1.2
Research Objectives
The overall objective of the current
study is to conduct indicator-based flood vulnerability assessment of the
downstream part in the Mono River basin in the Yoto district to compute a Flood
Vulnerability Index in order to assess the conditions which influence flood
damage in the study area and pinpoint the most vulnerable villages to flood for
an effective flood risk reduction. More specifically, the present study
attempts to:
1. examine the long term trends in rainfall and discharge data
for a record period of (1971-2010);
2. identify the determinants of communities' vulnerability to
floods under the three factors of vulnerability (Exposure, Susceptibility and
resilience);
3. apply FVI methodology to compute Flood Vulnerability Index of
the target area.
1.3. Research Questions
This case study strives to answer the following questions:
· Do the occurrence of floods hazards relate to change in
rainfall and river discharge?
· what are the conditions which influence flood damage in
the study area ?
· what are the most vulnerable villages to flood in the
study area?
1.4. Research
Hypothesis
While the frequency and the intensity of flood hazards in the
study area may be related to change in rainfall and river discharge patterns,
interaction between the human-environment or socio-ecological system could be
the major determinant of households, and communities' vulnerability to such
hazard. Analysing trend in rainfall and discharge time series and understanding
the conditions which influence flood disaster in the study area should be
reliable information to pinpoint local hotspots of flood vulnerability.
1.5. Thesis Structure
Chapter I covers the background information, the problem
statement, the objectives, the justification, significance of the study and its
objectives and the scope of the study. Chapter II discusses the definition
of related concepts to the research topic and literature review on index
approach to measure vulnerability to natural hazards. Chapter III includes both
the research methodology and data collection process to answer the research
questions and to test the research hypothesis. Chapter IV explains the
empirical findings on the assessment of climate change, flood frequency
analysis and flood vulnerability assessment. Finally, the last chapter includes
conclusions as well as way forward for future research and the limitation of
the current study.
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