Abstract
Flooding is a severe climate-related threat to rural livelihoods and poverty levels in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), particularly affecting vulnerable smallholder farmers. This systematic review aims to provide future research directions on the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to flooding, poverty, and coping strategies in LMICs. Specifically, the study evaluates methodologies used to assess vulnerability to flooding, its links to poverty, and identifies coping strategies employed by smallholder farmers to mitigate the impacts of flood-induced vulnerability on their livelihoods and well-being. Following the PRISMA procedure, 19 relevant studies were identified across five database searches. The findings revealed the wide use of vulnerability indices that incorporate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity to assess varying risks across localities and social groups, with strong links found between vulnerability and multidimensional poverty. Floods worsen income poverty, food insecurity, and socioeconomic inefficiency, hindering Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2 progress. Common coping strategies include livelihood diversification, social capital networks, migration, loans, asset liquidation, and disaster aid, which help mitigate shocks but need strengthening to contribute to SDGs 13 and 15 targets. Key evidence gaps are individual-level/farmer vulnerability, quantitative modelling of flood-poverty linkages, assessing the impact of coping strategies on poverty, and understanding Indigenous practices. Strengthening the adaptation-development linkage through comprehensive interventions and research collaborations is crucial for enhancing farmer resilience. This review provides valuable insights for researchers and stakeholders to advance conceptual understanding and inform policies aimed at reducing the climatic and socioeconomic vulnerabilities of farmers.
