Speaker
Description
Floods pose a persistent threat in sub-Saharan urban areas, exacerbating vulnerabilities through interactions between natural hazards and social structures. This study explores how residents' and government institutions' experiences of flood causes, impacts, and management strategies shape urban resilience in Ashaiman, Ghana—a flood-prone informal settlement. Grounded in Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), it examines cognitive appraisals (threat and coping) as mediators between experiences and behaviours, highlighting sociological factors like power asymmetries and urban fragmentation.
Employing a qualitative case study design, data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 20 purposively selected residents from low-elevation neighbourhoods (e.g., Jericho, 16m) and 4 staff from institutions (NADMO, Ashaiman Municipal Assembly, Red Cross), supplemented by focus group discussions and observations. Thematic analysis revealed convergences (e.g., shared recognition of poor drainage as a cause) and divergences (e.g., residents' emphasis on emotional/social strains vs. institutions' focus on infrastructural damage), with residents favouring reactive, individualistic strategies (e.g., evacuations) due to perceived uncontrollability, while institutions pursued preventive, policy-driven measures amid resource constraints.
Findings underscore how direct and indirect experiences drive management behaviors but are refracted through urban hierarchies, perpetuating inequalities. Based on these findings, the study advocates for participatory platforms to integrate experiential knowledge, enhancing collective efficacy in climate-vulnerable cities. This contributes to sociological understandings of flood dynamics in developing urban contexts, informing equitable governance amid escalating environmental risks.