Understanding Disasters, Vulnerabilities, and the Resilience: Impact of River Bank Erosion on Riparian Communities

Abstract

Rivers have historically served as lifelines for civilizations, providing essential resources and opportunities for livelihood. However, they also present significant challenges, particularly when turned into disaster propelled by human interventions. The very qualities that make rivers indispensable to the dependent communities also render them vulnerable in many ways. Among the myriad challenges facing riverine communities, river bank erosion stands out as a particularly pressing issue, with far-reaching social, economic, and environmental implications. In recent time, well-being of riparian people in West Bengal, India, is seriously threatened by river bank erosion in the Ganges river basin, especially in parts of Malda and Murshidabad districts have [un]intentionally gotten worse since the Farakka Barrage was built in 1972.The article emphasises how these elements are interrelated and have consequences for the welfare of communities by looking at them through the lenses of geopolitics, feminism, and human rights.