Exploring disaster impacts on livelihoods in the Ganga Brahmaputra Meghna Delta communities in India

The Ganga Brahmaputra Meghna (GBM) delta, situated in India and Bangladesh, represents a densely populated and precarious area. Over 200 million residents face significant environmental threats, such as tropical cyclones, land subsidence, riverine flooding, coastal inundation, rising sea levels and storm surges, particularly affecting socio-economically marginalized communities with vulnerable livelihoods.

This paper investigates disaster impacts on local livelihoods in the GBM delta communities in West Bengal, India through a comprehensive household survey of 1236 respondents across Sandeshkali, Sagar, Hingalgunj, and Gosaba community blocks. The survey revealed a diverse distribution of hazard severity across the region; residents in Sagar and Hingalgunj blocks were primarily impacted by cyclones whereas Gosaba and Sandeshkali blocks were also impacted by flooding, inundation and land erosion. Furthermore, disasters have tremendous impact on the local economy, with respondents reporting a 50% decrease in income from their primary livelihood in the aftermath of a disaster. These impacts were found to be more profound in Sagar and Gosaba blocks, where people were more reliant on agriculture and farming, as compared to Sandeshkali where families were involved in diverse livelihoods. A significant proportion of disaster damages were attributed to salt-water intrusion in agricultural land and aquacultural ponds, followed by damages to critical infrastructure such as roads and power network and health-related issues in the aftermath of cyclonic events. The findings of this study demonstrate the diverse socio-economic scenario in the GBM delta, highlighting the importance of block and community specific risk management and livelihood strengthening programs.