An assessment of rural household vulnerability to floods: The case of Tajan watershed

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Crop Sciences, Sari University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Sari, Iran

2 ساری کیلومتر 9 جهاده دریا دانشگاه علوم کشاورزی و منابع طبیعی ساری گره ترویج و آموزش کشاورزی. خانم فاطمه شفیعی

3 Department of Water Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Sari University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Sari, Iran.

4 Department of Agriculture, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

In flood risk management, understanding the vulnerability of local communities to floods is imperative. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the flood vulnerability of rural households living in the Tajan watershed, Mazandaran province. The statistical population of the research was the rural households of the Tajan watershed (N= 44014), and the required data were collected through 257 questionnaires, which were distributed among the sample group. The subjects were selected using a multi-stage stratified sampling method. The rural households’ vulnerability was measured based on three components:  exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Using cluster analysis, rural households were classified into three groups with low, moderate, and high flood vulnerability. Also, the results revealed a significant difference between the three vulnerability groups in terms of exposure and sensitivity indicators. Also, the physical, financial, and natural capitals of the high flood vulnerable group were significantly lower than the other two groups. Furtheremore, the results of the analysis of variance indicated that the vulnerability of the rural households located in the east of the Tajen watershed was significantly higher than that of other residents. Finally, some policy implications and operational strategies have been presented to reduce the vulnerability of rural households to floods.

Keywords

Main Subjects

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

 

Intoduction

Flood is one of the natural hazards that is influenced by climatic and anthropogenic factors. Due to their deep connection with the environment and agricultural activities, rural communities are more influenced by flood hazards than other groups. Thus, investigating flood vulnerability is one of the major challenges of crisis and risk management agendas.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess the vulnerability of rural households living in the Tajan watershed to floods.

Reserch method

The data required for this descriptive-analytical research was gathered through a survey. The statistical population of the research was the rural households of the Tajan watershed (N= 44014), and the sample size was determined using the formula provided by the Australian Statistics Center (n= 264). Eventually, 264 questionnaires were distributed among the sample group, of which 257 were returned. The rural households were selected using a multi-stage stratified sampling method. a structured questionnaire was designed to collect primary data from the targeted households. The IPCC framework was utilized for assessing vulnerability. Based on the IPCC definition, vulnerability consists of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The content validity was confirmed by a group of experts in the fields of agricultural extension, education, and rural development. Also, a pilot study was conducted to ensure the reliability of the research instrument.

Results

The findings indicated that rural households can be classified into three groups with low, moderate, and high vulnerability to floods. Also, the results showed that there was a significant difference between the vulnerable groups in terms of exposure and sensitivity indicators.  Also, the physical, financial, and natural capitals of the low and moderate vulnerability groups were significantly higher than those of the high vulnerable households. Additionally, the analysis of variance revealed that the level of vulnerability of the rural households located in the east of the Tajen watershed was higher than in other regions.

Conclouion

Since early warning has a significant influence on the mitigation of vulnerability to floods, the Iran Meteorological Organization should play a more influential role in the dissemination of weather forecasts. Also, to reduce the sensitivity to floods, building resistant houses, observing the proper distance of the farms and houses from the river, applying proper construction materials, paying more attention to the geographical characteristics of the region, and applying specific technical strategies for managing agricultural activities are recommended. According to the findings, there was a significant difference in the physical, financial, and natural capitals of low and moderately vulnerable groups in comparison with high vulnerable households. Therefore, to increase the adaptive capacity of rural households, watershed management, and water, soil, and biological protection, providing a flood hazards map using the flood data bank of the province are suggested.  The research findings can assist policymakers and executives in developing adaptive strategies and enhancing the effectiveness of flood management interventions in flood-prone areas. 

Author Contributions

 “Conceptualization, F.S. and M.K.; methodology, S.M.K. and F.S.; software, S.M.K.; validation, F.S., R.F. and M.K.; formal analysis, F.S. and M.K.; investigation, S.M.K. and F.S.; resources, S.M.K.; data curation, F.S. and M.K.; writing—original draft preparation, S.M.K. and F.S.; writing—review and editing, F.S., R.F. and M.K.; visualization, S.M.K.; supervision, F.S.. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.”

Data Availability Statement

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Acknowledgements

The paper has extracted from the Ms.c thesis of the first author in Department of Agricultural Extension & Education, Faculty of Crop Sciences, Sari University of Agriculture and Natural Resource.

Ethical considerations

The authors avoided data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and misconduct. 

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Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research
Volume 55, Issue 8
October 2024
Pages 1359-1376

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