A new policy briefing, Strengthening Societal Resilience to Disasters: Improving Engagement and Communication among Citizens and Authorities, has been developed through the societal resilience cluster; a multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary collaboration between 9 Horizon 2020 research projects (LINKS, ENGAGE, RiskPACC, CORE, MEDIATE, PARATUS, BuildERS, RESILOC, and DIRECTED).
The document highlights the advantages of a comprehensive approach involving all sectors of society in managing disasters. It cites examples from Japan and Italy to support promoting societal inclusion in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), to establish a culture of risk prevention, aligning with the Sendai Framework and the EU’s Disaster Resilience Goals. Main points include:
At the local level:
- Encouraging people to participate in dedicated events and learning opportunities to build competency and knowledge.
- Developing strategies to strengthen community support networks.
- Establishing two-way communication channels between the public and officials.
- Supporting local initiatives to build preparedness capabilities.
- Working with local leaders to ensure that local communication needs are understood.
At the strategic level:
- Allocating resources for participatory engagement.
- Promoting and allocating resources to inclusive communications.
- Reviewing doctrine to include the contributions of local populations.
- Implementing policies to ensure that communications are accessible and inclusive for all.