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Are Disasters Ever Natural? Insights From Two Flash Floods in Port-Louis, Mauritius
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613947338686464 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Neerunjun, Henna Helvina |
| author2 | Pharoah, Robyn |
| author_browse | Neerunjun, Henna Helvina Pharoah, Robyn |
| author_facet | Pharoah, Robyn Neerunjun, Henna Helvina |
| author_sort | Neerunjun, Henna Helvina |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136109 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:14.442Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136109 Are Disasters Ever Natural? Insights From Two Flash Floods in Port-Louis, Mauritius Neerunjun, Henna Helvina Pharoah, Robyn Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies. Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Neerunjun, H. H. 2026. Are Disasters Ever Natural? Insights From Two Flash Floods in Port-Louis, Mauritius. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/87bc83fe-928a-400a-839e-b78e81975387 The Port-Louis flash flood in March 2013 took 11 lives, and was a reminder of how vulnerable Mauritius is to natural hazards. This study aimed at investigating how flood risk was perceived from different perspectives in Port-Louis, and how it shaped participants’ willingness to take protective measures against flood impacts. Using two case studies of flash floods which occurred on Saturday 30th March 2013 and Monday 6th March 2023, this study examined the perspectives of officials from institutions involved in the management of disaster risk in Mauritius and survivors’ perceptions of the underlying causes of the events, and how this may shape preparedness for flash flooding. A mixed research method was used, and fieldwork comprised five semi-structured interviews, two focus group discussions consisting of six participants each and a household survey conducted among 185 people in Canal Dayot and Tranquebar, two communities affected by the flooding in 2013 and 2023. The findings show that officials and community members viewed the causes of the event slightly differently, with community participants somewhat more likely to view the flooding as the result of ‘man-made’ risk drivers. The results demonstrate that past lived flood experiences influence households’ willingness to adopt flood preparedness measures, but also suggest a gap between heightened risk perception and actual preparedness. At the institutional level, the severe flood impacts and community disruption following the flash floods in March 2013 and 2023, prompted institutional arrangements for disaster risk reduction in Mauritius and the implementation of measures to improve preparedness, although these suggest a focus on technical flood protection, policy development and technology-based mitigation measures as opposed to a more people-centred approach. Despite the high and increasing flood risk highlighted in this study, many community members remain underprepared, with their vulnerability further amplified by a low willingness to engage in flood preparedness. This illustrates how disasters emerge from social factors where human choices and institutional priorities play a critical role in shaping flood impacts. Masters 2026-04-22T12:13:26Z 2026-04-22T12:13:26Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136109 en Stellenbosch University 81 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Neerunjun, Henna Helvina Are Disasters Ever Natural? Insights From Two Flash Floods in Port-Louis, Mauritius |
| title | Are Disasters Ever Natural? Insights From Two Flash Floods in Port-Louis, Mauritius |
| title_full | Are Disasters Ever Natural? Insights From Two Flash Floods in Port-Louis, Mauritius |
| title_fullStr | Are Disasters Ever Natural? Insights From Two Flash Floods in Port-Louis, Mauritius |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are Disasters Ever Natural? Insights From Two Flash Floods in Port-Louis, Mauritius |
| title_short | Are Disasters Ever Natural? Insights From Two Flash Floods in Port-Louis, Mauritius |
| title_sort | are disasters ever natural insights from two flash floods in port louis mauritius |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136109 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT neerunjunhennahelvina aredisastersevernaturalinsightsfromtwoflashfloodsinportlouismauritius |