Extreme Flood Events in India and Attribution to Climate Change: An Analysis of News Media Coverage from 2013–2019 during Bihar Floods

AbstractThis study analyzes the news media coverage of floods in a major flood-prone state of India, Bihar. Although news media helps shape public perception and political actions, little analysis of this means of communication has been conducted in India. Major topics and issues discussed during th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Natural hazards review 2022-02, Vol.23 (1)
Main Author: Kouser-Asif, Salma
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case Studies
Case Study
Climate change
Climatic analysis
Communication
Disaster management
Disasters
Embankments
Flood control
Floods
Forestry
Health care facilities
Media coverage
Mitigation
News media
Political parties
Public opinion
Transportation systems
Urban areas
Waterlogging
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Summary:AbstractThis study analyzes the news media coverage of floods in a major flood-prone state of India, Bihar. Although news media helps shape public perception and political actions, little analysis of this means of communication has been conducted in India. Major topics and issues discussed during the coverage of Bihar floods in years 2013, 2017, and 2019 were provision of food, shelter, and health facilities, failure of the transportation system, waterlogging in urban areas, and failure or management of embankments. There was no skepticism on whether climate change was real. Political parties took contradictory positions: the ruling party attributed floods to a changing climate but other parties, and news media, emphasized the lack of disaster mitigation actions and were uninterested in climate change. This study suggests that it is more important to prepare for disaster mitigation actions around the major issues discussed and communicate them to the public. Media should become a major stakeholder by questioning the authorities about disaster preparations prior to the monsoon season and communicating mitigation actions to the public once disaster has struck, and help both public and government to better manage and mitigate the disaster.
ISSN:1527-6988
1527-6996
DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)NH.1527-6996.0000527