A sociological study of community adaptation to climate related disasters (with special reference to flood in the Rathnapura MC area)

Abstract

Climate induced natural disaster and its impacts are severe problem in the world. All the developed and developing countries directly affected by climate induced disasters. So adaptation is one of the major solutions for the reduction of the risk, and also that concept is very popular in developing countries. The people in many countries are already living with disasters, but they never consider about the risk of the disasters. Based on that situation, this research is arguing that, significant factors for community adaptation to disaster with special reference flood disaster in Rathnapura Municipal Council area, and the Rathnapura people’s perception about disasters. This research is an attempt to identify the community based adaptation to climate induced natural disasters by means of achieving main objectives. Firstly, it attempts to identify the socio-economic indicators and proactive adaptation measures influence for flood in Rathnapura area. Secondly, the research examines the relationship between socio economic indicators and proactive adaptation measures. Thirdly, it identifies the people’s perception on flood hazard. This research based on case study. Therefore, five GN divisions which was selected from the study area, Batugedara, Angammana, Rathnapura Town, Muwagama and Dewalayagawa.150 households were selected from each GN division as the sample size. Household questionnaire survey and field observations are the main methods which performed to collect data. According to the correlation analysis, significant factors for community adaptation to flood disaster were identified. In the analysis, correlation of the socio economic variables were measured by using SPSS statistic software. According to the correlation between proactive adaptation level and selected socio economic variables the case study reveals that, people adaptation level is best and but adaptation reasons are vary with location to location. The resulted of proactive adaptation measures have strong relationship with socio economic factors, such as Housing condition r=.739 and distance to town r=.719. Result of people’s perception analysis regarding flood revealed, Flood disaster is not serious problem for the Rathnapura local people, because people who living in flood prone areas they are adaptation capacity are higher than the other people. The conclusions of this research identified factors that determined the proactive deferred within study area and also among localities.as a result of that, illustrate, Dewalayagaawa GN was specific to distance to town, Muwagama GN division people were specific to distance to relations houses, Batugedara was specific to distance to town, Rathnapura town was housing conditions and Angammana was availability of infrastructure. When considered about types of adaptation mostly Rathnapura MC area people are followed proactive adaptation. And also they are less going to reactive adaptation. because they believe that, proactive adaptation method are best mechanism for prevent the flood disaster.