Flood Risk and Adaptation to Climate Change in India: A Review
Keywords:
Flood risk, climate change adaptation, vulnerability assessment, disaster management, India.Abstract
Climate change has posed a growing risk of floods in India with millions of lives at a risk each year. This review looks at the flood vulnerability, risk assessment procedures and adaptation approaches in Indian settings. The research examines the peer-reviewed literature, government reports, and climate data to learn about the flood patterns, social-economic consequences, and institutional responses. In the hypothesis, it is stated that climate change increases the frequency and severity of floods in India and must be dealt with in an integrated manner. The methodology includes the systematic literature review of 78 research articles, policy reports, and statistical databases published in 2010-2024. Findings show that the floods are on the rise in Brahmaputra, Ganga and coastal areas with the populations at risk reaching up to 40 million. There are threats that are aggravated by urbanization, deforestation, and poor infrastructure. The gaps in the early warning systems, community-based adaptation, and policy implementation are pointed out in the discussion. Some of the effective strategies are: ecosystem based adaptation, better drainage systems, and infrastructure that is resistant to climate. The concluding points include multi-stakeholder cooperation, integration of indigenous knowledge and sustainable land-use planning. One of the recommendations is to enhance disaster preparedness and institutional capacity, and nature-based flood mitigation solutions in the diverse ecological and socio-economic environment of India.
