The principles of disaster risk communication
Three core principles cut across all phases of the disaster risk communication loop – collaboration, creativity and learning.
Top tips:
- Collaboration: Work with practitioners across disciplines to maximise accuracy, relevance, and creativity
- Creativity: Find unique ways to overcome barriers to communication and action
- Learning: Advance risk communication for your own goals and the wider sector by listening, adapting, and measuring impact.
Disaster risk communication is most effective when it includes multiple actors throughout the process.
This example population engagement ladder shows different ways to engage target audiences.
Innovative communication can make challenging subjects more accessible, understandable and easier to engage with.
Assessing the effectiveness of your disaster risk communication requires investing in impact research to identify what works and what does not and why, and making necessary improvements.
Resources
- Golding, B, World Meteorological Organization and UNDRR (2022), Towards the “perfect” weather warning: Bridging disciplinary gaps through partnership and communication
- Met Office, UK Aid (2020), The future of forecasts: Impact-based forecasting for early action
- UNDRR (2018), Strategic Approach to Capacity Development for Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Section 4: Stakeholders and Partners
- C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (n.d.), Inclusive community engagement playbook