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Household-specific barriers to citizen-led flood risk adaptation
Ben C Howard1, Cynthia A Awuni2,3, Samuel Agyei-Mensah1,2
1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Npj Climate Action
|November 28, 2024
Summary
Citizen-led adaptation is key to managing climate change impacts like floods. Understanding barriers like awareness and resources is crucial for equitable strategies, especially in low-income nations.
Area of Science:
- Climate change adaptation science
- Community-based disaster risk reduction
- Social vulnerability and resilience
Background:
- Climate change necessitates adaptation to mitigate risks like increased flooding.
- Citizen-led adaptation is promoted to address maladaptation, empowering frontline communities.
- Understanding barriers to equitable adaptation is lacking, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and analyze barriers to citizen-led adaptation interventions.
- To investigate how these barriers differ among various household groups.
- To inform policies supporting effective and equitable adaptation strategies.
Main Methods:
- A co-produced household survey was conducted with 286 households in Tamale, Ghana.
- Barriers to 11 different citizen-led adaptation interventions were assessed.
- Analysis related identified barriers to components of household adaptive capacity.
Main Results:
- Barriers to citizen-led adaptation interventions vary significantly between households.
- Awareness, education, and networks emerged as the most common barriers.
- Poor, smaller households faced greater barriers related to resources and time.
- Structural adaptation interventions were generally preferred over behavioral ones.
Conclusions:
- Household characteristics significantly influence barriers to adaptation interventions.
- Targeted support addressing specific barriers (e.g., awareness, resources) is needed.
- Policy interventions should consider diverse household needs for equitable adaptation.
- Promoting structural adaptation may enhance uptake and effectiveness of citizen-led initiatives.
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