Floodplain Management in Rapti River Basin

Abstract

Floodplains are resources of immense value. They are the lowland adjoining the channels of rivers, streams, and other watercourses or the shorelines of oceans, lakes, or other bodies of standing water. The common framework for floodplain management comprises four general types of activities: modifying flooding, modifying susceptibility to flooding, modifying the impact of flooding, and preserving the natural and beneficial functions of floodplains. Given this overview, this chapter is a study of the floodplain management issues of Rapti River, flowing through eastern Uttar Pradesh. Regular floods in general and unprecedented floods in known pockets are common features of the Rapti River Basin. The study suggests the utilization of performance indicators to evaluate the progress and success of floodplain management programs. A decentralized resource allocation at the local level with standardization of terminology, collection of appropriate data concerning the socioeconomic profile of the flood-prone community, and flood behavior is necessary for efficient flood management.