Assessing Flood Disaster Effect on Plant Biodiversity and Human Wealth (A Case Study of Three Small Rivers I.E. Khorkekhola, Itramkhola and Girighat Khola of Surkhet District)

Volume 4 - Issue 3

Indra Bahadur Prachhain¹, Seema Lamichhane² and Ram Asheshwar Mandal³*

Received: November 22, 2019;   Published: December 16, 2019

DOI: 10.32474/OAJESS.2019.04.000187

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Abstract

Floods are the most common natural disaster which damage several fatalities and resources in the world. Nepal is experiencing several flood events, but research related to this are very limited. Thus, this research was objectively carried out to show the variation in climatic variables (rainfall and temperature), to demonstrate the flood effect on plant biodiversity and to list out the effect of flood disaster on the human wealth. Both primary and secondary data were collected from the field using participatory rural approach and technique, related reports and publication. Altogether 27 household survey was carried out. Stratified random sampling was carried out in upper part, middle part and lower part. The sample plot having 10*10m2 were established at flood affected area as well as surrounding (non- affected area). This process was replicated at upper, middle and lower part of each selected river. Therefore, altogether 64 sample plots were calculated. Climatic data of the study area were collected from Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Kathmandu. Calculated data were analyzed by using MS-Excel and other statistical tools. It was found that the highest rainfall was recorded about 799.3 mm in August of year 2014. According to locality of flood affected area, the most disastrous flood was occurred in 2014 due to the continuous and heavy rainfall. The Shannon’s index was the highest about 2.15 and Simpson’s index was the lowest 0.0026 in non-affected area at upper part of Khorka Khola. The Shannon’s index was the highest about 2.13 in non-affected area at middle part and Simpson’s index was the lowest about 0.015 in non- affected area of middle part of Itram Khola. At Girighat Khola, it was found that the Shannon’s index was the highest about 1.99 in non-affected area at upper part. The t-test showed that Shannon Weinner index was significantly lower at affected areas than the non-affected area at 95%confidence. Due to the flood disaster of 2014, five people had lost their life and many people and settlement area were harmed. Altogether, the total number of livestock loss was 369, property loss was about US $360680.12, total land loss was 1.552 ha and the number of tree loss which belongs to people was about 145.

Keywords: Flood Disaster; biodiversity; rainfall; flood affected area; human wealth

Abstract| Introduction| Materials and Methods| Result and Discussion| Human Wealth: Loss of Livestock, Property, Land and Plant’s Biodiversity| Discussion| Conclusion and Recommendations| References|