Open AccessThe Impact of the Thai Flood of 2011 on the Rural Poor Population Living on the Flood Plain
Author(s) -
Yukiko Tahira,
Akiyuki Kawasaki
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of disaster research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.332
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 1883-8030
pISSN - 1881-2473
DOI - 10.20965/jdr.2017.p0147
Subject(s) - flood myth , socioeconomics , geography , population , floodplain , earnings , socioeconomic status , demography , business , archaeology , economics , cartography , finance , sociology
Poor and non-poor groups from two flood-prone villages in central Thailand were compared following the flood of 2011. The results showed that the damage/income ratio was higher among persons in the poor group living in old, high-pillared houses near the river. Although this group was not as well prepared and experienced less damage than the non-poor group, they had fewer resources for recovery. The study examined household history, networks, and socio-economic status, as well as the local history. The poor group’s socio-economic characteristics may limit their capacity to resettle, as they have lived in the flood-prone area for generations. Proposals to address this included improving dykes and early warning systems as well as offering compensation for lost earnings.