Institutional Trust and Household Adaptation to Earthquake Risk: Insights from Post-Disaster Communities in Bantul Regency

<title>Abstract</title> <p>Bantul Regency, located in a high-seismic zone on the island of Java, was the epicentre of a devastating 2006 earthquake that caused severe damage and numerous casualties. This study aims to understand how communities adapt to earthquake risks by analysing data from 300 households living in three mapped seismic vulnerability zones. Using SEM-PLS, the results show that disaster knowledge and experience positively influence household preparedness. Moreover, experience and risk perception significantly affect public trust in the government, which in turn enhances preparedness. Public trust mediates the relationship between experience, risk perception, and preparedness. Further regression analysis reveals that education and household expenditure increase Willingness to Pay (WTP) by IDR 108,449 and IDR 132,976, respectively, while direct earthquake experience decreases WTP by IDR 81,522. The study recommends strengthening disaster literacy, policy transparency, and public trust as key strategies to foster sustainable preparedness in earthquake-prone areas like Bantul Regency.</p>