Understanding communities' needs for information and education

Abstract

The Centre for Disaster Studies at James Cook University researches the relationships between emergency service providers and the communities they serve. To more effectiveley engage community members in planning and mitigation for disasters, it is essential to have an understanding or the different ways that diverse communities and the people who live in them view a particular risk. We also need to understand the different ways in which various sections of the community might be affected or involved in readiness, response and recovery. Three case studies are used here to illustrate ways in which research has been applied to an engagement and empowerment of different sectors of the community.