Trust and the communication of flood risks: comparing the roles of local governments, volunteers in emergency services, and neighbours

Insights from China: understanding the impact of community resilience and government trust in psychological resilience and anxiety during COVID-19

Background

COVID-19 has the potential to greatly impact an individual mental well-being. However, an individual's psychological resilience, combined with support from their community and government disaster relief efforts can aid individuals in confronting crises with a positive mindset. The purpose of this study is to investigate how individuals, across three dimensions of individual resilience perception, community resilience perception, and government trust perception, mitigate individual anxiety during COVID-19.

Methods

This study employed an online survey method that was not restricted by geographical location. Data collection took place from January 2022 to June 2022, and the valid questionnaires covered all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China. The assessment of community resilience was conducted employing the Conjoint Community Resilience Assessment Measure-10 (CCRAM-10). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was also used to examine the relationship between community resilience, government trust, individual psychological resilience, and anxiety.

Results

The SEM results reveal that individual psychological resilience is significantly negatively correlated with anxiety (b = -0.099, p < 0.001), while there is a significant positive correlation between community resilience perception (b = 0.403, p < 0.001) and government trust (b = 0.364, p < 0.001) with individual psychological resilience. Furthermore, government trust perception enhances psychological resilience, consequently reducing anxiety (b = -0.036, p < 0.001). The results also revealed that women and increasing age had a mitigating effect on individual anxiety during COVID-19.

Conclusion

Individual's mental state is influenced on multiple dimensions during COVID-19. Not only can individual psychological resilience better cope with anxiety, but support at the community and government dimensions has a significant impact on individual psychology. These resources can enhance the resilience of both individuals and communities, helping them better cope with stress and difficulties.

Relationship between disaster awareness and disaster preparedness: online survey of the community in Indonesia

Indonesia is a country that is classified as prone to disasters because of its territory that has a lot of tectonic activity and is located between the ring of fire. Given the urgency of improving people's preparedness for disasters, studies are needed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors associated with disasters. One of which is disaster preparedness, that is influenced by public awareness of disasters. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between current awareness level of the community towards disaster and Community preparedness for disaster preparedness efforts in Indonesia. The design of this study was cross-sectional. Data were collected by a self-administered online survey. The study respondents were community that are accessible and were willing to fill out questionnaires voluntarily. The research was conducted in March-October 2021 with the nation as the research location. The size of the sample was 400 respondents obtained from the calculation of estimation in finite population. Respondents with lower current awareness level of the community towards disaster had higher risk 1.49 times to have lower community preparedness for disaster preparedness efforts compared to respondents with higher community preparedness for disaster preparedness efforts (PR=1.49, 95%CI=1.25-1.76, P#x003C;0.001). Increasing public awareness about disaster preparedness is very important. The government can work with non-governmental organizations and community leaders to provide understanding and training to the community to deal with disasters.

Models and components in disaster risk communication: A systematic literature review

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Risk communication is considered a major factor in disaster risk management by the concerned policymakers and researchers. However, the incoherence of variables affecting risk communication in various studies makes it difficult to plan for disaster risk communication. This study aims to identify and classify the influential components in disaster risk communication.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This systematic review was conducted in 2020. Databases included PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. In searching for articles, there was no limit on the date of publication and the language of the article. The research addressed both natural and man-made disasters. The Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA) checklist was followed throughout the research, and the quality of the papers was assessed using the mixed methods evaluation tool (MMAT).

RESULTS

In searching the articles, 3956 documents were obtained, of which 1025 duplicated articles were excluded. The titles and abstracts of the remaining documents (2931) were examined, of which 2822 were deleted, and the full text of 109 documents was studied for further assessment. Finally, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria and reviewing the full texts, 32 documents were considered to extract the data and for quality assessment. On studying the full text of the obtained documents, 115 components were found, which were classified into five groups (message, message sender, message receiver, message environment, message process) and 13 subgroups. In addition, the obtained components were classified as those proposed by the authors of the article and those obtained from disaster risk communication models.

CONCLUSION

Identifying the effective components in the disaster risk communication gives a more comprehensive view of risk communication to the disaster managers and executives and provides the decision-makers with an important platform to be able to use the components of risk communication and increase the impact of messages and ultimately increase people's preparedness for disasters in planning operations for the risk communication.

A place-based risk appraisal model for exploring residents' attitudes toward nature-based solutions to flood risks

Nature-based solutions (NBS) have gained popularity as a sustainable and effective way of dealing with increasing flood risks. One of the key factors that often hinders the successful implementation of NBS is residents' opposition to their implementation. In this study, we argue that the place where a hazard exists should be considered a critical contextual factor alongside flood risk appraisals and perceptions of NBS themselves. We have developed a theoretical framework-the "Place-based Risk Appraisal Model (PRAM)"-that draws on constructs inspired by theories of place and risk perception. A citizen survey (n = 304) was conducted in five municipalities in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, where dike relocation and floodplain restoration projects have been conducted along the Elbe River. Structural equation modeling was adopted to test the PRAM. Attitudes toward the projects were assessed in terms of "perceived risk-reduction effectiveness" and "supportive attitude." With regard to risk-related constructs, well-communicated information and perceived co-benefits were consistently positive factors for both perceived risk-reduction effectiveness and supportive attitude. Trust in local flood risk management was a positive and threat appraisal a negative predictor of perceived risk-reduction effectiveness affecting "supportive attitude" only through "perceived risk-reduction effectiveness." Regarding place attachment constructs, place identity was a negative predictor of a supportive attitude. The study emphasizes that risk appraisal, pluralities of place contexts to each individual, and their relations are key for determining attitudes toward NBS. Understanding these influencing factors and their interrelationships enables us to provide theory- and evidence-based recommendations for the effective realization of NBS.

