Bangkok Floods in 2011 and Its Impacts on Household Livelihood and Health of the Residents

Abstract

There has been no evidence revealing impacts of the floods on livelihood and health of the residents affected by Bangkok flood. This study was aimed at assessing the impacts of Bangkok- 2011 flood on livelihood and health of the residents in order to produce policy recommendations for mitigating the impacts with better preparedness, reliefs and rehabilitation management. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the affected areas of Bangkok Metropolitan. Twostage stratified cluster sampling was employed. Nine hundred households were sampled. Questionnaires were used to collect households’ property losses as well as individuals’ livelihood and health conditions, during January - March of 2012. Data analysis was done by using STATA 11.0. The response rate was 97 percent. Local flood warning covered only 64 percent of households in the affected area. Evacuation rate was 42 percent. Shelters were flooded for 61 percent with the highest level of water at 170 cm and longest period of 90 days. The floods affected livelihood of the residents in several ways including loss of income or employment status, shortage of food and drinking water, water supplies, toilet, garbage service and also damaged household properties. Household preparedness was unlikely to mitigate troubles with shortage of food and drink water probably due to underestimation of the severity, however, it tended to decrease the cost of property damages. The occurrence of shortage of essential goods and public utilities indicated that logistics and public services were unprepared for floods. People who evacuated tended to have fewer problems with shortage of food and drinking water than those who stayed at flooded houses. Respondents with certain characteristics, including holding vocational certificate or below or being daily-wage workers or running small businesses, were likely to lose their income more than others. Increasing stress was found among affected people. Certain groups of population, including people with lower socioeconomic status; encountered with moderate or severe flood; having chronic diseases; or insisted to stay in the floods, were likely to have increasing stress during the floods more than others. Actions for better preparedness, including effective flood forecasting system; household flood preparedness guideline with proper dissemination; flood preparedness action plan for logistics and public services; special care for patients with chronic diseases who did not evacuate; and appropriate evacuation management, should be employed in high-risk area in order to avoid tremendous loss and mitigate sufferings resulting from flood. Moreover, assistance for unemployed workers, especially for daily-wage workers and small business owners, is needed if there is a prolonged flood.