Mobility as a Response to Urban Floods and Its Implications for Risk Mitigation: A Local Area Level Case Study from Guwahati, Assam

Detrimental effects of climate change and development pressures resulting in hazardous disasters have been a grave challenge of the current Anthropocene. Floods, a common global disaster, are posing a major threat to a large percentage of urban population due to increasing frequency and intensity. Prima facie, the inundations are usually short-term disruptions in case of urban floods. However, research indicates individuals alter their travel behaviour during floods. Mobility is an essential part of human life and when disrupted due to such events can prompt individuals to engage in risk-taking and evacuation behaviours, influenced by various socioeconomic as well as environmental factors. It is vital to comprehend human mobility patterns in both regular and unusual circumstances, from a purview of urban vulnerability, resilience, and sustainability. For this research, the travel behaviour study undertaken at a neighbourhood in Guwahati, Assam, analysed risk taking and evacuation behaviour during floods based on Mobility as a Response (MaaR) framework, comprising built environment, transportation, behavioural control, information-seeking and social response during floods. The primary survey involved collection of data through a structured questionnaire administered to 105 individuals. The analysis techniques include Chi-square and Spearman Rank Correlation tests. The findings suggest that risk taking, and relocation behaviour varies across different demographic and socioeconomic groups and the challenge of accessing various transportation modes and a lack of viable alternative routes for vehicles and pedestrians show a significant correlation with both relocation and risk-taking behaviours.