Impact of Situational Awareness on Flood Vulnerability Reduction in Nowshera, Pakistan

Abstract

The study was carried out in District Nowshera with the aim of investigating the relationship between situational awareness and flood vulnerability reduction in Nowshera, Pakistan. The study is purely quantitative in nature, and the outcome of the quantitative data was collected from 384 respondents in the study area. Univariate and bivariate analysis methods with indexation have been used for the analysis of data. The findings of the study reveal that heightened situational awareness and risk knowledge substantially enhance flood preparedness, evacuation compliance, and adaptive capacity. The research identifies key contributing factors of situational awareness and risk knowledge, including knowledge about the causes and consequences of floods, awareness of flood-prone areas, structural integrity of buildings, land use planning, capacity building, and robust solid waste and sanitation systems at the community level. The findings established significant associations between these factors and flood vulnerability reduction. The study emphasizes the importance of community engagement, effective governance, and resilience measures in development planning to minimize flood vulnerability. The outcomes inform data-driven flood risk management strategies, underscoring the imperative of integrating situational awareness and risk knowledge to mitigate vulnerability and enhance resilience in susceptible communities like District Nowshera.