Adaptation strategies for flood victims on major river basins in Sri Lanka: The case from Megoda Kolonnawa GN Division of Kelani River basin

Abstract

Recently, it has been witnessed that flood is the burgeoning catastrophe in Sri Lanka when compared with all the other calamities recorded. Depending on the temporal and regional intensity and the broad spectrum of destruction, it has been recognized as one of the most predominant disasters in Sri Lanka. The awareness of victims who live in the endangered area and launching strategies for avoiding significant impacts are required to adapt to disasters. Accordingly, victimized proportions of the flood have vigorously adapted to vulnerable situations rather than leaving their homelands and disrupting their daily routines. This study becomes significant in providing theoretical and validated impulses beyond any limits, typically imposed by a culture of safe and exemplifies the essential elements to provide adaptive strategies to flood victims in “Megoda Kolonnawan GN division” practiced prior the incident, at the moment and after the incident. Kolonnawa was found to be the largest flood-affected DS Division in Sri Lanka. Out of 46 GN divisions of Kolonnawa DSD, “Megoda Kolonnawa – A” GND has been identified as the most vulnerable area to flood disasters. A sample of 3 % of the total population which is, 2347 households of the GND was selected for the study. The stratified sample method was used to select GN Division and the Simple Radom Sampling method was used to select 70 units of households from the GN Division. The study was carried out using primary and secondary data collected using questionnaires, interviews, and observations. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze the data. This study revealed the fact that “Identifying the strategies of adapting to the flood” is becoming the main approach from the villagers as well as the government and non-government offices. Maintaining initiate communication with each other to gather at a safe place where the government has approved in vulnerable situations is the most common strategy. Similarly, increasing the physical values of the buildings and coordination with the government engineers to get the appropriate building plans are the most common strategies recorded within the past few decades.