Coping mechanisms of farmers and its determinants in flood prone region of Bihar

Floods are a recurring natural disaster in Bihar, India, causing significant damage to the agricultural sector and the livelihoods of farmers. Farmers in flood-affected areas face several challenges, including loss of crops, damage to farmland, and loss of income. Coping strategies adopted by farmers in Bihar have a significant impact on their resilience and ability to recover from the flood’s aftermath. Present study analysed the coping mechanisms employed by farmers in response to flood-induced shocks. It is found that farmers in flood-affected areas of Bhagalpur district adopted various coping strategies, including diversification of crops, short-duration and flood-tolerant varieties which provided the farmers with a buffer against crop losses. Farmers have also formed community-based organizations to share knowledge and resources, which helped in strengthening their coping mechanisms. The coping strategies adopted by farmers had enabled them to adapt and recover from the adverse impacts of floods, and these strategies may serve as a precursor for formulation of policies for other similar flood-prone regions.