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Perception of the risk of flooding: the case of the 1995 flood in Norway

Abstract Flood risk has usually been studied in natural sciences and engineering. Floods, being natural phenomena, represent a hazard only with respect to human society. Therefore “the human response component” is no less important in flood risk assessment than those components studied traditionally. This paper presents the results of a study of the perception of flood risk among decision makers and the general public in a flood-affected area of Norway. A poll investigation addressing the public and an expert panel addressing the decision makers were used for data collection. The information obtained was analysed focusing on: (a) the perception of risk for life and health; (b) economic and environmental loss by the two groups; (c) the links for communicating the flood risk message; and (d) appropriate flood mitigation measures in particular situations and the ability of the decision makers to visualize their effects and costs. The results show that the perception of flood hazard by the general public is not realistic and that the flood risk message should be communicated better. The transparency of the different decisions made during a flood situation and their effects on the degree of risk need to be improved. The knowledge gained can be used for developing a flood assessment policy based on participatory principles.