Cross National study on landslide awareness and risk management

Abstract Coastal communities are facing growing landslide risks due to climate change, with variable rainfall patterns exacerbating their vulnerability. Landslides result in significant casualties and economic losses, highlighting the need to better understand community perceptions and responses. This study analyzed landslide preparedness and response in coastal communities of Bangladesh, Portugal, and Taiwan. Open-ended questionnaires were distributed to residents in areas prone to landslides. Data were further analyzed using computational topic modeling to extract core themes and decision tree analysis to predict adaptation behaviors based on influencing factors. Findings reveal distinct vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities in each study site, emphasizing the importance of tailored strategies for disaster risk reduction. Socio-economic variables such as education, employment status, and community shaped perceptions of landslide risk perception and mitigation behaviors. Varying levels of trust between countries had implications for the effectiveness of response strategies. This cross-national comparison advances global efforts to strengthen adaptation and reduce risks in landslide-prone coastal regions. Our findings underscore the need for tailored, community-specific disaster management strategies and highlight the value of integrating socio-demographic factors into risk assessment and mitigation planning.