Residents' perception of flood risk and urban stream restoration using multi‐criteria decision analysis

Abstract

AbstractThis research examines how individual preferences for the major functions of stream restoration processes are associated with flood prevention and risk mitigation in Johnson Creek of Portland, Oregon, USA. We first reviewed a set of results from an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) model to rank the major stream restoration functions and compared citizens' preferences for “flood prevention” using ordinary least squares regression. Our results show that the perceptions and interests of citizens may be centred on the inconvenience of everyday life arising from the previous flood events. Residents in the highly urbanized downstream regions showed a higher sensitivity to flooding than those living in the upper regions of the watershed. Community participation and annual incomes are positively related to flood risk perception in more developed downstream regions, while ecological or development goals associated with property protection are positively associated with higher flood risk perception in the less developed upper regions. Our findings of citizen perceptions can be adopted to help local government leaders and households mitigate flood risk while also achieving multiple benefits from stream restoration projects.