Flood Preparedness Among Primary School Learners in Asian Monsoon Climate in Southern Thailand

Abstract

The worsening of floods due to climate change is particularly affecting Asia's monsoon regions, where flood damage occurs frequently. While people are accustomed to floods, they must shift their mindset to recognize that floods now carry the risk of causing unprecedented damage. Otherwise, they will suffer significant harm and they are being forced to change their way of life. Therefore, enhanced disaster prevention strategies are essential to mitigate the impact of flood damage. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of disaster education on flood knowledge, flood risk perception, and flood preparedness among elementary school students aged 11–12 in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, in Southern Thailand. Data were collected via questionnaires at three-time points: pre-test, post-test, and follow-up between August and October 2023. The results indicated that the flood education program significantly improved students' preparedness, though no significant differences in flood risk perception were observed between groups with and without intervention. The intervention highlighted the need to enhance students' understanding of local topography and flood hazard mapping. This study suggests integrating localized flood information into preparedness programs to improve knowledge, risk perception, and preparedness in classroom disaster education.