Flood Experience Research Articles

Diluvial nation: building imperial Japan through floods

PurposeThis article assesses the development of flood relief and recovery, and their narratives, as political sites for the central and local governments to negotiate each other's standing and role in imperial Japan.Design/methodology/approachThe article examines local flood narratives, most prominently from Okayama, to assess how imperial Japan's central government intruded into the periphery through disaster relief, and how the localities negotiated and challenged Tokyo's political agenda on the ground and through these narratives.FindingsThe above sources reveal that the national government attempted to use flood experiences to unite the pluralizing society by three main means: building meteorological stations, relief laws, and through the imperial being. The process was systematized gradually, and local prefectures aided and challenged Tokyo's attempts. The prefectures also used disasters to try to bring unity within their community.Originality/valueHistorical flood narratives are often used to mine data from which future preventative and management measures are constructed. The article suggests the narratives' political nature, and hence the nuances that must be considered in these efforts.

Application of HEC-RAS (2D) for Flood Hazard Maps Generation for Yesil (Ishim) River in Kazakhstan

The use of hydraulic models for carrying out flood simulations is a common practice globally. The current study used HEC-RAS (2D) in order to simulate different flood scenarios on the River Yesil (Ishim). Comparison of different mesh sizes (25, 50 and 75 m) indicated no significant difference in model performance. However, a significant difference was observed in simulation time. In addition, the inclusion of breaklines showed that there was a slight improvement in model performance and a shortening of the simulation time. Sensitivity analysis and the consequent manual calibration of sensitive parameters resulted in a slight improvement (an increase in the model accuracy from 58.4% for uncalibrated to 59.7% for calibrated). Following the simulations inundation maps for 10-, 20- and 100-year flood events were obtained. Hazard classification of the flood extents generated indicated that the settlements of Zhibek Zholy and Arnasay were flooded in all the simulated events. Volgodonovka village experienced flooding when a 100-year flood event was simulated. On the other hand, settlement No. 42 did not experience any flooding in any of the scenarios. The model results also demonstrate that the Counter-Regulator was not overtopped in the event of the 100-year hydrograph.

Let's talk about flood risk – Evaluating a series of workshops on private flood protection

Private flood protection measures can help reduce potential damage from flooding. Few intervention studies currently exist that systematically evaluate the effectiveness of risk communication methods. To address this gap, we evaluated a series of six workshops (N = 115) on private flood protection in flood-prone areas in Germany that covers different aspects of flood protection for individual households.Applying mixed-model analysis, significant increases in self-efficacy, subjective knowledge, and protection motivation were observed. Younger participants, as well as participants who reported lower levels of previous knowledge or no flood experience, showed a higher increase in self-efficacy and knowledge. Results suggest that a workshop can be an effective risk communication tool, raising awareness and motivating behaviour among residents of flood-prone areas.

Encouraging Living Shorelines over Shoreline Armoring: Insights from Property Owners Choices in the Chesapeake Bay

This study uses data from shoreline modification permit applications in Gloucester County, Virginia to provide insights into how coastal managers can encourage the use of living shorelines over shoreline armoring. The data show that shorelines are more likely to be modified on properties with high neighboring property values and properties threatened by hurricane storm surge and high wave energy, while modifications are less likely in conservation areas and areas with high percentages of natural cover and agricultural use. Compared to armoring, living shorelines are more likely in FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas and following recent flooding experiences but are less likely to be installed following an FEMA disaster declaration. Property owners are also significantly more likely to install a specific modification if their neighbors have already installed that modification. Based on these results, coastal managers may be able to increase the effectiveness of interventions to reduce shoreline modification by targeting unmodified high value properties in residential areas with high wave energy. To encourage property owners to install living shorelines over armoring, the results suggest that coastal managers should target properties with armored neighbors or properties in business zones and should develop interventions directly following significant storm events.

