Risk communication successes and limits during sismo-volcanic crisis: the example of Mayotte, France

Abstract

Abstract. On 10 May 2018, an active seismic crisis began on French island of Mayotte, which a year later will be shown to be related to offshore volcanic activity. It affects a vulnerable territory exposed to risks of many kinds (poverty, violence, lack of basic resources). In the absence of known events in human memory, the population is naive with regard to seismic and volcanic hazards. The concern is therefore very strong. In spite of a large number of publications, the communication set up by the main actors of the risk chain does not answer the population's concern. To understand why, we analyse a large corpus of the textual communications (press releases, web pages, scientific bulletins, reports, etc.) issued by the authorities and scientists from May 2018 to April 2021. We draw lessons on the communication strategy put in place in the first three years of the crisis; and we issue recommendations for improvement in the future, in Mayotte, but also elsewhere in contexts where comparable geo-crises may happen. We notably stress the importance of ensuring that communication is not overly technical, that it aims to inform rather than reassure, that it focuses on risk and not only on hazard and that it provides clues to possible risk scenarios.

Citizen Science for Disaster Risk Governance: Towards a Participative Seismological Monitoring of the Mayotte Volcanic Crisis

“…First, our data suggests that the lack of communication has been a driver of the emergence and diffusion of alternative truths, has fueled a feeling of being abandoned by the authorities, and has increased anxiety in the population. This finding is cogent with the analyses of Devès (2021) and Fallou (2020). Reciprocally, our results indicate that Mayotte's population is characterized by a strong level of trust in and deference to science, which seems to be well spread within the population.…”

“…This seismic activity was felt by the population for several months, and the new volcano is still active today. These events generated a great deal of anxiety in the population (Devès et al 2021;Mori 2022).…”

“…A few works have specifically studied the perceptions of the current seismo-volcanic crisis by Mayotte's populations. Fallou et al (2020) and Devès et al (2021) focused on the feelings of inhabitants regarding scientific and safety information about the seismic swarms. Their results highlight the difficulty for the scientists and the authorities to reach the local population with information.…”

Preventing and debunking earthquake misinformation: Insights into EMSC's practices

“…In a second stage of the seismic swarm, when scientific information started being available, the communication, poorly adapted to the expectations of the public and to the socio-cultural context, struggled to achieve its goals. Science communication was not heard, understood, and not even trusted by the public (Fallou et al, 2020;Devès et al, 2021Devès et al, , 2022.…”