Natural-disaster and Displacement in Assam: The Case of Floods and Impact on Marginalised Communities

Citing a 2021 article from the journal Environmental Research, the brief notes that floods are a major cause of displacement, accounting for roughly 63 per cent more people displaced from their homes than those due to violence and conflict. The duration of displacement depends on the extent of infrastructure damage, which disrupts the livelihoods of affected communities. In some areas, floods create a vicious cycle of displacement and resettlement, as riverbank erosion caused by floods wipes out human settlements, agricultural land and forest areas. This erosion increases the risk of further flooding and subjects communities to intense socio-economic marginalisation, as they lose both shelter and sources of income.

The 1950 earthquake in northeastern India disrupted the Brahmaputra river's natural flow, increasing erosion and vulnerability to floods and landslides in Assam. The state, due to its geographical features, continues to experience periodic flooding of the tributaries of the Brahmaputra, worsened by the failure of embankments in various locations.

In Assam, relief camps managed by government authorities reveal a lack of preparedness. Living conditions are poor, with 50-60 people sharing a single room, and relief materials being inadequate. Outbreaks of diarrhoea, skin diseases and fever have been reported due to unsanitary conditions, the brief adds.

The most flood-impacted communities in Assam are the residents of the Char (midstream river islands). Characterized with high multi-dimensional poverty, the average number of displacements in these areas has been two people per household in the past 10 years.

The brief notes that internally displaced persons ( IDPs), on migrating, disengage from climate dependent jobs (like agriculture, cattle rearing, fishing) and move to jobs like rickshaw or cart pulling and other manual labour. Further, the vicious cycle of displacement also makes them particularly vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking.

The composition of the relief camps also revealed that among those displaced, a significant portion were Muslims, followed by other marginalised tribes. This points to the correlation between natural disasters and the vulnerability of marginalised communities. Disasters and the paucity of accessible resources puts the marginalised at the risk of, what the brief calls, ‘double vulnerability’.

Rehabilitation is a critical part of disaster response, but current policies fall short, the brief states. In 2020, the Assam government announced a rehabilitation policy for people affected by land erosion, but it did not cover those displaced by natural or human-made disasters. Furthermore, the brief adds, the central government’s approved continuation of schemes under the ‘Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants and Repatriates’ banner also leaves out people displaced by natural disasters.

Focus and Factoids by Shruti Chakraborty.