Assessing the Effectiveness of Television Coverage in Enhancing Disaster Preparedness: A Case Study of ZNBC Coverage on Kanyama Floods in Lusaka District

Flooding remains one of Zambia’s most recurrent and destructive natural disasters, disproportionately affecting informal settlements such as Kanyama in Lusaka District, where inadequate drainage, rapid urbanisation, and poor infrastructure continue to heighten vulnerability [20, 22]. As climate variability intensifies extreme rainfall patterns across Southern Africa, television remains a critical communication channel for providing timely hazard information and promoting community preparedness [17, 3]. This study assessed the effectiveness of Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) television coverage in enhancing flood-related disaster preparedness among residents of Kanyama. Guided by the Disaster Preparedness Model [15] and the Development Communication Model [19], the study examined awareness levels, preparedness behaviours, and perceptions of the clarity, timeliness, and relevance of ZNBC’s flood communication. Employing a mixed-methods exploratory design, the study sampled 50 Kanyama residents using questionnaires and 15 institutional stakeholders from organisations such as the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit, the Lusaka City Council, and the Zambia Red Cross Society through in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, while triangulation ensured data validity. Findings show that although 78 percent of residents had previously watched flood-related content on ZNBC, only 22 percent reported that the messages were very clear due to the heavy use of technical terminology and predominantly English-language broadcasts that many viewers struggled to interpret [12, 16]. While 68 percent of viewers reported increased hazard awareness after watching ZNBC coverage, preparedness behaviour remained limited, with 76 percent engaging only in low-cost actions such as clearing drainage channels, and 32 percent reporting that they took no action due to poverty, unstable electricity supply, or limited television access factors consistent with regional findings in other African informal settlements [14, 1]. Stakeholders further revealed inconsistencies in message timeliness and limited localisation of warnings for high-risk communities like Kanyama. The study concludes that ZNBC television coverage contributes significantly to awareness creation but its overall impact on preparedness is constrained by linguistic barriers, socioeconomic challenges, and insufficiently localised disaster messaging. It recommends that ZNBC adopt more local languages, enhance collaboration with disaster management stakeholders, increase the frequency and localisation of flood alerts, and complement television coverage with multi-channel communication strategies to strengthen community preparedness and resilience.