Use of indigenous disaster adaptive practices to reduce risk in the southern part of West Bengal

India is the second largest populated country and also one of the most disaster prone countries in the world. Different types of natural disasters like flood, cyclone, drought, earthquake, and landslides occur here. West Bengal is the 2nd densely populated state in India which is situated in the eastern part of the country. A wide range of hazards including cyclones, storm surges, floods, water logging and salinity, embankment failure in the coastal zone and drought, landslide and earth quake, flash flood in plateau and mountainous region is prominent in Bengal. My present research was conducted in indigenous disaster adaptive practices of southern part of West Bengal. I have surveyed total no of twelve villages from my study area. In the study area it was observed that the folk peoples of South Bengal applied their local knowledge to reduce expected loss from adverse environment. The rural residents of this region practiced some disaster adaptive methods like to protect river banks or pond banks from erosion they afforested the areas with the local environmentally favourable species of plants along the banks. Among them bamboo plantation is one of the best because its net type root grips the soil tightly and its shade control the evaporation intensity. Except this to control pond bank erosion they especially apply a unique technique. They manage bank through making guard wall which is built by arranging tiles step by step along the bank which is a very scientific one. And the residents of this region, the produced crop is stored in their house through make a ‘morai’ inside the house boundary and also animal husbandry is one of the survival activities which could reduce the risks of famine like situation and make them economic supportive in this environment and also to reduce sufferings during this situation they build dug wells.