TY - JOUR
T1 - Modelling predictors of earthquake hazard preparedness in Nepal
AU - Adhikari, Mina
AU - Paton, Douglas
AU - Johnston, David
AU - Prasanna, Raj
AU - McColl, Samuel T.
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - In countries exposed to natural hazards, population preparedness is an important component of a comprehensive disaster risk reduction strategy. Recognition of poor preparedness, despite risk acknowledgement, prompted the development of theories for identifying motivators and barriers to hazard preparedness. While the majority of preparedness theorising and research has been in culturally individualistic countries, recent years have witnessed growing interest in applying the theories to more collectivistic settings. However, limited empirical evidence exists concerning the application of these theories in developing countries where disaster impacts are substantial. This paper assesses population preparedness in the aftermath of a major disaster in a developing country. Two theories of preparedness Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and Community Engagement Theory (CET), which have been previously applied in natural hazard contexts, were integrated to develop a new model of earthquake hazard preparedness. The validity of the proposed model was explored using 306 household surveys collected from Chainpur and Jeewanpur Village Development Committees, Dhading, Central Nepal during a field visit in April-May 2016. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in SmartPLS version 3.2.4 revealed that individual risk beliefs (risk appraisal and coping appraisal) and community and institutional factors could predict hazard preparedness in Nepal. The model was moderately successful (R2 41.6%) in predicting that earthquake hazard preparedness occurs at the individual cognition phase and is also influenced by community and institutional phases.
AB - In countries exposed to natural hazards, population preparedness is an important component of a comprehensive disaster risk reduction strategy. Recognition of poor preparedness, despite risk acknowledgement, prompted the development of theories for identifying motivators and barriers to hazard preparedness. While the majority of preparedness theorising and research has been in culturally individualistic countries, recent years have witnessed growing interest in applying the theories to more collectivistic settings. However, limited empirical evidence exists concerning the application of these theories in developing countries where disaster impacts are substantial. This paper assesses population preparedness in the aftermath of a major disaster in a developing country. Two theories of preparedness Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and Community Engagement Theory (CET), which have been previously applied in natural hazard contexts, were integrated to develop a new model of earthquake hazard preparedness. The validity of the proposed model was explored using 306 household surveys collected from Chainpur and Jeewanpur Village Development Committees, Dhading, Central Nepal during a field visit in April-May 2016. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in SmartPLS version 3.2.4 revealed that individual risk beliefs (risk appraisal and coping appraisal) and community and institutional factors could predict hazard preparedness in Nepal. The model was moderately successful (R2 41.6%) in predicting that earthquake hazard preparedness occurs at the individual cognition phase and is also influenced by community and institutional phases.
KW - collective efficacy
KW - community participation
KW - Earthquake
KW - empowerment
KW - Nepal
KW - preparedness
KW - recovery
KW - trust
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85043385803&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.proeng.2018.01.117
DO - 10.1016/j.proeng.2018.01.117
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85043385803
SN - 1877-7058
VL - 212
SP - 910
EP - 917
JO - Procedia Engineering
JF - Procedia Engineering
T2 - 7th International Conference on Building Resilience, ICBR 2017
Y2 - 27 November 2017 through 29 November 2017
ER -