1 risk communication and hazards
- 1. RISK COMMUNICATION AND HAZARDS BY TONI SIPIC, PH.D. DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- 2. Introduction Risk Risk Communication Risk Governance and Preparedness Challenges to Risk Communication Information processing Case Studies of Practices Seismic Hazards Laws in California Oso Landslide Public Policy
- 3. Risk Risk - condition in which there is a possibility that persons or property could experience adverse consequences Risk communication addresses the exchange of information, knowledge and attitudes between decision makers, experts, stakeholders, and the affected public and focuses on concrete risk situations
- 4. Function of Risk Communication Communication prior to adverse events Raise awareness Encourage protective behavior Inform to build up knowledge on hazards and risks Inform to promote acceptance of risks and management measures Communication during the adverse events Inform on how to behave during events Warn of and trigger action to impending and current events Communication after the adverse events Reassure the audience (to reduce anxiety or ‘manage’ outrage) Improve relationships (build trust, cooperation, networks)
- 5. Preparedness Justification For each additional person that is able to provide for their own needs, the burden on the emergency services is decreased by one Public emergency preparedness equips individuals with the knowledge, skills, or resources necessary to increase their likelihood of survival and to minimize financial and other losses in the event of an emergency or disaster Ordinary citizens who are empowered with these tools are better able to help themselves, their families, their neighbors, and their communities
- 6. IRGC, 2009
- 8. Challenges for Seismic Risk Communication Hazard contexts vary nationwide Risk communication contexts also vary in a variety of ways Earthquakes range from infrequent to very rare for individual communities, and highly damaging earthquakes remain very rare Regions, communities, groups, and individuals vary with respect to their earthquake experience All earthquake forecasts and loss projections involve significant uncertainties, and those uncertainties also vary on a regional basis Tierney, 2004
- 9. Challenges for Seismic Risk Communication Public perceptions and knowledge of the earthquake threat also vary as a function of such factors as socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and gender Even in areas where awareness is high, that awareness only rarely leads to action In general, the public is not well-informed, either with respect to the earthquake hazard or with respect to current and achievable levels of seismic safety Earthquakes tend to be low on political agendas, except during periods immediately following significant disaster events Since the events of September 11, 2001, earthquakes and other natural hazards must increasingly compete with homeland-security-related threats for public attention and dollarsTierney, 2004
- 10. Stages of Processing Information Exposure to the message Attention to the message Comprehension of the arguments and conclusions presented in the message Yielding to the message Accepting the message Information integration (which allows for message retention) Crisis and Risk Communications , 2014
- 11. Practices Best practice case study: Seismic Hazards Laws in California Bad practice case study: Oso Landslide
- 12. Policy evolution of Seismic Hazards Laws in California Field Act and Garrison Act Law passed in response to 1933 Long Beach earthquake Unreinforced Masonry Building Law Law passed in response to 1984 Morgan Hill earthquake Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act of 1972 Law passed in response to 1971 San Fernando Earthquake
- 13. Standardized Natural Hazards Disclosure Statement The Natural Hazards Disclosure Act, under Sec. 1103 of the California Civil Code states that real estate seller and brokers are legally required to disclose if the property being sold lies within one or more state or locally mapped hazard areas A Special Flood Hazard Area Dam Inundation Very High Fire Wildland fire Earthquake Fault Zone A Seismic hazard
- 14. Standardized Natural Hazards Disclosure Statement
- 15. Standardized Natural Hazards Disclosure Statement California Seismic Hazards Zonation Program, 2014
- 17. Oso Landslide 1990 Growth Management Act required counties and cities to identify “geologically hazardous areas,” including landslide areas Development rules in landslide areas don’t affect development that’s already been built downslope Local governments should consider buying out homeowners Seattle Times, 2014
- 18. Oso Landslide Previous slide events in the area in1949, 1951, 1967,1988 and 2006 Miller-Sias DOE report drew boundaries for where groundwater could feed into the slope and increase the risks of landslide When issuing logging restrictions DNR used outdated information Seattle Times, 2014
- 19. Oso Landslide
- 20. Issues With Public Policy Addressing Hazards Healey and Malhotra (APSR 2009) Voters reward the incumbent presidential party for delivering disaster relief spending Voters punish incumbent presidential party for investing in disaster preparedness These inconsistencies distort the incentives of public officials Governments underinvest in disaster preparedness, causing substantial public welfare losses. $1 spent on preparedness is worth about $15 in terms of the future damage it mitigates
- 21. Public Policy Adverse events increase the salience of the issue with the public Evidence on increases in the demand for risk prevention policies from empirical economics literature Love Canal and Cuyahoga River and toxics legislation Temperature and precipitation and Kyoto Agreement Nuclear Accidents and Nuclear Safety IEA Oil spills and MARPOL