Why disaster risk communication? Why now? An introduction
Disaster risk communication, early warning, and early action. Natural hazards are becoming more intense and more frequent because of climate change.
At the same time, people are increasingly exposed to hazards because of increased urbanisation in hazard-prone areas. More than half the global population lives in cities – and 2.5 billion people are likely to join them by 2050. Urban dwellers’ vulnerability to hazards is compounded by poverty and inequality, which limits people’s ability to invest in preparedness measures and resilient infrastructures.
The clash of these two factors draws the already insufficient resources toward disaster recovery measures rather than investing in addressing their root causes.
An important tool to improve disaster risk management and resilience are multi-hazard, people-centred early warning systems. However, the successful dissemination of early warnings don’t always result in early action. Misunderstanding, mistrust, uncertainty about what to do, psychological barriers, and social or cultural influences all contribute to people’s decision-making.
These challenges highlight the need for a comprehensive approach to enhancing early warning and early action (EWEA) systems, addressing technological and infrastructural gaps as well as the individual, social and institutional factors that influence their effectiveness. One such approach involves using media and communication, which can not only disseminate early warnings, but also prompt informed dialogue and shift how people think, feel and act in response.
Media and communication can increase the effectiveness of early warning systems by:
- Making them people-centred, enhancing their design and reach;
- Improving people’s understanding of natural hazards and their vulnerability to them, while respecting local priorities and perspectives;
- Challenging misplaced or ill-informed beliefs, perceptions and practices to support better disaster risk management and timely, appropriate action.
1. Why early warning doesn't prompt early action: An example
Research from Somalia highlights reasons why people didn’t react to early warnings: Severe flooding occurred in Somalia in late 2023 as a result of the El Niño weather system. As part of the RiCA project, BBC Media Action conducted research with people who had experienced flooding in conflict-affected areas of Baidoa and Mogadishu. This research aimed to understand whether people received early warnings and, if so, what actions they took in response. Participants included internally displaced people living in camps, and community leaders.
Nearly all participants reported receiving early warnings about the risk of flooding, via social media, radio and TV news segments and discussion programmes.
Most participants found the warnings relevant and timely. They found much of the information clear, specific and actionable, such as advice to boil drinking water, avoid fishing, avoid walking in floodwaters unplug electrical appliances and evacuate in the worst cases.
While some respondents did follow this guidance, most did not. Respondents cited several reasons for this:
- Believing that forecasting the weather went against religious principles: that only God knew what the weather would be and that any negative impacts were God’s will;
- Distrusting the information received;
- Fearing being unsafe if they left their settlement areas;
- Having insufficient resources to take recommended actions.
"I thought that these people are committing sin by talking about the rain, which is something that is given by Allah. I did not know that there is a science of weather forecasting."
– Abdi, a 36-year-old husband and father in Mogadishu
2. How media and communication can support early warning systems
The UN Secretary General has called for everyone on Earth to benefit from early warning systems by 2027. The Early Warnings for All Action Plan outlines four activity pillars. Media and communication can support across all four areas.
Pillar 1 – Knowledge of disaster risks
Media and communication can help people to understand the complexities of multiple hazards, their potential impacts, and what can be done to address them. They can create platforms to share and discuss local, Indigenous and scientific knowledge widely.
Pillar 2 – Detecting, monitoring and forecasting hazards
Media and communication can provide a way to widely share and discuss locally-observed information, insights and possible actions to increase understanding and trust in monitoring systems and boost community involvement in designing early warning systems.
Pillar 3 – Warning dissemination and communication
Media and communication is vital in reaching populations with early warning information quickly and at scale.
Pillar 4 – Preparedness to respond
Risk communication can help improve individual, group and organisational preparedness to take action by providing a platform to discuss and address barriers to action, such as perceptions and beliefs about risk, livelihood concerns and the availability of resources, local risk management, risk governance and public investment.
