Household-level flood loss assessment 2024 - 2290 Households, 134 Wards, 21 Panchayats, 7 Districts, North Bihar

This assessment covered 2,290 households across 134 wards in 21 panchayats spanning seven severely affected districts – Pashchim Champaran, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Saharsa, Supaul, and Kishanganj. These sites were purposively selected to represent diverse flood conditions and spatial contexts.

Methodologically, the study combined quantitative rigor with participatory depth. A structured household survey generated detailed data on losses across housing, land, agriculture, livestock, WASH, household assets, livelihoods, health, and education. This was complemented by reconnaissance visits, participatory flood mapping, focus group discussions, key informant interviews with PRI representatives officials and civil society actors, GIS-based spatial analysis, and direct field observation. Despite challenges such as erosion-related access constraints, migration, recall bias, and occasional resistance, triangulation and local enumerator engagement ensured data reliability. The survey covered 8,685 individuals under 2,290 households, far exceeding statistically required sample sizes, making the dataset robust and representative.

A defining strength of the assessment is its use of flood typology as an analytical lens. Drawing on Megh Pyne Abhiyan’s long-standing typology framework, the study recognizes that floods are not homogeneous events but vary in cause, dynamics, and impact. Of the eight established typologies, three were observed during Phase 2 floods, alongside four newly emergent typologies involving compound, breach-induced, and hybrid flooding patterns.