The contribution of maps to the challenges of risk communication to the public

Abstract

Risk communication is a significant challenge in risk management. It serves different purposes; an important one is to improve the public risk awareness and mitigation. Because of the strong spatio-temporal component of natural hazards, maps can play a decisive role in communicating risk information. The application and design of maps for risk communication especially to the public has not been investigated comprehensively. Specific constraints and challenges of risk communication have not been considered systematically in the map design process so far. This study aims at developing a frame for the application and design of interactive risk and hazard maps for the public which is based on the specific constraints and challenges of risk communication. In a literature review it introduces concepts and methods from social sciences and psychology, which have been assessed as important for communicating risk information. The concepts and methods are adapted to map-mediated risk communication according to the approaches of Activity Theory. Communication objectives and tasks which are essential to improve risk mitigation are identified and geovisualization methods for information presentation are related according to the degree which they are able to serve them. Based on this, some principles for map-based risk communication are established.

Preferred breast cancer message sources and frames amongst western Kenyan women

“…Dransch, Rotzoll and Poser (2010) define risk communication as the process of interactively exchanging information and opinion among individuals, groups, and institutions in order to effectively reduce risks and their adverse effects. It involves multiple interactive messages on the nature of risk, concerns, opinions and/or reactions to a risk.…”

Zielgruppenspezifische Darstellung von Hochwassergefahren und -risiko

“…Mögliche Vorgehensweisen zur Erstellung der Karten wurden im Rahmen von Workshops der Mitgliedstaaten bereits vor der Erlassung der HWRL diskutiert (EXIMAP 2007). Auf Möglich-keiten der konkreten Ausgestaltung von Hochwassergefahren-und -risikokarten beziehen sich insbesondere Fuchs et al (2009), Hagemeier-Klose und Wagner (2009), Dransch et al (2010) und Meyer et al (2012). Die vorliegende Arbeit folgt der Zielsetzung, die inhaltlichen Vorgaben der Hochwasserrichtlinie mit den Anforderungen der identifizierten Zielgruppen der Gefahren-und Risikokarten zu verbinden.…”

“…Entscheidend ist somit, dass die Bevölkerung nicht nur informiert, sondern durch Informationsimpulse soweit aktiviert wird, dass Vorkehrungen zum Selbstschutz induziert werden (Dransch et al 2010;Roth 2012 (Dransch et al 2010). Diese lebhaften Reize kön-nen die Akzeptanz der Inhalte erhö-hen und gleichzeitig zu einer aktiveren Haltung und situativen Anpassung führen (Blondé und Girandola 2016).…”

Simulating and Communicating Outcomes in Disaster Management Situations

“…In this respect, it releases disaster managers from the tasks of data collection and map generation and allows them to focus on visualization and analysis. As maps are an intuitive and user-friendly medium for communicating risk [3], it is not suprising that the development of web-based mapping has been conceived as a central axis in incorporating public participation in disaster management. Little et al [4] for example, show how web-based geovisualization tools can both encourage stakeholder involvement and public input into emergency management.…”