Risk Perception and Preparedness in Flash Flood-Affected Communities: Evidence from Bahorok, Indonesia (original) (raw)

It is part of the natural conservation area of Gunung Leuser National Park (GLNP), often referred to as the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra. GLNP is the oldest National Park in the country, covering 1,094,692 hectares in Aceh and North Sumatra. At least 3,500 plant species live in various habitats in GLNP, an area designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere reserve and a world heritage site. The village is 100-700 meters above sea level and has a hilly to steep topography. Although the area has a beautiful natural panorama that makes it a tourist attraction, it has a very high flash flood hazard. It is located in the Bahorok Watershed, where 68% has a 30%-70% slope. The flash flood risk is also caused by destroying ecosystems in GLNP forest. In the last ten years, the area has experienced deforestation of 30,000 hectares caused by illegal logging and land conversion. The construction of home stays, restaurants, and hotels along Bahorok River increases the risk of flash-ABSTRACT The Bahorok River basin has a high flash-flood hazard index. This is shown by loss of lives and damage of homes due to floods in recent years, however, no research examined community preparedness on the hazard of flash-flood. This research aimed to assess the effect of disaster experience and flood-risk perception on disaster preparedness of the people of Bukit Lawang Plantation Village. A cross-sectional survey design was used to determine the relationship between disaster experience, risk perception and preparedness as the independent and dependent variables, respectively. The results showed that disaster experience and risk perception positively and significantly affect the community preparedness. Disaster risk reduction programs in the region only focus on emergency response, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. Furthermore, increasing public awareness and preparedness has not been prioritized in reducing flood risk. This is an essential aspect for consideration because mountainous areas are often marginalized and lack access to disaster risk reduction programs.