Desensitised flood risk perception to extensive disasters in a marginalised urban kampong in Indonesia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Worldwide, flood risk is on the rise. Simultaneously, the UNDRR fears that humanity’s risk perception is broken. Low-intensity, high-frequency extensive floods are cumulatively the most damaging phenomenon. However, risk perception in the context of extensive floods is widely under-researched. Indonesia is on the nexus of low-risk perceptions, extensive flood risk and poverty. Therefore, a socio-economically marginalised and frequently flooded urban kampong where residents appear to exhibit low levels of risk perception, serves as a case for this study. Data was gathered through five months of fieldwork in Pontianak, West-Kalimantan, consisting of participatory observations and semi-structured interviews. While studies often focus on subjective risk perception, this study includes the socio-cultural context, and aims to understand differentiated perspectives on extensive flood risk. Results show that extensive floods in Tambelan Sampit primarily lead to indirect losses. Furthermore, risk perception is strongly shaped by the extensive characteristics of floods and the socio-cultural context. While risk perception in the kampong is low, we propose that in this specific case the risk perception is desensitised rather than broken. Understanding risk perception as desensitised can add nuance to understandings of people’s experience of (extensive) disasters, explain their behaviour towards risk and potentially inform improved mitigation and adaptation policies. Highlights Risk perception is a context specific phenomenon informed by a blend of individual understandings and socio-cultural factors. Rather than considering risk perception as generally broken or biased, in the context of extensive disasters it is more accurate to characterise perception as ‘desensitized’. Awareness, worry and preparedness, as three interconnected aspects of risk perception, can all become desensitised in ways that together contribute to marginalised people being more vulnerable to negative impacts of flooding. Flood management requires appropriate attention to desensitised risk perceptions to effectively prioritise prevention and mitigation in extensive flood contexts.