Disaster Education, Communication and Engagement

A detailed guide to the design and evaluation of effective disaster learning programs

Disaster Education, Communication and Engagement provides a much-needed evidence-based guide for designing effective disaster learning plans and programs that are tailored to local communities and their particular hazard risks. Drawing on the most recent research from disaster psychology, disaster sociology, and education psychology, as well as evaluations of disaster learning programs, the book contains practical guidance for putting in place a proven design framework.

The book outlines the steps to take in order to tailor a disaster education, communication and engagement program and highlights illustrative examples of effective programs and activities from around the world. The author includes information on how to identify potential community learners and presents a methodology for understanding the at-risk community, its hazard risks, disaster risk reduction, and emergency management arrangements. Disaster Education, Communication and Engagement describes both country-wide campaigns and local disaster programs that involve community participation. This important resource: 

• Presents a detailed framework to guide the design and evaluation of tailored disaster learning programs
• Includes information that links disaster resilience with sustainability and climate change learning
• Describes the ?disaster cycle? and reviews learning content and methods related to the cycle
• Explains effective ways to combine disaster education, disaster communications, and disaster-related engagement
• Contains material on using new technologies such as gamification, virtual reality, and social media 

Written for emergency managers, students of emergency management, and humanitarian courses, Disaster Education, Communication and Engagement is a hands-on guide filled with ideas and templates for designing and evaluating targeted disaster learning programs.

