Flood Disaster Risk Reduction for Urban Collective Housing in Thailand

Abstract

Housing in Thailand is expanding to the suburbs, especially for the lower classes, with more people living in collective housing. This study used a questionnaire survey to analyze the relationship between socioeconomic disparities in collective housing and disaster risk reduction (DRR) following the great flood of 2011. The results show that, although suburban lower-class collective housing was severely affected by the flood, DRR measures remain insufficient. The findings suggest that, in addition to supporting victims irrespective of residential status and aiding apartment managers in implementing DRR measures, lowering levels of inundation in the suburbs by “sharing” flood water with the more affluent city centers is an option that should be considered.