Flood Risk and Spatial Adaptation Strategies in Riverine Settlements: A Case Study of the Middle Ganga Plain, Uttar Pradesh, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63345/Keywords:
flood risk, riverine settlements, spatial adaptation, vulnerability index, flood zoning, Ganga planAbstract
Riverine settlements across the Indo-Gangetic plain face recurring monsoon flooding that threatens lives, livelihoods, and the built environment. This study examines flood risk patterns and spatial adaptation strategies adopted by households settled along a mid-sized tributary reach of the Ganga in eastern Uttar Pradesh. A structured household survey of 360 respondents drawn from twelve villages, stratified into three flood exposure zones (very high, high, and moderate), was combined with secondary hydrological and remote sensing data to construct a composite flood vulnerability index. Results indicate a strong negative correlation between distance from the river channel and vulnerability score (r = -0.68, p < 0.01), and a significant association between exposure zone and the type of adaptation strategy adopted (chi-square = 38.42, df = 4, p < 0.001). Households in the very high exposure zone relied predominantly on temporary structural measures such as plinth raising and stilted storage, while households in the moderate exposure zone favoured agricultural and livelihood diversification. The findings support an integrated spatial planning approach that combines structural protection near the active floodplain with land use zoning, early warning systems, and livelihood based adaptation further inland. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for settlement planning in flood prone river corridors of South Asia.
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