Living in hazardous waterscapes: Gendered vulnerabilities and experiences of floods and disasters

Considerable literature exists on floods and weather-related disasters, but limited attention has been given to the varied social implications of hazards in the lives of people, especially from a gender perspective. This is particularly poignant in floodplains and coastal areas, where water is a key element in giving, sustaining and taking away life and livelihood. Critical social and geographical analyses enable better understanding of the ways hazardous waterscapes are perceived, experienced and negotiated by people across social categories in their everyday life. This article attempts to highlight the gendered and classed coping strategies and adaptation measures that men and women engage with (that both challenge and reproduce social relations and vulnerabilities) in their attempts to survive in hazardous environments. Drawing…