Components of river sustainability through community’s experiences in riverside neighbourhood

Abstract

Communities of a riverside neighbourhood are essential in developing rivers into a sustainable environmental feature. However, their lack of awareness towards flooding and river pollution interferes with the river's sustainability. The disconnection with nature impairs sustainability; consequently, the river's value degrades. The awareness can be improved upon by focusing on riverside neighbourhoods. The residents would have some level of awareness due to living sustainably with the river environment. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the living experiences of a riverside neighbourhood's residents from a social perspective. Data were obtained through semi-structured questionnaires given to 121 residents, a focus group discussion and personal interviews. The questionnaires' responses were exported and analysed using Principal Component Analysis in SPSS to identify significant components that were pertinent to the aim. Six components were found and were clarified into three themes: 'river issues', 'river management' and 'river neighbourhood as a shared environment'. It has been found that exposure to river issues resulted in the residents exercising their resources to overcome those issues, and the cooperation between the residents and the stakeholder was essential in maintaining and achieving a sustainable river environment. The residents' connection with their neighbourhood was exemplified through their familiarity and neighbourliness. In conclusion, insight into the residents' experiences would provide a better understanding of river neighbourhoods, which stakeholders could consider in decision-making and planning to ensure the connection with nature is sustained.