What influences disaster risk perception? Intervention measures, flood and landslide risk perception of the population living in flood risk areas in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil

Abstract

The flooding and landslides catastrophe in 2011 in the mountainous area of Rio de Janeiro State in Brazil affected more than 300,000 people and created unquantifiable material losses, mostly in the Nova Friburgo Municipality. Even with the available technologies, programs and measures for disaster prevention, the population was not prepared. Following international frameworks like the Hyogo, governmental institutions related to risk management started working with the population to improve response, preparedness and perception. This work aims to evaluate disaster risk perception (DRP) and intervention measures of the population living in flood risk areas and relate it to variables such as landslide risk perception, experienced disasters and intervention measures taken from institutions and the population. Through 391 quantitative questionnaires and 20 semi-structured qualitative interviews, we reveal the connection between DRP, the people who may be affected and the strategies for response and preparedness of the institutions. Using descriptive statistics, factor analysis and regression, we develop six main factors related to risk perception. The regression defines flood risk perception (FRP) as the dependent factor and exposes the small influence on FRP from state and municipal institutions working with disaster risk reduction (~ 0.01) in comparison to past experiences (~ 0.52), demographic characteristics (~ 0.29) and local influences (~ 0.62). Supporting literature about DRP, examples about institutional influences are given. Hard and soft intervention measures exemplify neighborhoods developing perceptions according to institutional influences, local organization strategies and marginalization level, highlighting the importance of local participation on risk reduction programs to improve perception, trust and therefore, intervention measures.