Socioeconomic Vulnerability to Disaster Risk: A Case Study of Flood and Drought Impact in a Rural Sri Lankan Community

Our findings show that households depend heavily on natural resources for their livelihood, and that those with low income suffer greater losses from floods and droughts than households with high income. On the other hand flood impact is higher on households depend heavily on natural resources for their livelihood, and having lower income. The study uses survey data to examine the relationship between disaster frequency and localized poverty, an issue rarely considered in past literature. We show that low income households that depend fully on natural resources for their livelihood are exposed to more frequent disasters and most vulnerable to financial losses incurred through floods and droughts. To combat the effects of disasters, the Sri Lankan government might encourage members of poor households to seek at least some income from non-agricultural endeavors.