Enhancing community resilience to ice-jam floods through individuals’ mitigation efforts

Due to its rapid occurrence and potential for severe damage, ice-jam flooding poses a major threat to riverine communities in cold regions like Canada. Mitigating these flood damages requires public and private strategies. This study investigates the socio-economic and psychological factors influencing residents' ice-jam flood mitigation decisions in Fort McMurray, Canada, by the integration of Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and the Transtheoretical Model (TTM). To fulfill this goal, we conducted a structured survey among the sampled residents. Key factors such as threat experience appraisal, self-efficacy, and perceived costs turn out to be the important factors in flood mitigation actions. This study suggests that policy approaches should be diversified toward the unique needs of different groups, such as renters and homebuyers, to have a more inclusive policy. Stage-specific interventions are needed, as people at different decision-making stages need strategies that are specifically tailored to adopt protective behaviours. Policies should focus on a tailored approach to enhance self-efficacy by providing specific communication and a step-by-step guide on mitigation strategies. Practical supporting measures should also be pursued as financial incentives and low-cost services that reduce cost barriers and foster the adoption of mitigation actions.