Preparedness through social capital in Bengawan Solo River Communities, Surakarta City

Abstract

The city of Surakarta is prone to flooding because of the flow of the Bengawan Solo River, particularly in densely populated areas along its banks. Key contributing factors include inadequate drainage systems, illegal development, climate change, irregular spatial planning and low public awareness of disaster risks. This study investigates the role of social capital in enhancing community preparedness for flood disasters along the banks of the Bengawan Solo River. The quantitative approach employed a survey method using a Likert scale questionnaire ranging from 1 to 5, distributed to 87 respondents from 29 affected communities. Data analysis was conducted using multiple regression with the ordinary least squares (OLS) method. The results indicated a positive but not significant relationship between exposure to flood risk and social capital (coefficient = 0.624769; p = 0.267555), suggesting that increased exposure did not significantly correlate with strengthened social capital. Nevertheless, these findings highlight the importance of social capital in enhancing community preparedness and mitigating the negative impacts of floods.
Contribution: Strategic recommendations include strengthening social networks and trust among citizens, conducting disaster simulations and training, implementing early warning systems, restructuring flood-prone settlements, improving infrastructure, creating green open spaces and promoting sustainable data-driven disaster education. These efforts are expected to enhance community resilience in addressing flood disasters in a participatory and sustainable manner.