Author : Ligasan, Stephen Rey Peñaflorida

Summary : In the Philippines, people living near riverines are highly vulnerable to floods and flood risks. The study investigated rice farming community's vulnerability, coping mechanisms and awareness of disaster risk management to serious effects of flood and flood risks in Pototan, Iloilo, considered as the rice granary of Panay Island. Using ex-post-facto research design, 248 rice farmers at the household and community levels, exposed to the impacts of typhoon Frank in 2008, were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Focus groups discussions, community meetings and key informants interview were also done. Demographic, socio-economic, socio-psychological and experiential information were collected to find out relationships with the dependent variables. Households and community perception of the degree of vulnerability, awareness of disaster risk management and perception of serious effects of floods and flood risks were high. Various response coping mechanisms identified were disaster preparedness, immediate actions and responses, community and family ties, adaptive strategies, local support services and access to loans and credits. Demographic and socio-economic variables associated with perceived degree of vulnerability, response coping mechanisms, awareness of disaster risk management and perception of the serious effects of floods and flood risks were age, educational attainment, length of stay in the area, number of years in farming yield, estimated gross income, health services, important of health access, access to information and technology, and affiliation to organizations. Perception of safety and protection, attitude during flood risk, concern about floods, subjective norm, cost and benefit perception, intent to participate, social network, cooperative norms and trust index were socio-psychological factors associated with perceived degree of vulnerability, response coping mechanisms, awareness of disaster risk management and perception of the serious effects of floods and flood risks. Perceived degree of social, economic and environmental vulnerability, local support services and access to loans and credits as response coping mechanisms, and awareness of community disaeter preparedness as an aspect of disater risk management wree moderately to strongly associated with perception of the serious effects of floods and flood risks.