Assessment of gendered vulnerability, climate change awareness, and resilience patterns among coastal women regarding urban flooding disasters in Bozkurt, Turkiye

Abstract

This study investigates the gender-specific impacts of the August 2021 Bozkurt flood in Turkiye, a Black Sea coastal region with unique hydrological and socio-economic vulnerabilities. Data collection occurred in the year following the disaster. Employing a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative data from 400 women with qualitative interviews of 17 participants, the research reveals how inadequate disaster management and gender-blind adaptation strategies shaped women's experiences. While 74.3 % expressed willingness to learn about climate change and demonstrated resilience through social networks and traditional ecological knowledge, significant challenges remained. Only 32.5 % perceived equal access to government resources, with 77.8 % reporting a lack of furniture/housing support, highlighting inequities in post-disaster assistance. A critical disconnect existed between planned preparedness and community awareness: 71.3 % were uninformed about adaptation measures, and 90 % anticipated similar future impacts, indicating low confidence in current preparedness. Despite 90.8 % having heard of climate change, approximately 30 % expressed skepticism, often framing it as a political construct, underscoring the influence of misinformation and politicization. These findings demonstrate how intersecting gender norms, limited access to resources, varying levels of climate awareness, and existing patriarchal structures shaped women's disaster experiences. This study uniquely contributes original, gender-disaggregated field data from this specific coastal location, illustrating the intersection of gender and disaster and highlighting policy shortcomings. Actionable, gender-sensitive strategies are needed, including equitable resource allocation, targeted information campaigns addressing misinformation and diverse perspectives, and community-based preparedness training that utilizes women's existing knowledge and networks. These findings have broader applicability to similar coastal regions facing increasing climate change impacts.