Acknowledgements xi

Part I Context 1

1 Disasters and Learning 3

1.1 Hazard 3

1.2 Disaster 4

1.3 Disasters are Socially Constructed 4

1.4 Disasters and Communities 5

1.5 Learning 6

References 6

2 Disaster ECE 9

2.1 Disaster Education 9

2.1.1 Defining Disaster Education 9

2.1.2 Modes of Disaster Education 10

2.1.3 Learning Relationships 11

2.2 Disaster Communication 13

2.2.1 Risk Communication 13

2.2.1.1 Risk 13

2.2.1.2 Risk Perception 14

2.2.1.3 Trust 16

2.2.1.4 Communicating Risk 16

2.2.2 Crisis Communication 17

2.2.2.1 Early Warning 17

2.2.2.2 Response 18

2.2.2.3 Recovery 19

2.2.2.4 Between Agencies 20

2.3 Engagement 20

2.3.1 Public Participation Spectrum 21

2.3.2 Crowdsourcing 22

2.3.3 Citizen Science 22

2.3.4 Community Participatory Disaster Risk Assessment 23

2.3.5 Volunteered Geographic Information 24

2.4 Disaster ECE 24

References 26

3 ECE Across the Disaster Management Cycle 33

3.1 ‘The Disaster Management Cycle’ 33

3.2 Mitigation 35

3.2.1 Disaster Risk Analysis 36

3.2.2 Risk Awareness 38

3.2.3 Mitigation Options 41

3.3 Preparedness 44

3.3.1 Preparedness Guides 45

3.3.2 Emergency Plans 46

3.3.3 Campaigns 49

3.3.4 Learning Methods 49

3.4 Early Warning 50

3.5 Response 52

3.5.1 News Media 54

3.5.2 Social Media 55

3.6 Recovery 56

3.7 Lessons Learned 57

3.8 Reconstruction 58

References 59

4 The Importance and Usefulness of Disaster ECE 69

4.1 Inputs 71

4.2 Activities 75

4.3 Outputs 75

4.4 Short-Term Impacts 78

4.5 Intermediate Impacts 79

4.6 Outcomes 81

References 81

5 Exploring Relevant Research Fields 85

5.1 Disaster Resilience 85

5.1.1 The Resilience Concept 85

5.1.2 Disaster ECE and Resilience 87

5.2 Disaster Psychology 88

5.2.1 Risk Awareness and Perception 88

5.2.2 Previous Experience and Local Knowledge 90

5.2.3 Preparedness 92

5.2.3.1 The Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) 93

5.2.3.2 Protective Action Decision Model (PADM) 94

5.2.3.3 Socio-Cognitive Preparedness Model 95

5.2.4 Response 96

5.2.5 Recovery 101

5.3 Disaster Sociology 103

5.3.1 Vulnerability 104

5.3.2 Social Capital 106

5.4 Learning Theory 108

5.4.1 Behavioural Learning 109

5.4.2 Cognitive Learning 109

5.4.3 Affective Learning 110

5.4.4 Social Learning 111

References 114

Part II Local Disaster ECE 125

6 Designing Effective Disaster ECE Plans and Programmes 127

6.1 Lifelong Learning 127

6.2 Localisation and Learner Needs 128

6.3 A Framework for Tailoring Disaster ECE 130

6.3.1 Principles of Effective Disaster Education 130

6.3.2 ‘Palettes’ of Potential Content and Methods 132

6.3.3 ‘Filters’ to Choose Appropriate Local Disaster ECE Content and Methods 133

References 134

7 Disaster ECE Principles 137

References 141

8 Disaster ECE Content 143

8.1 Across the Disaster Management Cycle 143

8.1.1 Mitigation 144

8.1.2 Preparedness 146

8.1.3 Early Warning 146

8.1.4 Response 147

8.1.5 Recovery 147

8.1.6 Lessons Learned 148

8.1.7 Reconstruction 148

8.2 Disaster Resilience 148

8.3 Climate Change 150

8.3.1 Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction 152

8.3.2 ‘Global Warming’ vs ‘Climate Change’ 153

8.3.3 Support for Climate Change 153

8.3.4 Implications for Disaster ECE 155

8.4 Sustainability 156

References 160

9 Disaster ECE Methods 165

9.1 A Typology of Disaster ECE Methods 165

9.2 Information 166

9.2.1 Maps 168

9.2.2 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 169

9.2.3 Warning Sirens 170

9.2.4 Emergency Alert Messages 171

9.3 Interactions 173

9.3.1 Social Media 173

9.3.2 Apps 178

9.3.3 Games 179

9.3.4 Virtual Reality 182

9.3.5 Scenario Planning 183

9.3.6 People–People Interactions 184

9.4 Skills and Capabilities 187

9.4.1 Drills 188

9.4.2 Exercises 188

9.4.3 Oral, Visual, and Written Histories 190

9.4.4 Communities of Practice 190

9.4.5 Awards 192

9.4.6 Simulations 193

9.4.7 Staff Ride 194

9.4.8 Volunteering 194

9.5 Creative Expression 196

9.5.1 Art 197

9.5.2 Writing 197

9.5.3 Movies 199

9.5.4 Puppetry 200

9.5.5 Memorials 200

9.6 Integrating Methods 201

References 202

10 Understanding Communities and Their Risks 213

10.1 Understanding the Local Community 213

10.1.1 Population Surveys 214

10.1.2 Questionnaires 217

10.1.3 Social Network Analysis 217

10.1.4 Local Knowledge 219

10.2 Local Disaster Risks 220

10.3 Risk Reduction Measures 223

10.4 Emergency Management 224

10.5 Building Resilience 230

References 233

11 Learners 239

11.1 Youth 239

11.1.1 Vulnerability 240

11.1.2 Youth and DRR 241

11.1.3 Disaster ECE in Schools 243

11.1.4 Curriculum-Based Learning 244

11.1.5 Non-curricula Learning 250

11.2 Other Vulnerable People 252

11.2.1 Women and Girls 252

11.2.2 People with Disabilities 253

11.2.3 Older People 256

11.3 Businesses 259

11.3.1 Vulnerabilities 259

11.3.2 Mitigation 261

11.3.3 Preparedness 263

11.3.4 Recovery and Resilience 267

11.4 Animal Guardians 269

11.5 Tourists 273

11.6 Archetypes 275

References 276

12 Disaster ECE Programmes and Plans 289

12.1 Tailoring Disaster ECE 289

12.2 Disaster ECE Plans 291

12.3 Disaster ECE Programmes 294

12.4 Evaluation 296

12.5 Participation 297

References 299

Index 301

Neil Dufty is a Principal at Molino Stewart, a natural hazard and environmental consulting company based in Sydney, Australia. He has worked in education, communications and engagement research, design, implementation and evaluation for over 40 years, particularly related to environment and disaster related learning.