Children’s Vulnerability in Coastal Slums during Cyclone: A Case
Study of Puri Municipality Area
Rashmi Rekha Barik., Sujata Mishra
1Lecturer and Head, Department of Geography, P.N. College (Autonomous), Khordha
2Professor, P.G. Department of Geography, S.C.S. (Autonomous) College, Puri
Received: 10 November 2025; Accepted: 20 November 2025; Published: 06 December 2025
INTRODUCTION
Hazards are the natural events that take place in an area locally. When this natural event causes huge devastation
or destruction of live and property is called disaster. Different natural disasters occurred in different places of
the world in different times. For example, flood, drought, landslide, earthquake, volcanic eruption, cyclone,
tsunami, bush fire etc. are the natural events but when these natural events take the lives and property in huge
numbers or amount it called as disaster. There are many vulnerable groups in context of climate change whose
impacts vary spatially and temporally. It varies with location, economic status, age, sex etc. Over the last 3
decades, various extreme events like heavy rainfall, high tides, drought, floods, cyclone and tsunami have
brought huge devastation to the society.
Most of the world cities are generally found in the places where the food and water facilities are found easily.
So mist of the developed cities of the world developed along the river coast or ocean coast area. Hence the
coastal areas are facing different types of natural hazards and disasters most of the time. The present study area,
i.e. Puri urban area is a heritage city which is very ancient in nature. It is one of the four “Dhamas” of the Hindus
and at the same time has beautiful golden beach affecting crowds from all around the world. Hence, plethora of
employment opportunities attracted huge number of migrants. As a result there is proliferation of slum
development. Basic characteristics of these slums are dilapiladated housing structures with poor ventilation,
overcrowding, inadequate lighting, lack of portable water, absence of sanitation facilities, faulty alignment of
streets, inundation during monsoon season, lack of access for fire-fighting and control measures.
In our society the women, children and old people are most vulnerable for every changing environment due to
their lower capacity than the young people. Generally when a disease or any disaster happened, the women
children and old people are affected more due to their less tolerance capacity to the changing face of the normal
environment. They also don’t have access to property or financial resources which makes them more vulnerable
in the face of disaster.
Study Area
Puri, urban area is located at 190 47’ 55” N and 850 49’ 55’ E along the eastern coast of India, on the shores of the
Bay of Bengal. The area of Puri Municipality is about 16.32sq.k.ms. The slope of Puri is not more than 2 meters
as this area is situated within coastal sensitive zone.
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