Designing an instrument to measure attitudes toward flood risk management in riverside populations

Addressing flood risk management (FRM) from an integrated and multidimensional perspective is crucial for effective flood management. Several studies advocate involving the affected populations in the decisions on the implementation of FRM measures, but only a few focus on systematically analyzing the citizens’ opinions on such measures. From a psycho-environmental approach, the main objective of this study was to design an instrument, a Likert-type attitude scale, to assess the attitudes of riverside population toward flood mitigation measures (FMMs). First, we obtained a dataset of the FMMs based on the discourses of 24 stakeholders. Forty FMMs were identified using the focus group and content analysis method; and refined by flood risk-assessment experts. Second, the FMMs were tested in the general population (N = 111) using a questionnaire survey. The data analysis revealed the 15 most valid FMMs for general population, constituting to the pilot attitude scale. Finally, the scale was applied to a representative sample of riverside city residents (N = 406) through a questionnaire. An exploratory factorial analysis (EFA) was employed to identify two factors, with adequate adjustments to the sample [goodness of fit index (GFI) = 0.986], both corresponding (to some extent) to the double traditional and integrated model of FRM. Based on this study, we propose the Integrated Flood Risk Management Attitudes Scale (IFRMAS), whose psychometric properties are adequate in terms of reliability and validity. Notably, the IFRMAS can be applied to analyze the perceptions of riverside population regarding FRM in potential flood-prone areas, detect misconceptions, and guide the design of flood-risk communication strategies.