Risk Communication on Floodings: Insights Into the Risk Awareness of Migrants in Rural Communities in Austria

Mountain Research and Development

article

Karin Weber¹  Susanna Wernhart²  Therese Stickler³  Britta Fuchs¹  Maria Balas³  Johannes Hübl²  Doris Damyanovic¹ 

[1] 1Institute of Landscape Planning, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences;2Institute of Mountain Risk Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences;3Environment Agency Austria

关键词: Risk communication;    protection-motivation theory;    migrants;    floods;    disaster risk reduction;    property-level flood-riskadaptation;    climate change adaptation.;   

DOI  :  10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-18-00060.1

来源: BioOne

【 摘 要 】

The Alpine region isexpected to beconsiderably affected byclimate change and anincrease of settlement areaexposed to naturalhazards. To respond toemerging challenges due toclimate change, land-use changes, and sociodemographic andmigration issues, an integrated management of natural hazardsis needed, including appropriate approaches to riskcommunication. This study—which included a quantitative streetsurvey, semistructured interviews (Leitfadeninterview), andfocus group discussions carried out in 9 Austrian municipalitiesprone to flooding—found that residents with foreign-born parentsand foreign-born residents were underrepresented in localgovernments and in voluntary organizations related to disasterrisk management and therefore often do not participate indecision-making. Nonetheless, ethnicity was often not theprevailing factor that determined vulnerability and modes ofcoping. Instead, social networks and ownership structures hadan important influence on people’s ability to recover from pastevents and prepare for future events. Study participants who hadnot recently been affected by natural hazards, including floods,generally perceived them as having a low probability ofrecurrence and ranked them lower than other (daily) risks andstruggles. This article aims to contribute to a betterunderstanding of efficient communication as well as targetgroup–oriented communication channels and contents thatfoster risk awareness and private adaptation capacity amongmigrants in rural Austria.

【 授权许可】

CC BY