Examining the adaptive capacity to flood disaster in Tlokweng village, Botswana

Floods are one of the world’s most devastating and complex natural disasters and with climate change rapidly increasing, they pose the biggest threat to mankind. This study investigated the adaptive capacity to flood disasters in Tlokweng with a view to strengthen resilience to climate-related hazards and natural disasters. A cross-sectional, descriptive study was employed using a census method to select study participants from Boitekanelo College disaster register between 19th February to 25th February 2025. A data extraction tool was used to collect data from those entries and analyzed using frequencies and cross tabulations for summarizing and chi-square to draw inferences. The results show that all affected were students with women accounting for more than two third of the respondents (74.3%). More than three quarters (77%) were staying with friends and family, 18.7% were at evacuation shelters, and 4% were homeless. 74% felt temporary shelters lacked adequate security measures. About 76.9% women reported requiring psychological support however, relationship between gender and need for psychological support (P = 0.427) was not established. Women were disproportionately affected by violence; 91.7% reported emotional abuse with 75% of those experiencing it stayed with friends and family. No relationship was established between gender and physical violence (P = 0.832), gender and emotional violence (P = 0.512), physical violence and temporary shelter accommodation (P = 0.736), emotional violence and temporary shelter accommodation (P = 0.707). The study highlights the urgent need for action to strengthen legal protection against gender-based violence, develop gender-sensitive disaster management strategies, and increase access to essential medical and WASH services.