Flood disaster preparedness: experience and attitude of rural residents in Sichuan, China

Concerns regarding climate change have recently spotlighted the devastating impacts of flooding. In this regard, disaster preparedness is known to mitigate against potential loss suffered as a consequence of flood disasters. Extant research has explored the influence of residents’ experience and attitude on disaster preparedness behavior as separate factors; however, research to date has yet to consider these inter-related factors simultaneously. Accordingly, this study explores this relationship, taking rural residents of the flood-prone regions of Sichuan Province, China, as the research subject. Exploratory factor analysis and ordered logistic regression are used to ascertain the effects of flood experience and attitude on residents’ disaster preparedness behavior. Results show the following. (1) The level of disaster preparedness behavior of rural residents is relatively low. (2) Respondents who are older, more educated, or who have lived locally for longer are more likely to be better prepared for flood disasters. (3) On the other hand, respondents with higher income, either as individuals or households, are less prepared. (4) Previous flood experience and disposition toward disaster also impacts preparedness behavior. On the basis of these findings, the following suggestions are proposed as mitigation policies for flood-prone areas. (1) Structural flood control measures should be organically combined with daily disaster preparedness. (2) Rural areas affected by devastating floods should offer psychological counseling to residents in order to reduce states of fear and helplessness. (3) Government departments should inform residents in real time of flood warnings and of flood control measures. (4) Lastly, relevant local departments should educate local residents in flood preparedness. Taken together, these measures can be expected to improve living conditions, people’s trust in the media, and in the government’s flood control capacity.

From the general to the specific: the influence of confidence and trust on flood risk perception

This study advances scholarly debate on the impact of confidence and trust on flood risk perceptions using data from a random sample of 403 residents in New Orleans, a U.S. coastal city with hundreds of miles of levees to protect the city from flooding. The research focuses on several predictors including specific trust measures of local, state, and federal authorities, sociodemographic characteristics, and experience with flood damage. Using ordinal logistic regression, we find that residents who perceive the levee system as unlikely to protect their homes and the city are significantly more likely to perceive an increased risk of flooding. Previous flood experience, age, female gender, and race were also significant predictors of flood risk perception. In contrast to prevailing risk research that has found that general trust and general confidence negatively affect risk perception, our findings show mixed support for the hypothesis that higher levels of confidence and trust result in lower perceptions of risk. Our findings reveal the nuances of risk perception and suggest that specific notions of trust and confidence can have positive and negative influences on flood risk perception depending on respondent views toward flood protection systems and specific institutions and government agencies.

Influential Factors Affecting Protective Coping Behaviors of Flood Disaster: A Case Study in Shenzhen, China.

As the risk of urban flooding increases worldwide, floods seriously endanger the safety of people’s lives and property. Understanding the protective coping behaviors of the public in flood disasters is crucial to the implementation of effective flood mitigation measures and flood risk management. In this study, influential factors affecting protective coping behaviors in the face of flood disasters were identified, and the effects of these factors were discussed as well. Shenzhen City in China was selected as the study area, in which a questionnaire survey of 339 respondents was carried out in three flood-prone districts. Correlation analysis was conducted to preselect potential influential factors. Then, two linear regression models were established to identify main influential factors and to explore the interaction effects of these factors. The results indicated that age, monthly income, flood experience, trust in government and insurance willingness were main influential factors of protective coping behaviors. Trust in government had the highest positive correlation coefficient, while monthly income and age were negatively associated with protective coping behaviors. The interaction between insurance willingness and monthly income jointly affected protective coping behaviors of the public. The findings of this study could help authorities better understand the public’s intention to cope with flood and design effective risk reduction measures, not only for Shenzhen, but also for many other similar cities that facing with the same situation.

Understanding Households’ Perceptions of Risk Communication During a Natural Disaster: A Case Study of the 2011 Flood in Thailand

This study investigated households’ perceptions of risk communication during the 2011 flood in Thailand, which was the most devastating in Thailand since 1942 and affected 12.9 million people. The study aim was to analyze the determinants of people’s perceptions of early warning communication and its efficacy. It also examined key determinants in various aspects, including the accessibility and efficacy of warnings regarding the potential hazard from electrocution, household hygiene, and life and property issues. This study used the 2011 Flood Livelihood Survey of Thai households, conducted by the Thai National Statistical Office from July to December 2011. The results demonstrated that some household characteristics, head of household, and communication and transportation problems during the flood affected warnings regarding accessibility and the perception of warning efficacy during the 2011 flood in Thailand. The results also demonstrate the key factors in successful risk communication, i.e., flood experience and community interrelationship. It is also essential to provide comprehensive and useful information such as safety and health instructions, using the proper channels to disseminate information to the target audience.

