ABSTRACT
Floods are one of the most devastating and recurring natural disasters in Bihar. The Bihar Disaster Disaster Management Plan (BDMP) indicates that 28 of the total 38 districts in the state are prone to floods. Furthermore, the areas in South Bihar that were historically not flood-prone have also experiencing flood in recent years due to various climatic and human factors. This paper aims to share the experiences of various departments to manage extreme flood events and their adverse impacts on people, properties and livelihood. To capture stakeholders’ rich and diverse experience, and experience sharing online workshop/webinar was organised in Patna on 29 June 2021, which has been designed exclusively for the mixed group of participants viz policy planners, engaged in preparedness, capacity enhancement and execution of emergency response at Emergency Operation Centre and the site. The paper examines the multi-stakeholder innovative planning and coordination approach to bring together all concerned departments who have a tryst with the flood. Finally, the paper concludes that tackling the flood risk in Bihar, a multi-stakeholder collaborative approach is required to bring together tacit and explicit knowledge. An innovation platform would provide a convergence point to bring together all stakeholders.
