Publication

Abstract : Climate change has intensified natural disasters, particularly floods, which endanger water infrastructure and erode public trust in perceived government preparedness. The present study examines how flood risk perception, comprising awareness, worry, and preparedness, influences public trust in Kerala’s water infrastructure management. Based on the survey responses from 412 participants and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), based on the SEM results, the study finds that higher awareness of flood risks appears to be associated with lower trust in governmental preparedness. The SEM results indicate that awareness has a negative association with perceived governmental preparedness (β = – 0.32, p < 0.01) and a positive association with worry (β = 0.45, p < 0.001). Model fit indices (χ2/d.f. = 2.15, RMSEA = 0.045, CFI = 0.93) further confirm an acceptable model fit. Moreover, socio-economic conditions, such as income and education, also have a profound impact on risk perception. The study underscores the need for enhanced institutional communication and disaster preparedness measures to help rebuild public trust in flood management.