A Strategy for Communicating Risk

The process of communication is defined as the exchange of information with a symbolic value and meaning to the receiver of the information (Gutteling et al. 1996). Application of known strategies of communication for risk reduction has led to the coining of a new phrase - Risk Communication.

In all of emergency management, communicating mitigation risk and loss reduction remains one of the biggest challenges. Communities hold on to traditional values and stay committed to lifestyles that continually increase their daily risk. Asia is exploding with growing problems such population growth, poverty, disease and a lack of vital infrastructure resources, accompanied by unstable political structures guiding loss reduction. All of this making the job of the professional risk communicator difficult and challenging. Given here are some broad guidelines that can assist in developing and implementing a strategy, or plan, to communicate loss reduction information with your local community. The specific three major phases that are to be followed are:

Assessment Phase: Learn more about your Community
Step 1: Analyze Situation
Step 2: Develop a Community Profile
Step 3: Analyze Economic Vulnerability
Step 4: Analyze Target Audience
Step 5: Hold Objective-Setting Workshop

Campaign Development Phase: Put together a Plan or Campaign
Step 1: Develop Campaign Concept
Step 2: Create a Structure
Step 3: Create a Budget
Step 4: Develop Partnerships

Campaign Implementation Phase: Implement your Campaign
Step 1: Develop Messages
Step 2: Choose Delivery Mechanisms
Step 3: Develop Informational Products
Step 4: Evaluate Process and Audience Impact
Step 5: Document and Share Results

By following these steps, your efforts to reach out to your community should grow steadily more successful over time. And your rewards should unfold as uniquely as your campaign.

Suzanne Frew (March 2003), "Risk Communication Strategy Guidelines", for the Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program (presently called the Urban Disaster Risk Mitigation Program), The Frew Group. For more information contact suzanne@thefrewgroup.com

Disaster ABC's

Elements of Risk - Persons, buildings, crops or other such like societal components exposed to known disaster hazards which are likely to be adversely affected by the impact of these hazards.

Vulnerability - A set of prevailing and consequential conditions- physical, social and attitudinal- which adversely affect the community’s ability to prevent, mitigate, prepare and respond to the impact of a hazard.

Capacity - Those positive conditions or recourses, which increase a community’s ability to deal with hazards.

Disaster Trivia: Gulf of Thailand struck by Typhoon Gay (1989)

November 3rd 1989, Typhoon "Gay" struck the Gulf of Thailand with wind speed of 120 Km/hour struck the Gulf of Thailand. It brought with it tremendous destruction in human lives and property. Several provinces along the coast were greatly affected. Amongst them were, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phetachaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Rayong, Songhla and Surat Thani Provinces. However the most impact of the typhoon was felt in Chumphon where it made its landing. Hundreds of people lost their lives, over five thousand and many fishermen were reported missing. A record of more than 254 schools were destroyed during the storm. Extensive Damage was also caused to lifelines such as roads, railways and telephone links with the southern provinces were cut off. Typhoon Gay thus went down in history as one of the most destructive disasters in the history of Thailand.

Managing Stress

Sress is said to be the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects on us and can create positive or negative feelings. As a positive influence, stress can help compel us to action; it can result in a new awareness and an exciting new perspective. As a negative influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, and depression, which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. With the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, a job promotion, or a new relationship, we experience stress as we readjust our lives. In so adjusting to different circumstances, stress will help or hinder us depending on how we react to it.

How can I manage Stress Better?
Stress levels can be reduced and managed with a little effort and understanding. Here are a few pointers:
Become aware of your stressors and your emotional and physical condition
Recognize what you can change
Reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions to stress
Learn to moderate your physical reactions to stress
Build your physical reserves
Maintain your emotional reserves

Every month, we will feature one of our community members in this column. This will give us a chance to get to know and learn from each other’s experiences. Would you like to be next month’s featured personality? Email us so we can send you our questions.

Our Featured Personality

Mr Guillaume CHANTRY, a civil engineer, is working in the development field for over 25 years. He has been working in the field of appropriate technologies in construction, human settlements improvement, and natural disasters reduction. Since 2000 he is the Coordinator of Development Workshop project “Prevent typhoon damage to housing, central Vietnam”.

Public Health and Emergency Management Courses
The Public Health in Emergencies (PHCE) team of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) partners with various health organizations to organize the following health-related disaster management courses:

LEADERS Course in Asia, 29 March-10 April 2004, Bangkok, Thailand
This is an international course on Development and Disasters with special focus on health. The World Health Organization (WHO) and its Southeast Asia Regional Office will tailor the English-language LEADERS Course held last February 2003 in Jamaica, and present it to a global audience, primarily Asia, with support from the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC). For more information on the LEADERS course, visit the WHO website.

The Fourth Inter-regional Training Course on Public Health and Emergency Management in Asia and the Pacific (PHEMAP-4), 19 April-1 May 2004, Bangkok, Thailand
In collaboration with WHO, ADPC will organize this course to help countries of the region develop more effective policy procedures, plans, guidelines and standards of best practices for health sector emergency management.

For more information on the above courses, please contact Janette Ugsang, PHCE Course Manager at janette@adpc.net

ADPC Regional Courses for 2004

Community Based Disaster Risk Management 12 (CBDRM-12), July 5-16, Manila, the Philippines
This course will provide opportunities to learners to acquire tools and obtain knowledge on "how to " design and implement programs for reducing vulnerability and hazards and building community capacity so as to promote a culture of safety. It tackles the issues of disaster risk management from a developmental perspective.

Flood Disaster Risk Management Course 6 (FDRM-6), September 6-17, Bangkok, Thailand
This course is an integrated approach to development of flood risk reduction strategies and land use planning (with environmental considerations). This multi-disciplinary treatment of the flood problem and of the requirements of flood risk management is expected to enable a holistic view of the situation and the needed preparedness measures. Cases of responses at the national and local levels are presented to give the mitigation measures concrete applications. The Course concludes with determination of measures desirable and applicable at the national level..

Disaster Management Course 31 (DMC-31), November 6-26, Bangkok, Thailand
This course is a flagship course of ADPC and is designed for those who have agency, community, national or international disaster management responsibilities and is intended to enable professionals working in disaster management, development and donor agencies to effectively integrate disaster management into their development programs and policies. This will help facilitate within a development framework, valuable contributions in the important areas of:

sustainable economic growth
poverty reduction
environmental conservation
overall risk reduction