Human perceptions and responses to floods with specific reference to the 1987 flood in the Mdloti River near Durban, South Africa

The aim of this paper is to examine the awareness, attitudes, perception and response of residents to floods in the Mdloti floodplain near Durban. The results indicated that nearly 50% of the respondents lived in a flood-prone area, but were completely unaware ofthe flood hazard. Nearly 70%, however, indicated their desire to relocate after the 1987 flood. A more sophisticated flood warning system would alleviate the problem.