Abstract
Semarang is prone to flooding due to tidal flood from the sea and flash flood from the upper inland area. Several studies have noted that a community is an important element in the reduction of disaster (flood) risk. The purpose of this study is to examine the capacity of community formed as Local Preparedness Groups (LPGs) in Semarang. The analysis was designed by comparing perceptual and evidence-based questions to assess the capacity of the LPGs to contribute to better comprehension of the strengths and emerging challenges in engaging the community/local people in Disaster Management (DM). The questions were derived from six main variables including knowledge, skill/capability, communication and collaboration, financial resources, leadership, and organizational system. A mini FGD was conducted in each LPG and the participants were asked to form a consensus to answer the questions. The scoring system was applied to calculate the capacity value ranging from 0 to 1. We found an average capacity value of 0.64.
Keywords: Disaster management, local preparedness group, resilient community, perceptual and evidence-based, Semarang.