Improving flood early warning systems in Kabbe, Namibia: A situational analysis approach

By implementing a situational analysis approach, this study details an exploratory investigation into the socioeconomic and environmental constructs of rural high flood-risk communities to identify capacities that may be enhanced for improved flood risk reduction through participatory early warning system approaches. The social, economic and environmental construct of communities formulates the core of the resilience capacity paradigm, which requires great consideration when developing, implementing and strengthening early warning systems.

Though several guiding principles are documented in research, no single method for assessing community resilience exists, and complexities in quantifying capacities are often exacerbated by the diversity of probable hazard occurrence, interconnections between social, economic and environmental components, and difficulty in variable selection to gather data. The perception is that, in the face of a disaster, even the most vulnerable communities possess some resilience, and this should be exploited for effective, long-term sustainable disaster reduction. The critical question then is: what social, economic and environmental capacities are available to communities to improve early warning system efficacy while building resilience against flood risks and improving their standard of living? The study reveals multiple options that form effective conduits for tailoring flood early warning systems to the exactitude of target community needs.