Climate induced natural disasters and extreme events are escalating
with the increased variability of climatic parameters due to climate change.
This study assesses the flood adaptation strategies that are applicable at the
community level in two Terai districts of Nepal. The data were collected
through three focus group discussions and 210 household surveys. The study
revealed that flood forecasting practices at community level included
monitoring the extent of rainfall in upper catchments and identifying the
position of clouds. ‘Initiate communication’, ‘take care the affected people’,
and ‘select the appropriate location to stay’ were most preferred strategies
during the flood. Similarly, ‘exchanging helps with each other’, ‘preparing
temporary settlement plan’ and ‘co-ordinating with government and other
agencies’ are most preferred post-flood adaptation strategies. Identification and
assessment of locally-relevant flood adaptation strategies will help
governments to choose adaptation strategies that are both effective and
preferred by local people in vulnerable communities.