Social capacities in natural hazard risk management - findings from a nation-wide survey in Switzerland

Implementing integrated hazard risk management implicates the population’s active participation in hazard prevention by adopting individual prevention measures and adequate attitude and behaviour towards living with natural... [ view full abstract ]

Implementing integrated hazard risk management implicates the population’s active participation in hazard prevention by adopting individual prevention measures and adequate attitude and behaviour towards living with natural hazards. People’s motivation for individual prevention, however, requires that they are aware of risks, that they feel responsible for their self prevention and that they know how to achieve this best and develop self-efficacy. Recent studies suggest that these social capacities are rather poorly developed in the general population, and there is a lack of knowledge how they might be enhanced.
With our study, we aim to establish the state of hazard risk awareness and the individual prevention motivation in the Swiss population, reveal the main influence factors on these social capacities and by that provide results that serve the design of future strategies to improve these social capacities.
Based on recent research literature and questionnaires of prior studies we developed a standardised questionnaire that included scales on risk awareness and risk preparedness as well as a wide range of possible influence factors of these parameters. The questionnaire administered in January 2015 to a large random sample of the Swiss population (N=10’000). The data of the realised sample (n=2137) was analysed using multivariate statistics, i.e. regression analysis and structural equation modelling. To refer the reported data to factual data, the geo-referenced survey data was compared with data of the hazard maps as well as data of a spatial hazard damage database using GIS. Major results are that the Swiss population supports prevention measures prioritised by the integrated hazard management strategy as much as traditional prevention measures used for hazard control. However, the level of risk awareness and risk preparedness was rather low. Personal hazard experiences appeared to be as expected the main influence factor for risk awareness and preparedness, but also respondents’ integration into their local community was found to be a relevant and so far unknown predictor. Risk communication appeared to have an only marginal influence on both dependent variables, with the exception of dialogic forms of risk communication.