Session 2 Early WarningSession 2 Early Warning

Risk Communication

Motoyuki Ushiyama

BEFO

RE T

HE E

VEN

TAFT

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TH

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EARLY WARNING

EDUCATION

PRE-IMPACTEMERGENCY

RESTO

RA

TIO

N

PREPA

RED

NESS

RECONSTRUCTION

Disaster

DISASTER

IMPACT

Contents

1. Time-constraint and real-time communication

2. Hierarchical information structure and command control oriented. Blocking factors of early warning system

3. Redundancy is necessary in the system

4. End victims’ active participation

Early warning as an application of disaster risk communication

Support for vulnerable people

Position of early warning in the disaster management cycle

• During a disaster– forecasting, warnings, evacuation, real-time

observation.

Warning and Hazard Type

• Weather disaster (heavy rainfall, flood, windstorm)– Possible to issue a warning before disaster.

• Earthquake – Not possible to announce pre-disaster warning.

Levels of a weather disaster warning messages

Forecast(Daily information)

Warning (Action trigger for organizations)

Evacuation (Emergency message for residents)

Tim

e

Disaster

Hazard

Advisory(Alert information)

High LowDisaster Impact level

Command control oriented message

transmission routes

Meteorological Agency

Coast Guard

Prefectures

Telephone company

Public broadcasting

station

Municipality

broadcast

Community

Factors that may block the transmission of a Warning

Message

• Examples of Technical Blocking Factors – Technical trouble of information transmission system– Break up of communication lines or power failure

• Examples of Human Blocking Factors– The person who uses the information system does not

understand how to use it.– The person who receives the information does not

notice the fact.– The relay person who receives information forgets or

mistakenly neglects to contact and convey the message to another party.

Redundancy as a fail-safe device for Warning

Transmission System

Police Fire station

Volunteer fire defense

organization

Loud speaker

van

Loudspeaker

ResidentsMass media,

Community radio broadcast

Local government

office

Governmental office

Municipality equipmentsOther equipments

Community citizens’ active participation

Taiwanese simple rainfall observation device

• It is significant that local residents measure rainfall by themselves.

• They can realistically understand and get hands –on experience on how much rainfall means and how dangerous it is to them.

Simple Rain-gauge in Taiwan: The River Bureau has distributed this to residents in order to help prevent sediment disaster. Residents can thus observe rainfall. If rainfall amount reaches over the red line, they should immediately evacuate independently.

Support for Vulnerable People

• Vulnerable people are those who need special assistance at the time of disaster.

– physically handicapped persons, the elderly, pregnant women, small children, poor people, etc.

• Even healthy people who do not know an area well are also considered vulnerable people.

– Foreigners and travelers are examples

1. Identify what kind of vulnerable people are in the area.

2. Have a plan how they will be helped in case of a disaster.