Flood Vulnerability Assessment in Nepal: Community-Based Participatory Study of Indicators and Parameters in the West Rapti River Basin
This peer-reviewed article, published in the Journal of Earth Science and Climate Change (2013), presents a community-level participatory flood vulnerability assessment conducted in the West Rapti River Basin in the Mid-Western Terai region of Nepal — one of the country’s most flood-prone areas. The study is notable for centering the perceptions of vulnerable people themselves, filling a significant gap in the literature on flood vulnerability in Nepal and other developing country contexts.
The research combined two focus group discussions and 240 household interviews across the Banke and Dang districts, identifying 25 vulnerability indicators organized across seven parameters: physical, social, economic, access to resources, communication, gender perspective, and psychological. Respondents rated each indicator on a scale of 1 to 5, with findings cross-validated against expert weightings from eleven flood sector specialists.
Key findings show that flood frequency was rated the most severe vulnerability indicator by nearly 68% of respondents, followed by riverbank cutting and damage to agricultural land. At the parameter level, physical vulnerability scored highest among community respondents, while flood experts ranked economic loss as the most important parameter — a divergence with significant implications for policy and planning. Critically, none of the 240 households surveyed fell into the low or very low vulnerability categories, with 48% rated as highly vulnerable and nearly 10% in the severe category.
The study argues that combining scientific knowledge with community perception produces more effective vulnerability assessments, and highlights the need for stronger coordination among government agencies, NGOs, and local organizations involved in flood risk management in Nepal.