The Study of the Residents’ Hazard Perception and Adjustment Behaviors in Ciangyuan Region after the Typhoon Morakot disaster

• Main Authors: Pi-Hsia Chen, 陳碧霞
• Other Authors: Chun-Lin Kuo
• Format: Others
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/bfp7vj

碩士 === 國立東華大學 === 臺灣文化學系 === 102 === Abstract Under the impact of global environmental changes, the phenomenon of climate anomalies happened frequently. Both the scale and frequency have an upward trend. Typhoon Morakot, a strong climate anomaly caused huge disaster in Taiwan in Pingtung County's coastal areas. The extremely torrential rain brought by the typhoon, along with the factors of land subsidence and collapse of river dike in Linbian, caused the calamity even more severe than the floods in August 7th 1959, and also made serious disaster in downtown, farms and fish ponds. Environmental perception is the fastest growing research point in geography since 1970s. Hazard perception is a person’s response to the various disasters in the environment. A person first receives and understands the statues of environment, and then makes decisions. Direct or indirect experience of disasters will affect the adjustment and adaptive behavior. Living in low-lying area and often suffering from flooding, Ciangyuan residents will use the past experience directly to face flooding. Their Hazard Perception is learned from the process of direct experience of adapting and responding to disasters. In this study, Ciangyuan in Pingtung County is the research areas. Hazard Perception in geography is used as the theoretical basis. Some related literatures, the project of flood control and the program of the Autonomous disaster prevention community in flood prone areas promoted by Water Resources Agency and Pingtung County government are analyzed to investigate the residents who have been suffering the serious Typhoon Morakot five years ago. Via personal interviews and questionnaires study analysis, we found that Ciangyuan residents have contradictory thinking that the flood control works effectively but still afraid of another serious disaster in the future. After Typhoon Morakot almost all inhabitants were subsidized to install waterproof gates, and parked the cars and motorcycles and placed valuables high. Wax apples growers purchased fertilizers and materials on demand and elevated them high or carry them home on emergent time. Residents adjusted parts of the behaviors after Typhoon Morakot. Wax apples growers did not easily transferred to the solar energy industry, but by their will, being invited and be chosen. In this study, disasters in Ciangyuan by varying thoughts of residents, it brings the benefits of planting wax apples or transferred to the solar energy industry. Finally, this research offers some suggestions according to interviewees’ opinions to local governments in dealing with the reconstruction of the region and improving the quality of life for residents and disaster relief.