Internet-Based Flood Detection System (Iot) and Telegram Messenger Using Mcu Node and Water Level Sensor

During the rainy season, several regions in Indonesia experienced floods even to the capital of Indonesia also flooded. Some of the causes are the high intensity of continuous rain, clogged or non-smooth drainage, high tides to accommodate the flow of water from rivers, other causes such as forest destruction, shallow and full of garbage and other causes. Every flood disaster comes, often harming the residents who experience it. The late anticipation from the community and the absence of an early warning system or information that indicates that there will be a flood so that the community is not prepared to face floods that cause a lot of losses. Therefore it is necessary to have a detection system to provide early warning if floods will occur, this is very important to prevent material losses from flooded residents. From this problem the researchers designed an internet-based flood detection System of Things (IoT). This tool can later be controlled via a smartphone remotely and can send messages Telegram messenger to citizens if the detector detects a flood will occur.Keywords: Flooding, Smartphone, Telegram messenger, Internet of Thing (IoT).

Flood risk perception and its determinants among rural households in two communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Risk perception plays a vital part in flood risk management and mitigation strategies. Therefore, this study aims at first to measure the risk perception of the vulnerable households in the rural areas of Pakistan and, second, to assess the determinants and to estimate their impacts on risk perception among different groups of households. Data were collected through questionnaire survey from 382 respondents in two districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. Risk perception was measured through a Likert scale for a set of indicators, and the composite index was calculated. Moreover, univariate and multivariate logistic models were applied to explore the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Results of risk perception show that 50.52% of the respondents perceived a high risk of floods in the study area. Results of regression models show that the age group 40–50 years was less likely to perceive a high risk of floods. Respondents with flood experience, education (higher secondary and above), household location (near the bank of streams) and household distance from the river (≤ 500) were more likely to perceive high floods risk. Furthermore, respondents in the riverine flood-prone areas perceived high flood risk than respondents in the flash flood-prone regions. The study contributes in terms of useful information about the risk perception of floods and the determinants of flood risk perception in rural areas. These findings can help the provincial disaster management authorities and local disaster management units in understanding flood risk and implementing relevant interventions at the local level that can be used in adaptation to floods and other climate-induced disasters.

Individual and local flooding experiences are differentially associated with subjective attribution and climate change concern

While several studies show an association between flooding experience and climate change engagement, a few show no evidence of such a link. Here, we explore the potential that this inconsistency relates to the measurement of flooding experience in terms of individual versus local experience, and the subsumption of multiple distinct constructs within composite indicators of climate change engagement. Using national survey data from Norway, we show that individual and local flooding experiences differentially predict subjective attribution and climate change concern. People with individual flooding experience reported significantly greater climate change concern than those with local, or no, flooding experience. Subjective attribution of flooding to climate change did not differ significantly between people with individual versus local flooding experience, except among those with a right-wing political orientation where individual experience was associated with greater subjective attribution. Our findings highlight the need for careful operationalisation of flooding experience and climate change engagement in subsequent research.

The social geometry of collaborative flood risk management: a hydrosocial case study of Tillamook County, Oregon

Coastal and riparian flooding are costly and disruptive natural hazards and already a regular part of life in some areas of the USA. Flooding events caused by sea-level rise and climate change are expected to increase in frequency and severity in the future, creating social, ecological, and economic problems at local, city, state, and federal levels. It is clear that normative, infrastructure-oriented, and strictly hydrological solutions to flooding have not appropriately met these challenges, nor have they adequately addressed relevant socio-political factors which shape hydrological processes. Using the case study of Tillamook County, this study draws upon qualitative interview data to identify and explain social factors which have influenced the outcome of a collaborative, socially engaged flood management project. These include previous flood experience; emotions and feelings; interests and concerns; preferred management strategies; barriers to community-scientific engagement; and perceptions of a mediation process. This situation is further explored within the framework of social geometry, which is used to explain changes in social position and relationships through an interactive, collaborative process. In this case, mediation is shown to decrease both relational space and differences in status between the two primary actor groups, leading to mutually agreeable outcomes but not without dispute. Flood managers and researchers may find this case study useful when analyzing qualitative data related to flood risk management, and/or planning flood management strategies, particularly in disaster-prone regions.

The Sources of Belief in Personal Capability: Antecedents of Self-Efficacy in Private Adaptation to Flood Risk.

