Vulnerability and Geoethical Responses to Flooding in Informal Settlements: A Dual Study from Western Cape, South Africa, and Odisha, India

Abstract

Climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and magnitude of hurricanes, floods and wildfires. These events can have devastating impacts on human lives, infrastructure and the environment. Floods, in particular, are a major concern in many regions, as they can lead to widespread damage. Informal settlements are the most vulnerable places where marginalized communities are highly exposed to the risk and the impacts of floods, as they often lack proper infrastructure and are located in low-lying areas. Combining geosciences, human, and social sciences, with in mind, geoethics principles applied to disaster risk reduction, this work intends to analyze factors associated with flooding in the Western Cape (south west South Africa) and in Odisha (West Bengal, India) for two case studies of informal settlements where people are at a higher risk because of prior vulnerabilities.