Flood and drought vulnerability in Bihar: Management strategies and economic losses

Bihar, one of India's most disaster-vulnerable states, faces recurrent floods and droughts that severely undermine economic development, agriculture, and livelihoods due to its Ganges floodplain location and climate variability. In 2022-23, floods impacted 17 districts, affecting 4.51 lakh people and causing ₹5,257.69 lakh crop losses over 0.57 lakh hectares, while droughts struck 11 districts, impacting 72.20 lakh individuals; historical trends (2018-2022) show peak flood effects in 2019 with 37.36 lakh families hit. This study evaluates Bihar's disaster management framework, analyzing vulnerabilities, Bihar State Disaster Management Authority (BSDMA) policies including early warnings, embankments, Aapda Mitra initiatives, and ₹430.92 crore 2022-23 allocations and socio-economic damages like rising drowning/lightning casualties (2,398 deaths in 2022-23). Employing secondary data from Bihar Economic Surveys (2023-24/2024-25), Department of Disaster Management reports, CSISA drought assessments, and peer-reviewed works (e.g., Kumari et al. 2025) [6], the desk-based analysis reveals policy strengths in coordination but gaps in relief equity and resilience. Findings highlight adaptive budgeting shifts and the need for enhanced community preparedness amid climate change. Recommendations advocate multi-hazard zoning, sustainable agriculture, and technology integration for risk reduction, contributing to development economics discourse and SDGs.