Enhancing Disaster Risk Management through Understanding Risk Perception: The Role of Identity in Rural Communities

Abstract

Risk reduction strategies are guided by vulnerability and hazard assessments, which must be as accurate as possible. Vulnerability is shaped by physical conditions and social characteristics; thus, the response to disasters may vary across different cultural groups. There are tendencies to research vulnerability just for metropolitan settings. Though there are many rural cases studies worldwide, few can be seen in Brazil. The objective of this study was to develop a cross-cultural comparison of the perceptions of members of traditional and nontraditional communities dealing with risk disaster management. For that, two rural communities in Brazil were studied from an identity approach. One of the communities or social groups is defined as a traditional community in Brazil by law while the other group is not. We performed in-person interviews to identify the primary vulnerabilities in each location. Quantitative and qualitative interview questions were used and arranged in blocks to distinguish the various phases of disaster management. The answers were analyzed using frequency analysis and contingency tables, with each community receiving a separate evaluation. The study used a “sociogeomorphological” analysis to reveal the vulnerability of social groups, determined by both their inherent characteristics and the geomorphological conditions of their environment. It highlights significant identity-related differences (p-value=0.1) such as length of residence in the community, type of losses, socioeconomic assistance, psychological preparedness, looking for data and weather forecast sources, and emergency contact. Processes such as the Safe Development Paradox and Traditional Knowledge were identified. These findings point out ways to validate and improve the efficacy of policy actions to be taken in rural disaster scenarios through dialogs. This paper aims to emphasize the significance of characterizing risk perception in rural communities as a foundation for establishing risk management strategies. To achieve this, conducting interviews and analyzing responses while considering factors such as the feeling of rootedness and local knowledge can provide an advantage for disaster risk reduction (DRR). Disasters can disrupt both tangible (e.g., land, resources) and intangible (e.g., memories, history) elements of identity impacting individuals’ sense of self. It is crucial to include related-identity factors (feeling of rootedness and local knowledge) in the elaboration of measures to propose executable strategies and increase the chance of being embraced by the exposed community. This methodology can be applied to identify vulnerabilities through interpersonal dialogue to assess the state of DRR of a particular social group. It is important to recognize that rural communities operate differently from urban communities, which is a crucial step toward developing effective risk management strategies. The integration of census data and information obtained from dialogue demonstrates the potential for DRR, because it enables the identification of specific aspects of identity that are particularly vulnerable during and after a disaster, thus facilitating the development of effective responses.