- Title
- Influence of risk communication on intentions to prepare for flood hazards in informal settlement
- Creator
- Abunyewah, Matthew
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2019
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- Flooding has become the most frequent, recurring and destructive natural hazard accounting for more than half of all disaster-related fatalities and one-third of economic losses from natural catastrophes. Impacts of flood continue to increase with more devastating consequences across the world, especially in informal settlements. Literature indicates that informal settlements, characterized by high poverty levels, high population density, overcrowding and poor condition of infrastructure, are generally located in unsafe positions such as floodplains and marshy areas, making residents highly vulnerable to devastating disaster hazard events. Flood risk communication has been identified as a major building block for the reduction of vulnerability and exposure levels, disaster impacts and motivation of people to undertake precautionary measures towards flood preparedness. However, there is a limited body of knowledge that explains the influence of risk communication on the intentions of people to undertake measures to prepare towards flood hazards. This research developed a theoretical model proposing sixteen (16) hypotheses, supported by the protection motivation theory and information deficit theory, predicting the intentions to prepare towards floods in informal settlements through ‘communication’ constructs (message clarity, information sufficiency and source credibility) and ‘societal governance’ constructs (community participation, empowerment and self-efficacy). The study employed the convergent triangulation mixed research methodology involving a case study approach. The quantitative component, underpinned by a positivist paradigm, tested the theoretical model using questionnaire survey data. The theoretical model was tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) with Analysis of Moment Structure with a quantitative dataset consisting of 1064 questionnaire survey responses collected from three (3) informal settlements namely Old Fadama, Kotobabi, and Nima in Accra, Ghana. The results explained the relationships between the variables and how they predict intentions to prepare towards flood hazards. Results of the SEM showed that the quantitative data supports fifteen (15) out of sixteen (16) hypothesized relationships. In addition, the study found that source credibility, community participation, message clarity, information sufficiency, and self-efficacy explain 72.4 percent of variance in intentions to prepare towards flood. Community participation, message clarity, and information sufficiency account for 83.8 percent of variance in source credibility, while community participation and information sufficiency explain 73.2 percent of variance in message clarity. The percentage of variance explained in this model is an indication that the independent variables are good predictors of the dependent variables. The qualitative component of the study, underpinned by a constructive paradigm, comprised of twenty (20) household and three (3) institutional interviews. A six (6) step thematic analysis following the principles of Braun and Clarke was undertaken to identify patterns and develop emerging themes from coded responses. Findings from the qualitative analysis were significant as they showed that regular exchanges of flood information between community members and experts provide an avenue where communicators strengthen message credibility, clarify intent and increase sufficiency of flood information to the relevant audience. Another important finding this research discovered was that community participation improves people’s skills and instils attitudes towards flood preparedness. The convergent triangulation was adopted to further explain the quantitative model using qualitative narratives. Findings from the thematic analysis of the qualitative data provided some context-specific explanations for the tested hypothesized paths. Thematic analysis showed that community participation presented a platform to stakeholders to reduce flood message ambiguities and increase message sufficiency through answering of queries. Furthermore, findings from the thematic analysis showed that the provision of adequate flood information does not necessarily translate into intentions to prepare. Efforts such as the clarification of flood messages and enhancement of message audience skills and abilities are needed to help translate the recommended actions into intentions to prepare. The importance of this study is that it contributes to knowledge in the areas of communication, governance and psychological factors that motivate intentions to prepare towards flood hazards. From this study, an understanding of the factors that influence people’s intentions to prepare is understood. Subsequently, the outcome of this study can inform experts, advisors, and decision-makers such as policy formulators, development planners and governments about how and why regular expert-community engagement can enhance flood risk communication and preparedness. In addition, findings from this research contribute to an existing body of knowledge to help save lives and reduce economic damages, injuries and death through climate-related disasters.
- Subject
- flood hazard; intention to prepare; risk communication; informal settlement; flood preparedness; Accra-Ghana
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1397928
- Identifier
- uon:34372
- Rights
- Copyright 2019 Matthew Abunyewah
- Language
- eng
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