**3. Flood disaster risk awareness**

Disaster risk awareness is the extent of common knowledge of a person or group of persons about disaster risks, the factors that lead to disasters and the actions that can be taken individually or collectively to reduce vulnerabilities to hazards. It also includes the need to build and increase the knowledge and understanding of the many issues about disaster risk reduction, to build the capacity of the people who learn and teach others about the disaster [9]. Changes in patterns of human behaviour and decision-making at all levels of government and society could, therefore, lead to a substantial reduction in disaster risk [22]. In this respect, recent experience has shown that public awareness of natural hazards and disaster risk reduction education constitutes a foundation and pre-requisite for effective catastrophic risk management

#### **Figure 3.**

*Showing respondents awareness to flood disaster risk at Asamankese, Eastern region, Ghana. Source: Author.*

strategies at country and regional levels. More importantly, by influencing human actions and perceptions through societal behaviour and behavioural adaptation, information and education can increase flood risk awareness and play a more effective role in reducing the costs of catastrophes associated with natural perils [22].

To proffer an understanding on the flood risk awareness of residents in the Asamankese Municipality of Ghana, [9] surveyed some residents and sought to know how likely the area was susceptible to flood through the major rainy season from March to July. **Figure 3**, which summarises the respondents result, pointed out that an overwhelming proportion of respondents (70.0% and 77.5% within the flood prone and Non-flood prone zones respectfully) indicated that flooding has become a regular phenomenon, and the community was likely to be flooded every time it rained.

Awareness is a very crucial element for a society to effectively adapt to a flood risk. As stated by [23] awareness is diminished when the provision of an appropriate information is minimal or when memories of past experiences or events are diminished. Awareness can generally be uplifted through efforts that are centred on local issues, contain the simple solution to reduce the flood risk and are repeated on a regular basis [24].

Scholars like [25] posit that worry is an important risk characteristic that serves as a normative value for awareness. Society can be aware of a flood risk, however, if it is not afraid of the risk, it will not take any action to prepare for it. A higher level of worry is more likely to result in a higher level of awareness and preparedness. There is a positive correlation between these two variables. This was reinforced by [26] with their assertion that most people become aware and prepared for disasters based on their previous personal experiences with flood disasters. Early warning information can, therefore, allow the disaster managers to be pre-informed and take steps which may significantly reduce the loss of life and damage to property.