Latent profiles of psychological status among populations cumulatively exposed to a flood and the recurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic in China

Henan Province in Central China was hit by unprecedented, rain-triggered floods in July 2021 and experienced a recurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study aims to identify the latent profiles of psychological status and acceptance of change among Henan residents who have been cumulatively exposed to these floods and the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 977 participants were recruited. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to explore underlying patterns of psychological status (i.e., perceived risk of the COVID-19 pandemic, post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety and rumination) and acceptance of change. The predictors were evaluated with multinomial logistic regression. LPA identified four patterns of psychological status and acceptance of change: high distress/high acceptance (5.1%), moderate distress/moderate acceptance (20.1%), mild distress/mild acceptance (45.5%), and resilience (29.3%). The additive impact of the floods and COVID-19 pandemic and negative emotion during the floods were the risk factors, while flood coping efficacy, trust, and a closer psychological distance change were the protective factors. The present study therefore provides novel evidence on psychological status after both a natural disaster and a major public health event. The cumulative effects of the floods and the COVID-19 pandemic may have heightened the risk of post-disaster maladaptation. A complex relationship between psychological outcomes and acceptance of change was also found. The findings of this study thus provide a foundation for both disaster management and psychological assistance for particular groups.

Interpersonal risk communication matters more than media risk communication in its impact on individuals' trust and preventive behaviors during COVID-19

A cross-sectional survey study from 1496 respondents was conducted to investigate how interpersonal risk communication and media risk communication foster individuals' interpersonal trust and trust in scientists during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Findings reveal that interpersonal risk communication is significantly related to interpersonal trust and trust in scientists, but have no direct association with preventive behaviors. Media risk communication is significantly associated with preventive behaviors and increases individuals' trust in scientists while having no effect on interpersonal trust. Preventive behaviors are significantly influenced by both interpersonal trust and trust in scientists. In addition, trust mediated the association between risk communication and preventive behaviors.

Building community resilience during COVID‐19: Learning from rural Bangladesh

The COVID‐19 pandemic has brought overwhelming challenges to developing countries which are already resource‐constrained and lack adequate social safety nets. Specifically, lockdown has adversely impacted marginalized communities (e.g., labourer, fish wholesaler and small business owner) and informal sector employees who rely on meager daily wages for their survival. Set in the contested climate of the emergency response to the COVID‐19 outbreak in Phulbari, Dinajpur, Bangladesh, we examine the early response of the community to the pandemic. Drawing on 24 in‐depth interviews with members of this community, we find that the existing central and regional government structure has failed to deal with the crisis. Yet, we show how collective effort at the local community level, led by volunteers and community leaders, is crucial in the fight against hardship during lockdown.

Community resilience and anxiety among Chinese older adults during COVID-19: The moderating role of trust in local government

The worldwide spread of COVID-19 has resulted in an enormous threat to public health, causing global panic, especially older adults suffering severe anxiety due to their vulnerability. With a questionnaire survey on 213 Chinese older adults in April 2020, we examined the role of community resilience in protecting older adults from anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, and simultaneously considered the moderating role of trust in local government. The results indicated that community resilience was negatively associated with older adults' anxiety, and this association was weakened for older adults with low trust in local government. This study has implications for intervention designs that combine resilient factors related to communities and local governments to relieve older adults' anxiety during the pandemic. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Why People (Do Not) Adopt the Private Precautionary and Mitigation Measures: A Review of the Issue from the Perspective of Recent Flood Risk Research

Based on the literature review, this paper synthesizes recent state of knowledge on flood risk perception and related human behaviors. The main attention is paid to private precautionary and mitigation measures, and the reasons why these are (not) adopted by agents such as individual households. Results of a wide range of relevant studies are presented and critically examined. The findings are presented within an interpretive framework established during the review process; six key themes (responsibility, risk perception, people and social environment, geography of risk, emotions, theories and conceptual models) and several sub-themes closely related to them were identified by the content/thematic analysis. These were then utilized to overview and discuss particular factors and issues involved, as well as various relevant theoretical underpinnings and conceptual models. The review identifies, illustrates, and addresses not only the consensual views and contradictory findings of flood risk research, but also several related and essential ambiguities, uncertainties, and knowledge gaps. Based on these findings, suggestions for future research are discussed, including the terminological, semantic, methodological, theoretical, and ethical aspects. The paper thus serves two main tasks: (a) It is a useful reference/departure point for those with research interests in topics and issues such as flood risk perception, flood risk protective and mitigation behaviors and measures, or flood risk management in general; and (b) it provides suggestions and incentives for future flood risk research agenda.

Risk communication and adaptive behaviour in flood-prone areas of Austria: A Q-methodology study on opinions of affected homeowners

Adaptive behaviour has become a crucial aspect in current flood risk management strategies across the globe, especially in response to potential consequences of flood hazards and facing challenges of climate change. There are several factors which influence the motivation to implement flood risk management strategies such as property-level flood risk adaptation (PLFRA) measures. This paper assesses and evaluates the role of risk communication, which is a vital and overarching driver or barrier in the successful implementation of PLFRA measures. We explored this issue through a bootstrapped Q-methodology with 20 residents in the urban area of Graz, Austria, who have been affected by flood events in the past. Additionally, semi-structured interviews concerning risk communication were conducted with the participants to understand the preferred risk communication modes. The results show that respondents have a high level of perceived self-efficacy (most have implemented PLFRA measures), that there is general distrust in public protection measures and that there is a high understanding of residual risk. Considering the communication modes preferred by a majority of respondents, face-to-face interaction with unbiased experts is more attractive than online applications. Additionally, citizens want to be engaged in decision-making processes concerning public protection measures in their area. This calls for participatory processes in flood risk management which involve mutual knowledge transfer and social learning.