Showing posts tagged Flooding

The Thai floods and the Thai governments budget for 2012 - A missed opportunity?

Interesting article in The Diplomat that suggests the Thai government has missed out on an opportunity to develop better flood defence and warning strategies and instead opted for several “populist handouts that could have been put to better use”.

The article highlights a familiar problem found throughout both developed and developing nations.  The threat of climate change and the subsequent effects are often overshadowed by populist moves to benefit the governing party in the short term.

My dissertation featured in Risk Management Professional

My paper has been featured in the Risk Management Professional magazine. <

Massive thanks to Tom Bovingdon for showing an interest in my work.

Dissertation Results - Part one

Location, Crime and Risk Perception

Location also factored heavily in the risk perception of both male and female respondents. Generally, residents within Mitcham had a higher level of risk perception than those within the Richmond upon Thames area. This result collaborates with findings by Jackson (2006) which highlight studies that have found that risk perception is more pronounced in areas that have a higher crime rate and as a result have higher levels of socio-economic inequality. When looking at the target areas for this study, the Metropolitan Police (2011) state that there were 14,635 crimes in Merton (the London Borough where Mitcham is located) in the year between June 2009 and June 2010. In Richmond, that total was 11,464 (Met Police, 2011).

This relationship between crime rates and risk perception is also clearly shown in responses to questions within the survey that ask for individuals own thoughts on flooding and the risks associated with it. One respondent made a specific point that whilst they viewed the risk of the floods affecting themselves as low, the risk of burglary / assault caused by their property being empty or vulnerable as a result was “…much more worrying that the flood itself” (Respondent D, Mitcham, Aged 41-50). This respondent went on to explain that these views had arisen due to watching the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the antisocial behaviour that followed. This fear of crime and its association to increased or heightened risk perception could also partially explain the higher fear amongst women than men in the two study areas chosen. In his paper on fear of crime and risk perception Jackson (2006) argues that women tend to associate crime with a sexual or violent attack, where as men normally associate fear of crime either through muggings or burglary. The types of crime feared also have an impact on the elderly and vulnerable in society and this may go some way to explaining the increased risk perception amongst elderly females.

Despite these clear correlations between instances of crime and increased risk perception there is nothing in the literature or guidelines provided by central and local government that details how to go about protecting your house if you are forced to evacuate due to flooding. This short sightedness on risk manager’s part may go some way to explaining why getting all members of society to evacuate. Whilst in a different country with a separate set of societal issues to consider, this lack of proactive advice may have contributed to the high numbers of people to remain in their properties during Hurricane Katrina, despite federal and state government warnings to the contrary.

Chartered Institution of Water & Environmental Management

I am currently in the process of applying to be a member of this organisation and stumbled across the following event that some of you may find interesting / useful:

http://www.ciwem.org/media/412784/coastal_flooding_and_erosion_risk_management_20102011.doc

Happening on the 20th October in Central London, it is a must-attend for any interested in flood risk management.

I will be there.  :D

Dissertation Abstract

I have recently been adjusting my dissertation abstract ready for submission to a few conferences over the next year.  I thought I would post a copy here so that all readers will know what I have been working on for the past 5 months or so…

“This article presents quantitative and qualitative data that examines the assumption that men and women view risk differently and aims to explore how those differences may impact on risks associated with flooding in England and Wales.  Through questionnaires, interviews and secondary data analysis, this article argues that whilst gender differences in risk perception do exist, those differences are not as general as is often assumed.  Assumptions often include men being more technically knowledgeable and more interested in the financial impact of flooding, where assumptions on female risk perception often argue that a ‘maternal’ nature will increase risk perception on areas such as family and friends, family possessions and the community as a whole.  The research carried out for this paper suggests that men primarily view flooding as a passive event and one that is unlikely to happen to them or within the foreseeable future.  Women however have a much lower risk tolerance than men and actually tend to over state the risks related to flooding within their own geographical location, despite having a higher level of knowledge regarding flood risks and mitigation techniques.  These finding will be particularly interesting to those within the risk communication industry and those who deal with disaster preparedness strategies within central and local government.”

 


Monsoon time in South Asia.

Millions of people across south Asia are struggling to cope with monsoon rains that have forced them from their homes and left a trail of death and misery. More than 425 people are reported to have been killed.

Dissertation complete

Having recently completed my dissertation on flood risk and the perception of that risk by different gender, I am beggining the process of making my results available online.

The results will be posted on this website over the next week or so.

Thank you.