Dwelling structures in a flood-prone area in the philippines: Sense of place and its functions for mitigating flood experiences

Issue Date

3-2016

Abstract

Sense of place is a multidimensional concept consisting of place dependence, place identity and place attachment aspects. These three aspects are distinct place concepts which refer to an individual's subjective perception and his/her conscious feelings which result from daily interactions within a predefined functioning environment. In order to determine how sense of place is affected by natural phenomena, this paper identified place dependence, place attachment, and place identity of residents in barangay Tadlac, a flood-prone, lakeshore barangay located in the Municipality of Los Baños, Laguna in the Philippines. A combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques were used to gather and interpret data concerning resident's sense of place in relation to Tadlac as a flood-prone community. Results show that in spite of repeated experiences of flooding events in the community, sense of place is seen as a functional mechanism which allow residents to adapt, as well as maintain, their residency within Tadlac. In considering community responses to disasters, disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) frameworks should thus incorporate sense of place as one important variable, in addition to other environmental and social variables, for interpreting the rationale of residents living in disaster-prone areas.

Source or Periodical Title

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction

ISSN

2212-4209

Volume

15

Page

108-115

Document Type

Article

Physical Description

maps, tables

Language

English

Subject

Community adaptation, Disaster management, Disaster-resiliency, Sense of place

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2016.01.005

Digital Copy

yes

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