Abstract:

In this paper,the research on the perception of public to social disaster reduction ability and disaster risk help was reported to reveal the potential factors of risk from a public visual angle. This research may provide important links to carry out risk communications, and also basis for decisionmaking to conduct effective disaster reduction propaganda and education and to increase the public consciousness on disaster reduction. Through social survey (221 samples) and statistical analysis method,the authors compared the trust in social disaster reduction ability and public perception of flood risk of Jiujiang and Yichun in Jiangxi Province. The results indicate that the public take a trust attitude to social disaster reduction ability, and the degree of trust ranks as the following: disaster monitoring forecast, government ability in dealing with emergencies, disaster prevention engineering, efficiency of warning dissemination. Between the two regions, the degree of trust in Yichun public is higher; while the perception of public to the risk of flood is weaker, as the Yichun public felt that there was little possibility of flood occurrence, nor the disaster suffering. Public are mainly affected by their suffering experiences during disasters (frequency of disaster, loss in disaster,postdisaster rescue work). That is, the degree of risk of local disaster in different regions led to the difference of public perception.In the region with higher risk,such as in Jiujiang,the public hold clearer behavioral tendency and willingness to reduce risk.

Key words: public trust, flood risk perception, social disaster reduction ability, questionnaire survey, Jiangxi Province