Have you ever taken a public survey on natural disasters? Have you thought of why disaster surveys could be important? And why the next time you come across one you should absolutely take it?
I can give you three reasons why:
1. What you think matters. Disaster survey results present experts, planners and local administrations with a good tool to ‘match’ disaster prevention policy and programs to your needs. If the planners don’t know how you’re thinking about your disaster preparedness or what kind of support you’re expecting, they won’t be able to match you/ your neighborhood with appropriate assistance initiatives.
2. Show and tell. Disaster surveys can inculcate accountability among government agencies and local administrations through your participation and interest in the issue. Through your participation in a public disaster survey, you show you’re interested in reducing your risk from a probable tornado or earthquake. The authorities and local agencies will be more accountable for what information they share with you and how they help protect and prepare you for crises.
3. Save your life! After taking a disaster survey, you are more likely to be better informed of your community’s risk from probable disasters and the local safety and preparedness requirements. You are also more likely to participate in/ volunteer for a neighborhood drill on disaster preparedness after taking a disaster survey – skills that could be vital to saving lives during a disaster!
This said, disaster surveys have had an under-explored potential so far. If more national and local administrations, planners, private sector enterprises and civil society organizations were to undertake disaster surveys this would help map people’s risk perceptions and target more appropriate initiatives to diverse communities/ demography’s.
Surely, it isn’t enough to pronounce disaster risk levels, map the most vulnerable areas and have an inventory of local capacities/ first responders. It is equally important to know how different communities/ different people in communities are likely to prepare for a disaster, what priorities they are likely to invest in, what resources they are likely to draw upon during a crises and what kind of assistance/ support they are most likely to seek from local administrations and community networks.
A recent release of survey results by the MWH in Australia, presents interesting results to demonstrate this point.
According to the MWH 2011 Report on critical infrastructure, ‘the majority of Australians believe the country is most vulnerable (93%) to bushfires, followed by drought (91%), flood (84%) and cyclones (73%). Further, ‘Australians living in remote areas feel more vulnerable to all types of natural disaster than those living in cities… Only one in four Australians (27%) consider the government is doing enough to protect the nation from natural disasters. 45% believe the government can do more to protect Australians and prepare for natural disasters (28% unsure).’ Check out the report for more on the prevailing perception of public investments required in 'resistant' and 'resilient' risk reduction measures.
Isn’t this a wealth of information to work with?
The disaster diary’s April-May 2011 global survey/poll came up with a qualitatively different, but an equally interesting profile:
Most respondents (66.67%) felt that they were ‘somewhat likely’ to be affected by a disaster in the next couple of years, while 20% felt they were ‘not likely’ to be affected.
More respondents stated they were likely to be assisted in disaster preparedness efforts by local community networks (25%) than by their local government administrations (5%).
When asked if respondents felt the need to know/ read more about ways to reduce risk from disaster, an interesting trend emerges. More people said ‘yes it would be important’ (52%) but a large number said ‘maybe – if the information is easily accessible and available’ (43%).
Do these results give us insights on areas that need more focused efforts, globally?
More importantly, we need more public disaster surveys that can balance and complement the findings of Hyogo Framework for Action centered reviews/ polls/ surveys that talk to regional inter-governmental organizations, national authorities and local organizations. Why? Because we need to make sure someone is also talking to people – the ‘public’.
I can give you three reasons why:
1. What you think matters. Disaster survey results present experts, planners and local administrations with a good tool to ‘match’ disaster prevention policy and programs to your needs. If the planners don’t know how you’re thinking about your disaster preparedness or what kind of support you’re expecting, they won’t be able to match you/ your neighborhood with appropriate assistance initiatives.
2. Show and tell. Disaster surveys can inculcate accountability among government agencies and local administrations through your participation and interest in the issue. Through your participation in a public disaster survey, you show you’re interested in reducing your risk from a probable tornado or earthquake. The authorities and local agencies will be more accountable for what information they share with you and how they help protect and prepare you for crises.
3. Save your life! After taking a disaster survey, you are more likely to be better informed of your community’s risk from probable disasters and the local safety and preparedness requirements. You are also more likely to participate in/ volunteer for a neighborhood drill on disaster preparedness after taking a disaster survey – skills that could be vital to saving lives during a disaster!
This said, disaster surveys have had an under-explored potential so far. If more national and local administrations, planners, private sector enterprises and civil society organizations were to undertake disaster surveys this would help map people’s risk perceptions and target more appropriate initiatives to diverse communities/ demography’s.
Surely, it isn’t enough to pronounce disaster risk levels, map the most vulnerable areas and have an inventory of local capacities/ first responders. It is equally important to know how different communities/ different people in communities are likely to prepare for a disaster, what priorities they are likely to invest in, what resources they are likely to draw upon during a crises and what kind of assistance/ support they are most likely to seek from local administrations and community networks.
A recent release of survey results by the MWH in Australia, presents interesting results to demonstrate this point.
According to the MWH 2011 Report on critical infrastructure, ‘the majority of Australians believe the country is most vulnerable (93%) to bushfires, followed by drought (91%), flood (84%) and cyclones (73%). Further, ‘Australians living in remote areas feel more vulnerable to all types of natural disaster than those living in cities… Only one in four Australians (27%) consider the government is doing enough to protect the nation from natural disasters. 45% believe the government can do more to protect Australians and prepare for natural disasters (28% unsure).’ Check out the report for more on the prevailing perception of public investments required in 'resistant' and 'resilient' risk reduction measures.
Isn’t this a wealth of information to work with?
The disaster diary’s April-May 2011 global survey/poll came up with a qualitatively different, but an equally interesting profile:
Most respondents (66.67%) felt that they were ‘somewhat likely’ to be affected by a disaster in the next couple of years, while 20% felt they were ‘not likely’ to be affected.
More respondents stated they were likely to be assisted in disaster preparedness efforts by local community networks (25%) than by their local government administrations (5%).
When asked if respondents felt the need to know/ read more about ways to reduce risk from disaster, an interesting trend emerges. More people said ‘yes it would be important’ (52%) but a large number said ‘maybe – if the information is easily accessible and available’ (43%).
Do these results give us insights on areas that need more focused efforts, globally?
More importantly, we need more public disaster surveys that can balance and complement the findings of Hyogo Framework for Action centered reviews/ polls/ surveys that talk to regional inter-governmental organizations, national authorities and local organizations. Why? Because we need to make sure someone is also talking to people – the ‘public’.