A Study on Micro, Small, and Medium Entrepreneurs’ Awareness of Flood Risk to Reduce Loss and Damage (80231)
Session Chair: Manveen Singh
Saturday, 15 June 2024 16:40
Session: Session 5
Room: Salle 234
Presentation Type:Oral Presentation
In Sri Lanka, the MSME sector provides 45% of the employment and 52% of GDP. It represents 99.8% of the establishments. However, this sector is highly vulnerable to flood loss and damage. Post-Disaster Needs Assessments of Floods and Landslides in Sri Lanka (2017) reported that past floods cost LKR 10 billion damage to the MSME sector. Past studies showed that the risk of flood can be reduced by a variety of measures, but the role of flood risk awareness in reducing loss and damage remains unclear. This study investigated the role of flood risk awareness among MSMEs in minimizing loss and damage. We conducted a questionnaire survey among 90 MSMEs owners in three selected divisional secretariat divisions (DSDs) in Colombo district during the month of December 2023. The survey findings reveal a significant disconnection between government risk reduction efforts and information dissemination to MSME owners, contributing to a lack of awareness in disaster preparedness. Despite this, MSME owners demonstrate a high awareness of potential flood hazards and possess a strong risk perception. The respondents in Colombo and Kolonnwa DSDs face higher flood risks due to close proximity to flood sources and the frequency of flood events. The Kaduwela respondents, constrained in evacuation by the nature of their businesses, incurred more significant losses. The survey emphasized that well-informed MSME owners could have substantially reduced flood damage through informed actions, highlighting the importance of tailored risk communication strategies and targeted support for MSMEs to enhance flood preparedness and minimize associated losses.
Authors:
Savithri Jayakody, University of Tsukuba, Japan
Kenichi Matsui, University of Tsukuba, Japan
About the Presenter(s)
Ms Savithri Jayakody is a University Postgraduate Student at University of Tsukuba in Japan
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