Public perception and protective behaviour of riverine flooding from Srinagar City, India

Keywords: Floods; public percpetion; protective behaviour; risk reduction, Srinagar-India.
Abstract Type: Virtual Paper Abstract

Abstract

Risk perception, often considered as a pillar of societal resilience, and rightly so, is a key component of flood risk management. The residents of flood-prone areas suffer a lot, yet they continue to dwell the same place, irrespective of currently having only limited capabilities to cope with the growing post-flood challenges. The Vale of Kashmir was heavily inundated during the September 2014 Floods, causing a widespread devastation across the region including Srinagar, now a sprawling city. This study goes beyond the physical aspects of flooding by assessing flood risk perception and analysing its influence on flood protective behaviour of a vulnerable population in an urban environment. The residents having direct or indirect flood experience were surveyed in-person to collect data, mostly narrative constructs, to achieve the intended study objectives after a rigorous qualitative data analysis. It was observed that the respondents having prior flood experience and living close to the Jhelum River perceived flood threats better than those having no previous or direct flood experience. The residents with past flood experience were highly motivated to take some kind of flood protective measures against the impending flood threats. Historically, the region is not subjected to annual floods, but the city has evolved haphazardly, putting it at a greater risk during any flood emergency. This study will assist disaster managers to incorporate risk perception studies into locally prepared disaster management plans, particularly in a geopolitically and environmentally fragile region of Kashmir, prone to multiple hazards and having a long history of disasters.