Role of social networks in community preparedness for bushfire

2011

Ecology and Society, 2017

Resilient communities promote trust, have well-developed networks, and can adapt to change. For rural communities in fire-prone landscapes, current resilience strategies may prove insufficient in light of increasing wildfire risks due to climate change. It is argued that, given the complexity of climate change, adaptations are best addressed at local levels where specific social, cultural, political, and economic conditions are matched with local risks and opportunities. Despite the importance of social networks as key attributes of community resilience, research using social network analysis on coupled human and natural systems is scarce. Furthermore, the extent to which local communities in fire-prone areas understand climate change risks, accept the likelihood of potential changes, and have the capacity to develop collaborative mitigation strategies is underexamined, yet these factors are imperative to community resiliency. We apply a social network framework to examine information networks that affect perceptions of wildfire and climate change in Central Oregon. Data were collected using a mailed questionnaire. Analysis focused on the residents' information networks that are used to gain awareness of governmental activities and measures of community social capital. A two-mode network analysis was used to uncover information exchanges. Results suggest that the general public develops perceptions about climate change based on complex social and cultural systems rather than as patrons of scientific inquiry and understanding. It appears that perceptions about climate change itself may not be the limiting factor in these communities' adaptive capacity, but rather how they perceive local risks. We provide a novel methodological approach in understanding rural community adaptation and resilience in fire-prone landscapes and offer a framework for future studies.

2013

The term “community” has a long and contested lineage in social analysis and debate. This lineage, however, is not generally recognized in policy and public debates on community and bushfire in Australia. “Community” is thought to be central to bushfire preparedness in Australia, especially in rural areas, but what “community” actually means in this context is vague at best. There is an ever-present tension between the use of “community” as a reference to locality, a “sense of community” as experienced by residents, and the use of “community” as a rhetorical tool by governments and state agencies. We argue that a rigorous analysis of the concept of “community” is critical to an understanding of the processes involved in preparing for the challenges associated with disaster, in this case bushfires. These broader issues are supported by research (a series of surveys, interviews, and focus groups) carried out with residents living in (predominantly rural) bushfire-prone areas in the state of Victoria, Australia. Ultimately, we assert that social participation and social networks are likely to be the crucial aspects of community that play a central role in effective bushfire preparedness.

Australian Journal of Emergency Management

Communicating risk is vital so that communities can prepare to meet approaching natural hazards. This study examined access to emergency communications and subsequent levels of preparedness in two rural Australian communities, Ingham in Queensland and Beechworth in Victoria. In 2009 these towns experienced a flood and fire disaster respectively. Focus interview data were used to design a survey which was completed by 546 respondents across the two communities. Results showed that preparedness was most strongly predicted when emergency communications were received from neighbourhood and community member sources rather than the media or other organisations. Findings also highlighted that communities are inherently different and need targeted emergency communications, tailored to the disaster type and community composition. In particular, the elderly and the unemployed reported social isolation and less access to mobile phone and internet communications. The findings show that emergenc...

Bushfire is an increasing threat in Australia, with population movement and mobility, shifts in climate patterns and the unevenness in preventive measures across the country. It raises specific questions for populations living in localities as well as for governments and agencies tasked with the question of how to ensure the ongoing safety of the communities that constitute these localities. Effective communication is central to the processes of bushfire preparedness and response.

Communicating risk is vital so that communities can prepare to meet approaching natural hazards. This study examined access to emergency communications and subsequent levels of preparedness in two rural Australian communities, Ingham in Queensland and Beechworth in Victoria. In 2009 these towns experienced a flood and fire disaster respectively. Focus interview data were used to design a survey which was completed by 546 respondents across the two communities. Results showed that preparedness was most strongly predicted when emergency communications were received from neighbourhood and community member sources rather than the media or other organisations. Findings also highlighted that communities are inherently different and need targeted emergency communications, tailored to the disaster type and community composition. In particular, the elderly and the unemployed reported social isolation and less access to mobile phone and internet communications. The findings show that emergency communications need to be two-way so that those at risk in an emergency can access specific advice about their household and what action to take to protect themselves and their property. Neighbourhood influences appear to be important in mobilising preparedness actions in the two communities studied.

This research case outlines our experience of applying social network analysis in the context of community response to disaster in a disaster-hit community of West Bengal state in India. We describe the methodological nuances that we employed in this study to capture the nature of social networks in the community as a response to cyclone Aila. We have described the process of conducting participatory exercises with the community to identify disaster phases and how network data were collected at each stage of disaster. The analysis of data resulted in the description of social networks and the identified key actors in them at different phases of disaster. We also showed how network properties of households were associated with their resilience against disaster event. To the best of our knowledge, we are among the few researchers who have studied community-level social network in the field of disaster management and have amalgamated participatory exercises with social network analysis in similar context.

Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 23(3):41-8

This paper discusses the process of developing a model capable of informing the development of community outreach strategies to facilitate the sustained adoption of bushfire preparedness measures. Following the identification of anomalies in defining the predictors of preparedness, a qualitative study of the reasoning processes that influence whether or not people decided to prepare for bushfire hazards is presented. The findings of the qualitative study are used to revise the preparedness model. Finally, using data from 482 residents in high bushfire risk areas in Hobart, the ability of the revised model to account for differences in levels of household preparedness is discussed.

Wildfire is a persistent and growing threat across much of the western United States. Understanding how people living in fire-prone areas perceive this threat is essential to the design of effective risk management policies. Drawing on the social amplification of risk framework, we develop a conceptual model of wildfire risk perceptions that incorporates the social processes that likely shape how individuals in fire-prone areas come to understand this risk, highlighting the role of information sources and social interactions. We classify information sources as expert or nonexpert, and group social interactions according to two dimensions: formal versus informal, and generic versus fire-specific. Using survey data from two Colorado counties, we empirically examine how information sources and social interactions relate to the perceived probability and perceived consequences of a wildfire. Our results suggest that social amplification processes play a role in shaping how individuals in this area perceive wildfire risk. A key finding is that both “vertical” (i.e., expert information sources and formal social interactions) and “horizontal” (i.e., nonexpert information and informal interactions) interactions are associated with perceived risk of experiencing a wildfire. We also find evidence of perceived “risk interdependency”—that is, homeowners’ perceptions of risk are higher when vegetation on neighboring properties is perceived to be dense. Incorporating social amplification processes into community-based wildfire education programs and evaluating these programs’ effectiveness constitutes an area for future inquiry.