International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 96 (2023) 103996
Available online 11 September 2023
2212-4209/© 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijdrr
Multi-hazard risk perception: An empirical study of the remote
Gilgit city, Hindukush-Karakorum-Himalayan (HKH) region,
Pakistan
Syed Samad Shah
a
, Irfan Ahmad Rana
a, *
, Ather Ali
b
a
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, H-12,
Islamabad, Pakistan
b
NUST Institute of Civil Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SCEE), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), H-
12, Islamabad, Pakistan
ARTICLE INFO
Keywords:
Natural hazards
Northern Pakistan
Vulnerability
Risk reduction
Perceptions
ABSTRACT
The frequency and severity of disasters have witnessed a substantial increase in Pakistan. Gilgit
city, located in the formidable Hindukush-Karakorum-Himalayan (HKH) region, like other moun-
tainous valleys in the country, is under severe threat from the catastrophic consequences of disas-
ters. The region has experienced frequent hazards such as floods, especially Glacial Lake Outburst
Floods (GLOFs), landslides, and earthquakes in recent times. Therefore, it is imperative for the lo-
cal communities to comprehend and evaluate the disaster risks to prepare for unforeseeable cir-
cumstances. The current study, therefore, quantifies risk perceptions of Gilgit citizens in a multi-
hazard environment through perceived hazard, disruptions, and impacts dimensions. The pri-
mary data is collected via household surveys using a semi-structured questionnaire. The paired
sampled test and index analysis have been applied to determine the perceived risks in a multi-
hazard environment. Results of the study reveal that most respondents perceived the impacts of
floods/GLOFs on daily life activities as the highest in a multi-hazard environment. The findings of
this study will be helpful for urban planners, environmental scientists, and decision-makers to
formulate policies that will ultimately increase community resilience to cope with the impacts of
multi-hazards.
1. Introduction
Pakistan is situated in a region exposed to a multitude of natural hazards and is deemed highly vulnerable to disasters [1]. The
country's geographic location in a seismically active zone renders it prone to earthquakes, while various climate change-induced haz-
ards exacerbate the situation [2]. Despite contributing less than 1% of the world's carbon emissions [3], Pakistan is ranked as the 5th
most vulnerable country to climate change [4]. Climate change-triggered recurring disasters have wide ranging impacts on the lives
of the people of the hazard-prone country [5]. Likewise, the seismicity is substantial, and over the past few decades, the country has
experienced the most physically destructive disasters [6]. The Quetta earthquake of 1935 and the Kashmir earthquake of 2005 are
considered among the deadliest.
* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: shah.syedsamad@gmail.com, samad.urp20nit@student.nust.edu.pk (S.S. Shah), irfanrana90@hotmail.com, iarana@nit.nust.edu.pk (I.A. Rana),
aali@nice.nust.edu.pk (A. Ali).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103996
Received 30 November 2022; Received in revised form 20 June 2023; Accepted 4 September 2023