Assessing poverty, risk and vulnerability: a study on flooded households in rural Bangladesh

Flood is a common catastrophe in Bangladesh. This study aimed to examine the poverty, risk and vulnerability for flood hazards. A cross-sectional household survey was carried out after 2 weeks of the flood in four districts in the year 2005. In total, 600 rural households were interviewed through a three-stage stratified random sampling. A utilitarian approach was used to assess flood vulnerability and its components. A set of households' characteristics and shock (flood) variables were used as explanatory variables. The results showed that poverty and idiosyncratic flood risks are positively correlated and highly significant. Households with higher educated members, headed by a male and owners of a dwelling place have been found to be less vulnerable to idiosyncratic flood risk. Possession of arable land and a small family size can reduce poverty and the aggregate flood risk.