In-depth Appraisal of Pluvial Flood Risk Perception and Coping Strategies in a Flood Prone Urban Settlement: A Case Study of Ala Community, Ondo State Southwestern Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70112/tarce-2025.14.1.4253Keywords:
Flood Risk Management, Risk Perception, Climate Change, Protective Measures, Socio-Demographic FactorsAbstract
Efforts to mitigate the damage and risks associated with natural disasters have been extensive; however, floods continue to rank among the most destructive natural hazards worldwide. In recent years, the occurrence of such natural events appears to have increased, and the associated threats to both development and economic stability from flood disasters are also growing. There is widespread recognition-sometimes well-founded-that climate change could substantially alter risk levels, potentially rendering many current flood management strategies insufficient for future needs. The scale of current and projected flood impacts underscores the urgency of prioritizing flood risk management within urban areas in policy and political discourse. This paper provides a detailed assessment of flood risk, emphasizing the relationship between flood risk perception variables and the adoption of protective measures. The correlation analysis shows that key factors such as worry, direct flood experience (r = 0.61), and flood awareness significantly influence risk perception. However, preparedness behaviors, including the adoption of Property-Level Flood Mitigation Measures (PLFMM), were more strongly influenced by socio-demographic factors such as gender, property ownership (p = 0.699), and self-efficacy, while risk perception had minimal influence. Additionally, low-cost interventions such as channelization (24%) and moving expensive items (18%) were the most adopted protective measures. The study also shows that direct and indirect flood experiences were stronger predictors of PLFMM adoption than risk perception.
References
[1]R. Lal and V. Anand, “Assessing impact of geophysical hydro-meteorological hazards,” Asian Rev. Civ. Eng., vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 18-25, 2021.
[2]D. D’Ayala, K. Wang, Y. Yan, H. Smith, A. Massam, V. Filipova, and J. J. Pereira, “Flood vulnerability and risk assessment of urban traditional buildings in a heritage district of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,” Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., vol. 20, no. 8, pp. 2221-2241, 2020.
[3]J. Levine, A.-M. Esnard, and A. Sap, “Population displacement and housing dilemmas due to catastrophic disasters,” Nat. Hazards Rev., vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 3-15, 2007.
[4]J. E. Lamond, R. Joseph, and D. Proverbs, “An exploration of factors affecting the long-term psychological impact and deterioration of mental health in flooded households,” Environ. Res., vol. 140, pp. 325-334, 2015.
[5]S. Carla, V. Murray, R. Amlôt, R. Williams, and J. Nurse, “The effects of flooding on mental health: Outcomes and recommendations from a review of the literature,” PLoS Curr., vol. 1, pp. 1-18, 2012.
[6]D. Guha-Sapir, F. Vos, R. Below, and S. Ponserre, Annual DisasterS tatistical Review 2011: The Numbers and Trends. Brussels, Belgium: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED),Université catholique de Louvain, 2012.
[7]M. Diakakis, G. Priskos, and M. Skordoulis, “Public perception of flood risk in flash flood prone areas of Eastern Mediterranean: The case of Attica Region in Greece,” Int. J. Disaster Risk Reduct., vol. 28,pp. 404-413, 2018.
[8]P. Gogoi and S. K. Patnaik, “Flood frequency analysis of Jiadhal River Basin, India using Log Pearson Type III distribution method,” Asian Rev. Civ. Eng., vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 6-9, 2023.
[9]V. A. Rangari, S. S. Prashanth, N. V. Umamahesh, and K. A. Patel, “Simulation of urban drainage system using a storm water management model (SWMM),” Asian J. Eng. Appl. Technol., vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 7-10,2018.
[10]T. Grothmann and F. Reusswig, “People at risk of flooding: Why some residents take precautionary action while others do not,” Nat. Hazards, vol. 38, pp. 101-120, 2006.
[11]V. Ijaware, “Environmental impact assessment of Ala-River Akure, Ondo State Nigeria,” Eur. J. Eng. Res. Sci., vol. 5, no. 5, pp. 545-549, 2020.
[12]A. O. Ayeni, I. I. Balogun, and A. S. Soneye, “Seasonal assessment of physico-chemical concentration of polluted urban river: A case of Ala River in Southwestern-Nigeria,” Res. J. Environ. Sci., vol. 5, no. 1,pp. 22-35, 2011.
[13]A. O. Ayeni, I. I. Balogun, and A. S. Soneye, “Seasonal assessment of physico-chemical concentration of polluted urban river: A case of Ala River in Southwestern-Nigeria,” Res. J. Environ. Sci., vol. 5, no. 1,pp. 22-35, 2011.
[14]D. Osberghaus, “The determinants of private flood mitigation measures in Germany-Evidence from a nationwide survey,” Ecol.Econ., vol. 110, pp. 36-50, 2015.
[15]G. Wachinger, O. Renn, C. Begg, and C. Kuhlicke, “The risk perception paradox-Implications for governance and communication of natural hazards,” Risk Anal., vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 1049-1065, 2012.
[16]M. Lindell and S. Hwang, “Households’ perceived personal risk and responses in a multi hazard environment,” Risk Anal., vol. 28, no. 2,pp. 539-556, 2008.
[17]K. Burningham, “‘It’ll never happen to me’: Understanding public awareness of local flood risk,” Disasters, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 216-238, 2008.
[18]W. Kellens, T. Terpstra, and P. De Maeyer, “Perception and communication of flood risks: A systematic review of empirical research,” Risk Anal., vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 24-49, 2013.
[19]W. J. Botzen, J. C. Aerts, and J. C. Van den Bergh, “Willingness of homeowners to mitigate climate risk through insurance,” Ecol. Econ., vol. 68, no. 8-9, pp. 2265-2277, 2009.
[20]N. Bronfman, P. Cisternas, E. López-Vázquez, and L. Cifuentes, “Trust and risk perception of natural hazards: Implications for risk preparedness in Chile,” Nat. Hazards, vol. 81, pp. 307-327, 2015.
[21]R. I. McDonald, H. Y. Chai, and B. R. Newell, “Personal experience and the ‘psychological distance’ of climate change: An integrative review,” J. Environ. Psychol., vol. 44, pp. 109-118, 2015.
[22]A. Spence, W. Poortinga, and N. Pidgeon, “The psychological distance of climate change,” Risk Anal., vol. 32, no. 6, pp. 957-972, 2011.
[23]T. Terpstra and M. K. Lindell, “Citizens’ perceptions of flood : An application of the protective action decision model, ”Environ. Behav., vol. 45, no. 8, pp. 993-1018, 2012.
[24]P. Bubeck, W. J. Botzen, and J. C. Aerts, “A review of risk perceptions and other factors that influence flood mitigation behavior,” Risk Anal., vol. 32, no. 9, pp. 1481-1495, 2012.
[25]S. Owusu, G. Wright, and S. Arthur, “Public attitudes towards flooding and property-level flood protection measures,” Nat. Hazards, vol. 77,pp. 1963-1978, 2015.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Centre for Research and Innovation
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
