Application of the Capital Approach to Compute Flood Hazard, Vulnerability, and Risk at the Sub-district Level of Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh

Floods are considered one of the most frequent and destructive disasters in Bangladesh, damaging infrastructure, human lifestyle, and social and economic status in general. In the Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh, the study focuses on how flood risk is affected by the lack of natural, human, physical, social, and financial capital at the sub-district level between 2011 and 2021. The analyses combine hydrological data and geospatial methods with other socioeconomic indicators to generate the risk, vulnerability, and hazard maps for informed decision-making and disaster management. The most crucial inputs for this analysis are the capital indices, population density, and water level statistics. The capital approach shows how geographically focused approaches can change the circumstances of flood risk. Indeed, such approaches help to build a more resilient and equitable flood management system by comparing incidence in differences in capital availability in specific areas. It has been identified that location-wise risk varies. In the study, it is found that the Singra sub-district is the lowest flood-risk-prone zone. The study implores open and collaborative approaches to disaster management, which promote initiatives that mitigate inequalities and facilitate sustainable development in Bangladesh's flood-prone regions. The results also show that the capital approach is a novel framework for risk analysis and suggest risk reduction measures for policymakers and disaster management authorities.