Managing Tsunami Risk: Social Context Influences on Preparedness

This article describes the testing of a model that proposes that people's beliefs regarding the effectiveness of hazard preparedness interact with social context factors (community participation, collective efficacy, empowerment and trust) to influence levels of hazard preparedness. Using data obtained from people living in coastal communities in Alaska and Oregon that are susceptible to experiencing tsunami, structural equation modelling analyses confirmed the ability of the model to help account for differences in levels of tsunami preparedness. Analysis revealed that community members and civic agencies influence preparedness in ways that are independent of the information provided per se. The model suggests that, to encourage people to prepare, outreach strategies must (a) encourage community members to discuss tsunami hazard issues and to identify the resources and information they need to deal with the consequences a tsunami would pose for them and (b) ensure that the community-agency relationship is complementary and empowering

Perception of vulnerability relating to sea level rise and climate change in island communities : insights from Hawaiʻi

M.S. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2014.Includes bibliographical references.Almost 700 residents from four coastal communities on the islands of Maui and O'ahu, Hawaiʻi completed surveys that examined their perceptions, knowledge, and attitude towards climate change and sea level rise. Overall, perceptions did not vary with geographic location or socioeconomic status, but reflected residents' perceptions of personal vulnerability to sea level rise. Residents who felt they were vulnerable to sea level rise had different perceptions from those who did not feel vulnerable. Those who felt that the threat to their home was in the near future (0-30 years) had different perceptions than those who felt the threat was longer term (40+ years). Perceived vulnerability was not significantly correlated with measures of individuals' physical exposure to sea level rise and is anticipated to be a complex variable, worthy of further study. Personal perception of vulnerability only touches the surface of understanding motivations, beliefs, and other factors that may influence change in adaptive behaviors and facilitate actions to implement protective measures. Community leaders addressing or implementing adaptation or mitigation policies should provide information and resources that raise people's level of personal perceived vulnerability to sea level rise to a realistic and accurate level and strengthening community resilience