The Effectiveness of Risk Communication to Raise Awareness of Natural Hazards

This doctoral thesis studies the effectiveness of real-life risk communication efforts that include visuals and aim to increase the awareness of populations at risk of natural hazards. Several methods are used. To obtain a picture of the current state of research and practice, a qualitative approach is followed, including a literature review of risk communication concerning floods and interviews with designers of Smartphone Apps on avalanche danger. To measure the effectiveness of a real risk communication effort, a quantitative approach is followed, including statistical analysis of survey responses and Radio-Frequency Identification technology. The studied risk communication effort is the ‘Alerte’ exhibition, held in the French Alps, which was designed with the local stakeholders following an action-oriented approach.Water Resource

Smartphone applications for communicating avalanche risk information – a review of existing practices (discussion)

Every year, in all mountainous regions, people are victims of avalanches. One way to decrease those losses is believed to be informing about danger levels. The paper presents a study on current practices in the development of smartphones applications that are dedicated to avalanche risk communication. The analysis based on semi-structured interviews with developers of smartphone apps highlights the context of their development, how choices of content and visualization were made as well as how their effectiveness is evaluated. It appears that although the communicators agree on the message to disseminate, its representation triggers debate. Moreover, only simple evaluation processes are conducted but there is a clear awareness that further scientific efforts are needed to analyze the effectiveness of the smartphone apps. Finally, the current or planned possibility for non-experts users to report feedback on the snow and avalanches conditions open the doors to a transition of these apps from one-way communication tools to two-ways communication platforms. This paper also indicates the remaining challenges that avalanche risk communication is facing, although it is disputably the most advanced and standardized practice compared to other natural hazards. Therefore, this research is of interest for the entire field of natural hazards related risk communication.Water ManagementCivil Engineering and Geoscience

Smartphone applications for communicating avalanche risk information: a study on how they are developed and evaluated by their providers

Every year, people are victims of avalanches. It is commonly assumed that one way to decrease those losses is to inform about danger levels. This paper presents a study on current practices in the development and evaluation of smartphones applications that are dedicated to avalanche risk communication. The analysis based on semi-structured interviews with developers of six smartphone apps highlights the context of their development, how choices of content and visualization were made and how their effectiveness is evaluated by the developers themselves. It appears that all these communicators agree on the message to disseminate and the general representation concepts (i.e., use of the international avalanche danger scale and of a tiered approach). However, the specific ways this message is presented (e.g., maps, icons) is not uniform. Moreover, only simple evaluation processes (e.g., usage monitoring) are conducted by the developers. However, they are well aware that further efforts need to be made in order to thoroughly analyze the effectiveness of the smartphone apps in terms of their real impact (e.g., increase in awareness or change in behavior). This work also highlighted that the smartphone applications are in transition from being one-way communication tools to becoming two-way communication platforms, with the possibility for non-experts users to report on snow and avalanche conditions. This paper indicates challenges that avalanche risk communication is facing, although it is indisputably the most advanced and standardized practice compared to communication tools for other natural hazards. In addition to being relevant for the avalanche risk communication community, this research is therefore of interest for scientists and practitioners working on risk communication related to natural hazards.Water Resource

Effectiveness of communication in climate change and risk research: Is the impact evaluated and where is it presented at scientific conferences?

Water ManagementCivil Engineering and Geoscience

Disaster Managers’ Perception of Effective Visual Risk Communication for General Public

Risk communication is one of the measures that should be implemented to increase the awareness and preparedness of the general public in order to attain disaster risk reduction. Among the various forms that can be used in communication campaigns, visualizations are appropriate to disseminate information about spatial phenomena such as natural hazards. In order to be effective, communication campaigns should be designed according to the specificities of the targeted audience. Risk and disaster managers are seen as a source of information about the latter as their tasks put them in direct contact with the general public and they need to communicate risks. Hence it is assumed that investigating their perception on the informative needs of the general public can help to design effective visual risk communication campaigns and to evaluate them.Water ManagementCivil Engineering and Geoscience

Risk Communication: The connection between assessment and management of changing risks

Water ManagementCivil Engineering and Geoscience

Increasing awareness and preparedness by an exhibition and studying the effect of visuals

Water ManagementCivil Engineering and Geoscience

Flood risk communication: Visualization tools and evaluations of effectiveness

Visual risk communication can be used to reduce damages due to floods. The first objective of this study is to review the current state of the field by inventorying examples of visual communication in terms of purpose, content, audience, phases of risk management and means. As maps appear to be predominantly used, the second objective is to review flood risk mapping research and practice. The third objective is to analyze examples of evaluation of effectiveness. It appears that although visual risk communication is quite advanced, there are still gaps to fill such as integrating the prevention and preparedness in the same communication tools. Risk mapping is currently designed for risk management. Further research should be conducted to make it serve risk communication. Although evaluation examples exists in terms of users’ needs, the assessment of the real impact of visuals is never done.Water ManagementCivil Engineering and Geoscience

Increasing awareness and preparedness by an exhibition and studying the effect of visuals (poster)

Water ManagementCivil Engineering and Geoscience

Communicators' perspective on snow avalanche risk communication using smartphone applications

Water ManagementCivil Engineering and Geoscience