalization, poor status of education, high average dependency ratio in the family and lack of participation in agriculture were some of the major factors that made them comparatively more vulnerable than the Non-Dalits and intensified their future risk from disasters li
Scholarship Donor(s): Asian Institute of Technology Fellowship
Note: A thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of science in Regional and Rural Development Planning
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