Lessons learned about the importance of raising risk awareness in the Mediterranean region (north Morocco and west Sardinia, Italy)

Abstract

Abstract. In order to mitigate the potentially dramatic effects of natural hazards, risk management measures are critical. However, the lack of interdisciplinary indicators and adaptable governance frameworks highlights society's vulnerability in the particular context of global environmental and climate change. This interdisciplinary research aimed at identifying reliable risk indicators and societal responses regarding natural hazards and climate change impacts to provide a governance framework for disaster risk reduction. Different societies face diverse risks and do not necessarily have the same level of local awareness of these risk. To explore the diversity of risks, two sites were selected from the Mediterranean basin, one chosen from the south coast (north Morocco) and the other from the north coast (the Italian island of Sardinia). North Morocco, a region of multi-risks, is characterised by high demographic and economic pressures; west Sardinia has remarkable biodiversity of wetlands and is characterised by high environmental and agricultural pressures, which in both cases intensify the vulnerability of the coastal areas. Testing for the local population's preparedness for future financial protection allowed for discussing the importance of risk awareness sessions or activities as an indicator of risk management. The significance of risk awareness sessions is shown in a quantitative part of the study, and its importance is also discussed with local stakeholders in north Morocco in a qualitative part of the study. It is shown that, although risk awareness sessions are recognised as important in risk management, they are not necessarily implemented. Based on these findings, further ideas on a new series of less descriptive, more dynamic and more user-friendly indicators are suggested. How can risk sessions be a dynamic indicator of a resilient society? The obtained results could serve in future governance frameworks for the mitigation of natural hazards in the Mediterranean region and more widely. Finally, the urgent need for continuous work to overcome the communication gap between the scientific community, risk administrators, civil society and the general population is emphasised.

Frightened or familiarised? Permanent residents' and second‐home owners' risk perceptions of extreme weather events

“…In line with numerous studies (Ivčević et al, 2021; Roder et al, 2016), this research has proven the great significance of risk awareness as the determinant of risk perception. As mentioned, risk awareness had the greatest impact on risk perception; however, this was to a large extent complemented by the individual's direct experience of the consequences of the extreme weather (namely low to significant house/property damage caused by a storm, gale, heavy rain, hail) (Gao et al, 2020).…”

“…Risk awareness is the second important contributor to risk perception, although, as Ivčević et al (2021) have proven, the concepts of risk awareness and risk perception may overlap depending on the definition and approach. Hence a distinction between the two concepts is needed.…”

“…As stressed by Slovic and Weber (2002) regarding building risk awareness, experience works in parallel with knowledge. The latter is here understood both as the indigenous wisdom and outside information as well as its uptake (Ivčević et al, 2021). In this study, personal experience is considered through basic characteristics such as severity/seriousness, directness/proximity and frequency.…”

The influence of risk awareness and government trust on risk perception and preparedness for natural hazards

“…Awareness of the population is essential in risk management because it influences risk perception, motivating preventive behavior (Gibson, 2003; Haynes et al., 2008; Luís et al., 2016). Despite the above, few studies have conceptually differentiated risk awareness from risk perception (Bandecchi et al., 2019; Ivčević et al., 2020, 2021). In some cases, both concepts have been considered synonymous (Bradford et al., 2012; Raaijmakers et al., 2008), but risk awareness has also been measured as part of risk perception (Pagneux et al., 2011b).…”

Climate risk assessment of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima coastal Region (Morocco)

“…The importance of local knowledge for sustainable disaster risk reduction and management is largely recognized by international policy, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (United Nations, 2015). However, the extent to which this scientific knowledge is translated into concrete and practical measures, as well as the importance of risk awareness sessions, is still open to debate (Bwambale et al, 2020;Ivcěvićet al, 2021). To this end, public authorities have a growing demand for decision-making tools, such as coastal risk assessment, to help them prioritize hot spot areas.…”