A Review of the Flood Hazard and Risk Management in The South Iran Region, Particularly Konarak, Makoran in Balochestan

Abstract

Flood preparedness involves building capacities that enable minimizing losses through effective response and recovery. While there are many preparedness assessments at household and community level, very few have been conducted at institutional level. This study assessed the households' perspectives of the preparedness of civil protection institutions in Iran during the 2021 Balochestan flood disaster and identified the capacity building needs of the civil protection institutions. It used a 5-point Likert scale to measure six preparedness indicators: emergency plans, early warning systems, evacuation, resources, disaster knowledge, and relocation camp management. Data came from a cross-sectional survey involving 1456 household-heads who were randomly selected among the affected villagers of Konarak.The findings revealed various gaps in preparedness both at indicator and at variable level. While some indicators showed incipient levels of development in all their variables, others had a combination of low and developed variables. The preparedness elements that critically need immediate attention include the development of emergency plans, evacuation of populations at risk and the prepositioning of resources. However, it is pertinent to mention that civil protection Systems in Iran need to strengthen most of their preparedness elements. As such, this study recommends strengthening preparedness activities in civil protection systems.