Understanding the nexus between public risk perception of COVID-19 and evacuation behavior during cyclone Amphan in Bangladesh

Abstract

In May 2020, when Bangladesh was struggling with community transmission of COVID-19, the country had to face the strongest tropical storm-Cyclone Amphan -which puts the evacuation process in jeopardy. Thus, it is crucial to measure the public risk perception about COVID-19 and its influence on the evacuation decision. This study explores the nexus between COVID-19 risk perception and coastal peoples' evacuation decisions during cyclone Amphan. With an analysis of 378 sample households survey data of the Satkhira district, this study developed the COVID-19 risk perception index using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and categorized the respondents based on the score. The result shows that 1.85 %, 21.43 %, 45.77 %, 25.13 %, and 5.82 % have very low, low, moderate, high, and very high-risk perceptions, respectively. The analysis also reveals that 96.6 % of the respondents received an evacuation order during Amphan, but only 42 % complied with the order. The t-test analysis and common language effect size test of the survey data reveal that the respondents with a high perception score are 65 % less likely to evacuate than the respondents with low perception scores. This study has important implications in guiding concerned authorities to combat natural disasters during COVID-19 and other similar public health emergencies in the future.

COVID‐19 contamination through food: A study with Brazilian consumers of different socioeconomic and demographic characteristics

“…In contrast, individuals with income above 10 BMW mentioned more terms relating to the categories low risk (>10-20 BMW) and no risk (>30 BMW) and evoked less frequently terms concerning negative attitudes and feelings and modes of transmission (>10-20 BMW). Income is one factor that influences the risk perception of COVID-19 infection (Alam & Chakraborty, 2021), which was clearly observed in our study. This may be attributed to a lack of availability or low quality of healthcare services and less access to qualified information and instruction for low-income individuals (Chen, Feng, Chen, Lee, & An, 2021).…”

Individual hurricane evacuation intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic: insights for risk communication and emergency management policies

“…Moreover, Borowski et al ( 2021 ) show that individuals in the US are less willing to share rides to evacuate during a flood emergency if they have high concerns about becoming infected by COVID-19. Alam and Chakraborty ( 2021 ) examine evacuation decisions of households outside the US, namely in Bangladesh during cyclone Amphan, and also observe that individuals with high perceptions of COVID-19 risks are less likely to evacuate. Taken together, these findings highlight the need to account for health concerns in natural disaster risk management policies during a pandemic situation.…”

Evacuation dilemmas of coastal households during cyclone Amphan and amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: a study of the Southwestern region of Bangladesh

“… N = 378, Significant variables are marked with (**) Results of some indicators such as age, gender, education, religion, and income are also presented in Alam and Chakraborty ( 2021 ) …”

“…Paul et al ( 2010 ), Paul ( 2012 ), Ahsan et al ( 2016 ), Parvin et al ( 2019 ), and Uddin ( 2010 ) explain how human perception influences the evacuation decision of individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alam and Chakraborty ( 2021 ) investigated COVID-19 risk perception and its relationship with evacuation decisions in coastal Bangladesh. Considering the importance of risk perception on cyclone hazard, we have reviewed the relevant literature and identified the risk perception factors active in previous cyclone events.…”

“…Bangladesh is uniquely vulnerable to cyclone disasters because of its geographical setting, funnel-shaped exposure to the Bay of Bengal, high population density, and limited infrastructural supports to protect the coastal regions (Alam and Chakraborty 2021 ). According to Parvin et al ( 2019 ) and Haque et al ( 2012 ), approximately 6–10% of the global tropical cyclones and 40% of Great Danger Signal No.…”