Risk Perception—A Tool for Understating Adaptive Behaviour in the Age of Climate Change? Narratives from the Global South

Abstract

Risk perception, a judgment of how risk is perceived individually and communicated scientifically, helps clarify local knowledge, know-how, and experience. However, community disaster preparedness and DRR planning have often overlooked community risk perception. This study investigates how risk perception at the community level influences and facilitates local DRR initiatives. It explores southwest Bangladesh as a case study, a geography highly vulnerable to climatic impacts such as tropical storms, floods, and rising sea-level. This study builds on in-depth interviews, observations, and the analysis of media and local narratives, finding a widespread tendency to ignore community risk perception in local adaptation planning. We found four aspects that influence community risk perception: place and community attachment, local stakeholders’ varied interests, socio-economic opportunities, and risk-tolerance capacity. Theoretically, the study reveals a dynamic relationship between risk perception, adaptive behaviour, and tolerance. Practically, it helps local authorities consider risk perception and community experience to enhance DRR practices in southwest Bangladesh. Transferring knowledge of risk perception to inform decision-making is critical to strategic planning but is often challenged by the contemporary socio-political dynamics of the Global South.

Keywords: risk perception, Climate change, waterlogging, place attachment, Southwest Bangladesh