Households’ perception of flood risk and health impact of exposure to flooding in flood-prone informal settlements in the coastal city of Mombasa

Abstract

Purpose Mombasa City in Kenya is one of the most vulnerable towns to flood risk due to its low-lying coastal location. Those at the highest risk in the city are households living in the flood-prone informal settlements. However, little is known about the perception of these vulnerable households to the flood risks and its health impacts, which is important for developing effective long-term adaptation strategies. The purpose of this paper is to examine the general perception of the residents regarding flood risks, its impact on their health and their adaptation strategies. Design/methodology/approach This study surveyed 390 randomly selected households in three informal settlements in the city of Mombasa using a semi-structured questionnaire. This was supplemented with six focus group discussions (FDGs) and six key informant interviews (KIIs). Findings The majority of respondent households perceive future flooding as high risk or severe with high negative health impact. Despite this, many do not evacuate their homes because they do not have alternative places to move to. Flooding was indicated to have had a negative physical and mental health impact on members of households. Although majority of households had taken some adaptation measures, most of these were short term, mainly due to financial constraints, lack of knowledge and government support. Perception of flood risk and gender were found to have a strong influence on taking long-term adaptation measures at the household level. Practical implications Reducing flood risk and averting its health consequences in flood-prone informal settlements require empowering and supporting those living in these areas with ability to initiate long-term adaptation measures and creating awareness about future risks. Originality/value This study provides evidence about how residents of flood-prone informal settlements perceive flood risk and how the exposures to perennial flooding impact their health. The paper augments existing knowledge of flood risk in poor urban neighborhoods of developing countries.

Schematizing vulnerability perceptions and understanding of drought-prone Gamo lowland communities: an evidence from Southwest Ethiopia

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“…Risk perception, as scientifically evidenced, is among the factors that strongly affect household-level adaptation strategies against natural hazards. In Africa, the flood-prone city dwellers are reported as well-cognizant of vulnerabilities with such attributes (Okaka and Odhiambo, 2019). Moreover, perception of risk is claimed to be changeable through time per the occurring natural hazards manifested with the differential magnitude of vulnerability (Balteanu et al , 2014).…”

Impacts of Risk Perception, Disaster Knowledge, and Emotional Attachment on Tourists’ Behavioral Intentions in Qinling Mountain, China

“…A person who has experienced natural disasters has a significant impact on his/her risk perception. Persons with past flood experience and flood knowledge education are quite sensible to flood risk perception (Okaka and Odhiambo, 2019). The fear of experiencing an earthquake positively and indirectly affects the risk perception of earthquake survivors (Bronfman et al, 2020).…”

Community Perceptions and Understanding of Vulnerability in Drought Prone Gamo Lowlands, Southwest Ethiopia

“…Vulnerability to water scarcity is perceived differentially in rural India as a result of location, farm size, level of income, and with lesser degree by demographic attributes like age, sex, and education (Singh et al 2018). Risk perception, as scienti cally evidenced, is among the factors that strongly affect household level adaptation strategies against natural hazards where ood prone African city dwellers are well cognizant of their vulnerability (Okaka and Odhiambo 2019). Others on the other hand state that perceiving risk is changeable through time in accordance with the occurring natural hazards and variations in people's perception take place as a result of differential magnitude of vulnerability with socioeconomic characteristics (Balteanu et al 2014).…”