Enhancing flood risk communication in Namibia: Participatory flood early warning for early action

Abstract

Flood disasters are uniquely complex phenomena with severe implications for those affected, especially rural riparian communities, who rely on the natural environment for their livelihood. As such, developing risk communication strategies that lead to appropriate early action has shifted to the forefront of the global hazard risk reduction agenda. Empirical evidence suggests that risk communication approaches adopted in developing countries are often ‘top-down’, bureaucratic approaches that disregard the unique environmental, economic, and social contexts of target communities. Adopting a case-study approach, this study explores the benefits of leveraging existing governmental resources and innate community capacities to develop a bilateral and impact-based flood risk communication system tailored to community needs. The study demonstrates that knowledge of the social, economic, and environmental dynamics within a target community not only defines the appropriate risk communication strategy required but also determines the community's capacity to respond. The study presents several cost-effective, participatory, and people-centred opportunities for systems enhancement and, consequently, long-term resilience building.