Bridging the watershed–urban disconnect: a mixed-methods analysis of flood-risk perception and preparedness in Sindh, Pakistan

Introduction Extreme flooding events are increasing in frequency due to climate change and posing major challenges for developing countries, where a clear disconnect exists between how floods develop at the watershed level and how communities perceive the risks they face. Thus, this study examines the disconnect between watershed-scale flood generation and community-scale risk perception and preparedness in Sindh, Pakistan. Methodology This research employed a mixed-method approach, containing 400 questionnaires as a survey using a 10-point Likert scale for quantitative analysis and 8 in-depth interviews for qualitative data. SPSS was used for statistical analysis, while NVIVO was used for thematic analysis. Results The findings revealed that education level significantly influenced causal attribution of floods (χ 2 = 35.82, p