Flood risk awareness and transportation mode choice in communities with varying flooding frequencies: The cases of Bozkurt, Kastamonu, Turkey and Malanday, Marikina, Philippines

This study investigates the post-flood transportation mode choices (TMC) of communities exposed to floods of varying frequencies, focusing on Bozkurt, Turkey, recently afflicted by a major flood, and Malanday, Philippines, which endures an average of 10 floods annually. The study considers 17 factors affecting TMC, including age, occupation, income, housing type, flood experience, education level, changes in travel time, primary transportation mode, duration of residence, gender, marital status, relocation status, personal losses, disruption of daily activities, time to return to routine, satisfaction with road maintenance, and satisfaction with flood measures. Data were collected through surveys and analysed using regression analysis.

The findings indicate that personal and cultural characteristics, and flood frequency, have limited effects on TMC. The most impactful factors on post-flood TMC are changes in travel time (42.11 %), personal losses (23.75 %), and satisfaction with road maintenance (11.30 %). The study demonstrates that flood risk awareness is directly related to education level and flood experience. In Malanday, where 84 % of the population are university or high school graduates, floods are regarded as routine events. In contrast, in Bozkurt, where only 37 % have similar education levels, the community experienced panic under flood conditions, adversely affecting decision-making processes.

The research provides insights into how communities exposed to floods adjust their TMC, offering essential information for mitigating flood risks and increasing flood awareness. Moreover, the findings deliver suggestive information for local governments and planners in developing more effective flood management and transportation planning strategies.