Acceptability of debris-flow disasters and influential factors in a hazard prone area of northwestern China

Risk acceptability is an inevitable problem in human societies. In this case study of a debris-flow prone area in Zhouqu County of Gansu Province in northwestern China, on-site questionnaire surveys were administered and statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate public acceptance of debris-flow disasters and to identify the critical factors influencing their acceptability. The results indicate that local people's principal concern with regard to debris-flow-disaster consequences was disease occurrence, and their secondary concern was environmental destruction. Housing-related destruction represented the most common property-loss concern. The acceptability value of the distance between people's living or working place and debris-flow-disaster location (Distance) was 3.25 (moderate grade); the frequency of debris-flow occurrence in each community or village (Frequency) received an acceptability value of 1.43 (low grade); the warning time before debris-flow occurrence (Warning time) received an acceptability value of 3.18 (moderate grade); and people's willingness to pay for debris-flow-disaster insurance per year (Insurance premium) was reflected by an acceptability value of 3.33 (moderate grade). The significant factors affecting Distance acceptability were age, sex, and income; the significant factors affecting Frequency acceptability were sex, occupation, and income; the significant factors affecting Warning-time acceptability were educational level and income; and the significant factor influencing Insurance-premium acceptability was educational level. Income played the most influential role in respondents' assessments of debris-flow-disaster acceptability. This study may provide insight into the reasons behind the courses of action people choose when faced with debris-flow disasters.