Assessing the physical vulnerability of the houses to cyclonic hazard and its relation with economic and environmental factors: a study from the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve of India

Sundarban Biosphere Reserve (SBR) in India, renowned for its fragile ecosystem, is susceptible to frequent cyclones and associated hazards. This research aims to assess the physical vulnerability of houses in the SBR to cyclonic hazards and explore its relation with environmental and economic factors. The methodology integrates Analytical Hierarchical Processes (AHP) and Geographical Information System (GIS) for assessing the physical vulnerability of houses. The building indicators such as roof material, wall material, floor material, direction of the house, outer wall, plantation and age of the house are considered for developing the physical vulnerability index. Further, the physical vulnerability index of each house are correlated with environmental and economic factors such as slope, elevation, and distance from the coast, and cyclone tracks, river density, road density, and income. The study shows a high vulnerability in Basanti, Gosaba, Sagar, Namkhana, and Patharpratima blocks, while Jaynagar I, Canning I, Mathurapur I, and Haroa I blocks exhibit lower vulnerability. The correlation analysis demonstrates a positive correlation between river density and houses vulnerability, while negative correlations are observed with income, road density, river flow direction and distance from the coast. The study contributes valuable insights for effective disaster management and building resilience in the coastal areas of the SBR.