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Coastal areas are at the frontline of natural hazards – a fact now thrown into sharp relief as flooding devastates parts of southeastern Australia.
Information is one of the best ways governments can help communities deal with these events. This information is intended to encourage people to make better informed decisions about the risks they face, and to take appropriate action.
However, as our New researchAs the research shows, just providing information is not enough. We found that most households didn’t change their behavior when authorities provided generic information about natural disasters via passive means such as brochures and radio ads.
Governments need to find better ways of communicating important messages in order to ensure resilience in the face a worsening natural disaster.
ACT government
Barriers to being prepared
Numerous studies have shown that providing information to the public can help overcome knowledge gaps, overcome inertia, and encourage people to change their behavior.
However, even if an individual is well-informed about the hazards of natural disasters, other factors can affect their willingness to prepare.
A person might find it difficult to stockpile food supplies in the event of a severe storm.
Some people may not believe they are at risk. Others may have different priorities, such work or child care.
We need to be able to identify the information that is most effective in influencing behaviour change and the barriers that can be overcome.
Is passive information possible?
Information can be classified into three types
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Passive (seeks to reach large audiences through, for instance, online communication or radio ads).
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Interactive (information that is derived from interactions with other people)
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Experiential (information gleaned through personal life experiences).
Information provided to coastal households by governments is mainly passive.
For example, homeowners are encouraged to find information on natural hazards like FloodsWhat is it? PrepareFor climate change.
We tested the effectiveness of this passive way to deliver information.
Continue reading:
Weather forecasts won’t save us – we must pre-empt monster floods years before they hit
What we found
Our study was limited to two Australian coastal communities: Mandurah (West Australia) and Moreton Bay (Queensland).
We conducted interviews with residents and conducted household surveys. We looked at the information that influences responses to three hazard scenarios, namely a heatwave and a severe storm.
People who wanted to know more about their future climate risks were more likely than others to:
- Consider their locality as being at risk from environmental hazards
- consider local environmental health important to their households’ wellbeing.
People who sought information on climate hazards preparedness also believed:
- The impacts were managed by households very well
- Their local council was able to prevent harm.
David Moir/AAP
However, passive information rarely informed a person’s response to natural hazards. Instead, people tended to believe in the power of “common sense”, especially when dealing with short-term impacts of hazards.
For example, one interviewee said no response to a heatwave was required, but “if you do have to go out you don’t go out for very long”.
Also, past experience informed household actions. One Mandurah resident said:
We had a scenario here […]We were without power after a very severe storm. I have lots and lots of candles so you can just get by.
A Moreton Bay resident, on the other hand, used their past storm exposure to justify their limited need to take action.
These floods have never affected the area. […] it hasn’t stopped us from doing the day-to-day things like getting kids to school.
However, extreme weather is becoming more severe due to climate change. It may not be enough to base decisions on past experiences.
Most people adopt short-term coping strategies when it comes to dealing with hazards.
Other proactive actions like installing window protection were not as common. A lack of collective actions, such as joining local recovery and conservation efforts, was another problem.
Continue reading:
At least 21 Australians were killed in the floods. Adapting to a harsher climate now is a matter of life or death
Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Where are you going?
Some people seem to be able to adapt after being exposed to a climate hazard before they are actually experienced. Most households use coping strategies that are based on common sense.
What information promotes adaptation from short-term coping of natural hazards to long term?
The answer may lie in promoting adaptation well before natural disasters hit as a “common sense” response to the climate threat.
Passive information is rarely targeted and can be useful for all households. So there’s value in moving beyond this approach.
Two-way communication tools like workshops, demonstrations and community events, as well as harnessing opinion leaders, offer promise. They facilitate collective discussion that allows participants to share their experiences, beliefs and values, thus fostering trust and collaboration.
Continue reading:
Weak and under-resourced: As floods hit south west Sydney, our research shows that councils have not been prepared
Some households prefer passive information. However, passive information is not the best option if you want to be resilient to climate hazards. Communication that promotes household response must change.
Information’s ability to resonate with a household depends on many factors, including their ability to respond. So improving people’s confidence in their capability to act may also trigger better adaptation.
But households are not meant to be considered as a single unit that reduces their risk. They are part a broader system, and can contribute to collective change.
This could include lobbying together, sharing strategies and experiences, and supporting each other during times when there is crisis.
As climate change threatens to bring more severe and frequent natural disasters, more research is needed into information encourages people to cope and adapt – both individually and together.
