Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
11005270 | Environmental Science & Policy | 2018 | 12 Pages |
Abstract
The recent increase of devastating floods in West Africa implies an urgent need for effective flood risk management. A key element of such management is understanding how perceptions affect the implementation of mitigation measures. This paper uses the technique of framework analysis in conjunction with the conceptual framework of protection motivation theory to interpret flood perceptions and mitigation actions of flood victims and public officials in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso as conveyed through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The results show that, despite the experience of a devastating flood in 2009 and clear understandings of flood causes, mitigation actions in Ouagadougou after the 2009 flood varied widely. This occurred due to adverse perceptions that mitigation actions are costly and that personal ability and responsibility to effect change is limited. These adverse perceptions offset neutral or positive perceptions that mitigation measures, if correctly implemented, are effective, and that the risk of flooding is high. The paper concludes with a comparative meta-analysis of West Africa flood perception and mitigation literature that reveals the need for actionable studies on the implementation of specific measures for flood risk management.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Energy
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Authors
Katherine E. Schlef, Lionnel Kaboré, Harouna Karambiri, Y.C. Ethan Yang, Casey M. Brown,