ABSTRACT
In many disaster susceptible areas, preparedness is an important factor for disaster risk reduction. There are various management practices were adopting for disaster risk reduction or mitigation. It is the perception and preparation of reducing disaster risks through logical efforts to analyse and manage the causal factors of disasters, through reduced exposure, decreased vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and also through improved preparedness for adverse events. A combination of all the strengths and resources available within a community, society, or organization can reduce the level of risk or the effects of a disaster. The preventive approach is one among them. This is through creating awareness, education, capacity development, etc. It will automatically increase the capacity of the people to handle/ cope up with the disasters. This approach will support the vulnerable and elderly people. Because due to the disaster risks these people are more affecting through several behavioural changes, they could not able to adapt easily. Capacity is the capability, it may include physical, institutional, social, economic and attitudinal. Mostly the peoples do not cope with the plans and strategies that are not in streak with their culture, ideology, or religion and this can limit their capacity and increase their vulnerability to disasters. If there is a positive attitude towards the involvement of women in the capacity making, or awareness on these types of issues will motivate and get a mutual benefit for the whole of the community and can be observed as an attitudinal capacity of a community. The perception also changes this brings we feeling and attitude of collectivism as opposed to individualism in a society.
In this context, the goal of the study is to determine the levels of disaster awareness and attitude capacity of the vulnerable people’s priorities of the flood-affected areas at Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha district of Kerala. The level of awareness and attitude capacity and challenges of the people of two districts of Kerala, after the flood have been studied. The findings showed differences in attitudes in both districts in terms of awareness, capacity among the vulnerable people. In case of the capacity and awareness level, peoples in the Alappuzha district exhibits a higher performance than that of Pathanamthitta district. But literacy and cultural performance were more advanced in the Pathanamthitta district than that of Alappuzha District. Most of the people from Alappuzha District are prone to the flood disaster yearly.
