Abstract:
This study investigates the community adaptation for a frequent urban flood.
In tropical climates, urban flash floods have been increased and the
vulnerability is also increased due to climate changes. According to the
international rankings, Sri Lanka has been ranked second among the countries
most affected by extreme weather events in 20 years since 1998. The 2019
Long-Term Climate Risk Index, published by Germanwatch, has listed Puerto
Rico, Sri Lanka, and Dominica as the top three affected countries. The study
has selected the Keravalapitiya G.N division in the Wattala urban council area
of the Gampaha District in the Western Province of Sri Lanka because this
urban area faces frequent floods due to the geographic location on the coastal
belt of the This study was done under mixed-methods and the primary data
were collected from 50 households using a questionnaire. Maps, satellite
images, aerial photos have been used for the secondary data. The study reveals
that community adaptation is not satisfactory because each time the victims
are suffered from the flood. Anyway, this community does not migrate to a
safer area because they are lower-income families and they have no other
alternative. The study points out that, all the victims of the flood are an
economically and socially marginal community. According to the low
gradient of the slope, drainage pattern, climate pattern, and frequency of
floods, the most sustainable solution is to relocate the community into a new
housing scheme.
