Associate Professor Indian institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
Abstract Submission: Chennai, a city with a population of 12 million, faces recurring flood hazards, aggravated by the city’s rapid urbanization, encroachments in floodplains, and changing climate patterns. Informal settlements, which house a significant portion of 28.9% of the city’s population, often located in low lying and flood prone areas, face severe challenges due to poor housing conditions, insufficient infrastructure and limited access to basic services. This study investigates disaster governance in Chennai, particularly on how it addresses the vulnerability of informal settlements. The focus will be on the analysis of capital expenditure on flood management, categorizing it into structural and non-structural measures. Structural measures include physical flood barriers and drainage infrastructure, while non-structural measures involve policy reforms and awareness campaigns. By examining the distribution and impact of these expenditures, the study highlights potential gaps in addressing the needs of vulnerable population. In parallel, a vulnerability assessment of informal settlements is conducted through a composite index designed using the MCDM technique, specifically using the TOPSIS method. Factors such as socio-economic conditions, infrastructure quality, and proximity to flood prone areas are considered in the vulnerability index. By analyzing the relationship between capital expenditure and vulnerability of informal settlements, the study determines whether disaster governance in Chennai effectively addresses vulnerability or if it remains insufficient for marginalized communities. Keywords: Vulnerability, Disaster Governance, Flood Mitigation, Informal Settlements