Self-efficacy is one of the strongest and most consistent drivers of private flood mitigation behavior; however, the factors influencing self-efficacy in the context of flooding remain unclear. The present study examines three potential antecedents of self-efficacy: personal and vicarious experiences of floods or building-related events, social norms for private flood preparedness, and personal competencies such as technical abilities and social skills. While controlling for other drivers in a protection motivation theory (PMT) framework, these antecedents are tested as precursors of self-efficacy and intentions to improve flood resilience. Structural equation modeling is applied to conduct mediation analyses with survey data of 381 flood-prone households in Austria. Contrary to theoretical expectations, personal and vicarious experiences do not predict self-efficacy, presumably because rare flood events and changing hazard characteristics do not facilitate generalizable performance accomplishments. Social norms strongly and consistently influence self-efficacy, especially for actions observable by others, and also directly influence protective responses. Personal competencies increase self-efficacy and support protective action, particularly with regard to preventive and structural measures. The strength and direction of the antecedents of self-efficacy as well as of other PMT determinants vary between general and specific protective responses. This study provides important insights for risk managers, suggesting that interventions involving social norms and personal competencies can be effective in stimulating self-efficacy and, in turn, private flood mitigation. Interventions and research should clearly differentiate between general intention and the implementation of specific measures, and should address cumulative, synergistic, or tradeoff interrelations between multiple measures.

Risk behaviour and people's attitude towards public authorities – A survey of 2007 UK and 2013 German floods

This paper reports on people's preparedness, perception and behaviour of flood risk as well as their trust and attitude towards public authorities in the flood context. Two areas were studied: Catcliffe, situated near Sheffield in the United Kingdom, which was severely flooded in 2007, and Passau in Bavaria, Germany, which was hit by an extreme flood in 2013. We conducted a survey in both study areas and collected data on risk perception, people's perceptions of their own preparedness, their use of information, trust in the authorities and evacuation behaviour. We found that although there were few significant differences between the two case studies, risk perception and risk preparedness was significantly higher in Catcliffe than in Passau and during the flood emergency people in Catcliffe see themselves acting more self-protectively (78%) than in Passau (42%). In both places, people who had direct experience of floods had a higher level of risk perception and preparedness compared to those with no previous experience. In both Catcliffe and Passau, trust in government was fairly low. Nevertheless, when people were asked the hypothetical question how they would react to a public evacuation order, almost 70% in Catcliffe and 80% of respondents in Passau would take immediate action to evacuate. Interestingly, the answer was similar when we asked the conflicting question whether the respondents would follow a public evacuation order although their family recommended not doing so.

AHP-GIS analysis for flood hazard assessment of the communities nearby the world heritage site on Ayutthaya Island, Thailand

Thailand faced the worst flooding in half a century in 2011. A previous flood had harshly affected the UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) and the surrounding communities. The aims of this study were to assess the spatial distribution of flood hazards and analyze how past experience contributed to community flood readiness. Both GIS analysis and household surveys (n = 405) were systematically performed. According to the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique, approximately half of the whole community area (52.63%) and the WHS (44.8%) were at high risk of flooding. Pratuchai, the most populated subdistrict, was at the highest flood hazard level. Runoff and road density were the main contributors to flooding in a community. Regression analysis found that there was a negative correlation between past flood experience and residents’ flood readiness. According to the cluster analysis, there were two groups of respondents: i) those who had more experience with both flood hazards and the inaccessibility of urban services during a flood and were less likely to prepare themselves for future floods (n = 313) and ii) those who had less experience with floods and the inaccessibility of urban services and were more likely to prepare for future floods (n = 92). This implies, in short, that the local populace had not learned much from past experiences of a flood disasters. Advance urban flood management, multi-hazard zoning, and effective flood risk communication are urgently needed to improve flood resilience in the WHS communities.

How structural mitigation shapes risk perception and affects decision-making.

This paper reviews the relationships between risk perception and structural measures in an Australian context in three respects: (i) opinions about authorities' ability to mitigate flood risks; (ii) the role of flood experience in shaping views on risk; and (iii) perspectives on the ways in which structural measures shape decision-making pertaining to protective action. The main finding of this analysis is that the study participants do not suffer from the 'levee paradox'. Most take precautionary steps to guard against residual flood risk. Such actions, however, do not mean that there is a lack of trust in structural measures to reduce significant flood risk. The majority of the respondents agreed about the necessity of engineering structures to mitigate inherent flood risk. This support, though, does not extend to their management. Losses during major flooding in southeast Queensland, Australia, in 2010-11 were attributed primarily by residents to operational decisions concerning dam water releases.

