The social amplification of risk and climate disaster preparedness: lessons from the Kalapara region in rural Bangladesh

Risk perceptions significantly determine vulnerable community responses to sudden and gradual onset environmental hazards. Drawing upon and adapting the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF), in response to a thematic analysis of 60 qualitative interviews with residents of the Kalapara region of rural and coastal Bangladesh, we identify seven components of climate adaptation-relevant risk perceptions that influence household responses to extreme weather events and slow-onset environmental stress. Emergent risk perception components from the qualitative analysis concern perceptual diversity, risk awareness, experiential knowledge of environmental stress, risk messaging, social norms and cultural values, trust in institutions, and demographic characteristics. By applying the SARF, we find great perceptual diversity in perceptual components and risk awareness from extreme caution to fatalistic responses, low levels of institutional trust, weaknesses in ‘top-down’ adaptation communication approaches and reliance upon volunteer action for disaster preparedness and melioration. Such components constrain proactive approaches to environmental stress, including migration and planned evacuation, while maladaptive behaviours can emerge in response to weak risk communication and community engagement. We suggest that integrating SARF-thinking into disaster preparedness planning can positively reshape NGO and government actions by enhancing understanding of migratory and non-migratory decision-making, emergency evacuation management, and planned relocation. This research contributes to community-level risk management practices by providing a nuanced understanding of environmental disaster preparedness in disaster-prone regions worldwide.