Research on disaster management in Australia has noted the inadequacy of preparedness and response when disasters overlap, closely follow each other sequentially, or confound each other with cascading and interconnected risks. Such ‘compound natural hazards’ have become the lived experience of many Australian communities, and, with such events increasing in frequency and intensity under climate change, initiatives that seek to build communities’ awareness of – and preparedness for – compound natural hazards are now crucial.  Despite this imperative, little research work has been done to establish global best-practice on awareness, education and communication in relation to compound natural hazards. Neither has research established the needs of Australian communities in relation to the communication they receive from emergency management and recovery agencies, before, during and after hazard events.

In the past, communication and engagement processes have tended to assume that disasters were singular, discrete events. However, given that climate extremes are now resulting in more frequent and overlapping disasters, there is a clear need for communications and engagement strategies that consider the complexities of compound natural hazards. Any such strategies should be centrally concerned with communities, and their increased exposure and vulnerability.

The project will deliver an advanced understanding of current research and global best-practice approaches to community engagement around compound natural hazards and disasters. The project will also contribute to and advance understandings of co-design as a research methodology and additionally consider the role and importance of local communications infrastructure in helping communities mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from compound natural hazards. Based both on desktop research and on-the-ground social research with disaster-affected communities, the work will enable Australia to be positioned as a global leader by developing a framework, co-created with communities, to guide better communication and education on compound natural hazards.

Project Funding

This project is funded by Natural Hazards Research Australia.