Using photograph interpretation to understand perceptions of floods in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Floods are the most common natural disaster and cause economic loss and death. The amount of people exposed to flooding is increasing, especially in Sub-Saharan African cities. Within these cities, it is the poorest residents living in informal, high-density, and low-lying areas that are most at risk. Dar es Salaam experiences regular flooding, which is attributed to more intense and severe precipitation, rapid population growth, and inadequate infrastructure. This paper presents a case study of the city’s Kigogo Ward, an informal area situated between the Kibangu and Msimbazi Rivers. It presents a pilot study of households living in flood-prone areas to understand actual experiences. Not all experienced floods either inside or outside their homes. To understand why some households stated no flood experience despite living on or near rivers, a second phase of research incorporated photograph interpretation. Participants were shown a series of 10 photographs of flooded landscapes and asked whether the image was a flood. Results found a variety of perceptions of floods: from considering any amount of water a flood to considering waist-deep water normal rather than a flood. These results demonstrate a need to consider these differing perceptions of floods when creasing disaster management and resilience policies.

Gender-Related Differences in Flood Risk Perception and Behaviours among Private Groundwater Users in the Republic of Ireland.

Extreme weather events including flooding can have severe personal, infrastructural, and economic consequences, with recent evidence pointing to surface flooding as a pathway for the microbial contamination of private groundwater supplies. There is a pressing need for increasingly focused information and awareness campaigns to highlight the risks posed by extreme weather events and appropriate subsequent post-event actions. To date, little is known about the presence, directionality or magnitude of gender-related differences regarding flood risk awareness and behaviour among private groundwater users, a particularly susceptible sub-population due to an overarching paucity of infrastructural regulation across many regions. The current study investigated gender-related differences in flood risk perception and associated mitigation behaviours via a cross-sectional, national survey of 405 (168 female, 237 male) private groundwater supply users. The developed survey instrument assessed socio-demographic profile, previous flood experience, experiential and conjectural health behaviours (contingent on previous experience), and Risk, Attitude, Norms, Ability, Self-regulation (RANAS) framework questions. Statistically significant gender differences were found between both ‘Norm—Descriptive’ and ‘Ability—Self-efficacy’ RANAS elements (p < 0.05). Female respondents reported a lower level of awareness of the need for post-flood action(s) (8.9% vs. 16.5%), alongside a perceived “lack of information” as a reason for not testing their domestic well (4.9% vs. 11.5%). Conversely, male respondents were more likely to report awareness of their well location in relation to possible contamination sources (96.6% vs. 89.9%) and awareness of previous water testing results (98.9% vs. 93.0%). Gender-related gaps exist within the studied private groundwater reliant cohort, a sub-population which has to date remained under-studied within the context of climate change and extreme weather events. Accordingly, findings suggest that gender-focused communication and education may represent an effective tool for protecting current and future generations of global groundwater users.

Correction to: Strengthening Pluvial Flood Risk Management in the Southeast Region of Bangladesh: Lessons Learnt from the EU Policy and Practice

The trend of flood damages triggered by heavy downpour continues in the southeastern region of Bangladesh due to a lack of non-structural approaches, effective planning and policy. Appropriate guidelines will be needed to develop a robust strategy for improving flood risk management based on advanced technologies, research and practices. The experience gained through the recent EU-funded projects for flash floods, the EU Water Framework Directive and Floods Directive, and the Driver Pressure State Impact Response (DPSIR) framework provide useful insights to solve the problems associated with the flash floods in Bangladesh. Flood marks, post-flood analysis and witness interviews in FLOODsite basins of Europe provide good practices for improving the flash flood risk management. This paper presents normative conclusions from case studies conducted in Feni, Bangladesh on how to manage pluvial flood risk resiliently using strategic planning by considering EU-policy, practice and framework. Interviews were conducted, questionnaires, field observations and focus group discussions were undertaken with the affected community with and without flood experience, national water experts, water management practitioners and local authorities responsible for decision-making on flood risk management. The paper concludes with a number of recommendations for pluvial flood risk management policy making, strategy formulating and practices.

Các yếu tố ảnh hưởng đến nhận thức rủi ro lũ lụt của nông hộ ở Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long

Protection Motivation Theory was applied to find out determinants of farmers’ perception of flood risk in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. The data were collected from direct interviews of 431 farmers in An Giang province, Hau Giang province and Can Tho city. The method of Dowling was used to measure farmers’ perception of flood risk. Perception of flood risks are considered in 5 aspects including health-disease, finance, production, social relations, and psychology. The results showed that 50.58% of farmers were awareness of flood risks. Three main factors significantly influencing farmers’ perception of flood risks in the study area included the age of the householdes, experiences of flooding and the loss of households in the extreme floods.