Barriers to effective flood risk management in India: A case of 2021 Chiplun flooding

The post-disaster period is often marked by discussions about the causes of the event and solutions to manage risk. From a policy-making perspective, disasters can act as focusing events, garnering the attention of the public and elites and creating a window of opportunity for policy change to reduce disaster risk. Narratives that circulate post-disaster are one of the crucial factors that influence the government’s decisions to respond to them. This study examines the narratives surrounding flood risk in Chiplun, Maharashtra, after the 2021 flooding by integrating the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) with the Pressure and Release Framework (PAR). Our innovative framework reveals how narratives in a post-disaster policy window direct attention to certain dimensions of risk while overlooking others and its implications for flood risk reduction. Analysis of media coverage, government reports, and stakeholder interviews revealed three dominant narratives surrounding flood risk: 1) flooding as a consequence of dam (mis)management, 2) flooding as a result of sediment accumulation in the river, and 3) flooding as an outcome of development in the floodplain. We found that the narratives focusing on unsafe conditions gained traction, while those challenging power structures faced resistance. The sediment accumulation narrative was successful because it did not challenge existing power structures. Despite engaging with dynamic pressures, the floodplain development narrative faced the most resistance because it challenged the powerful economic interest groups. The analysis of competing narratives surrounding flood risk indicates that selective engagement or silence regarding different dimensions of risk makes effective flood risk management in India challenging.