Assessing the social vulnerability to floods in Pandora Oeste, Limón, Costa Rica, Central America

Abstract

The increase in floods as a consequence of climate change is causing considerable concern in vulnerable localities. The community of Pandora Oeste in Costa Rica has experienced increasingly frequent flooding. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe the social vulnerability to flood risk, associated with people and housing characteristics, as well as current conditions, to generate information that contributes to integrated risk management. The action-research methodology utilized allowed the development of joint activities between local actors and academia to better understand several variables that influence social vulnerability. To achieve this, a survey was administered to community residents, and a social mapping workshop was conducted with the participation of members of the Valle la Estrella Community Emergency Committee. This gathered information serves as an input for community decision-making, directing efforts toward the implementation of flood risk mitigation actions. At the same time, the results have established an approach to the flood problem, providing the methodological scenarios implemented, which could potentially be replicated in other communities, including new perspectives from community management to the articulation of actors, strengthening shared responsibility for social resilience in the face of future extreme weather events.

Keywords

• social perception
• flood risk
• costa rica
• community participation
• social resilience