Use new technologies, such as crowdsourcing to collect information from citizens, as a means to foster community engagement

Community engagement is a key element to disaster preparedness and resilience. Engaging with communities in the pre-disaster phases helps disaster managers to, better, understand the knowledge and skills of the local people, to efficiently assess local resources (including social capital) and design disaster management plans in accordance with these. For this to occur, it is important that close relationships are built between local authorities and individuals in the community, which should rely on the former’s understanding of what are the public’s expectation from disaster managers, what re their tolerance and acceptance levels in this field. To collect the opinions of citizens one can either carry out qualitative and/or quantitative research in the field and/or use technological tools such as crowdsourcing platforms.

Stakeholders: Policy Makers, Disaster Managers, Citizens

Disaster Phases: Prevention, Preparedness

Types of Actors Concerned: NGOs, Local authorities, National research bodies, Non-active citizens, Active citizens

Hazards: Natural hazards, Man-made non-intentional hazards or emergency situations, Man-made intentional hazards

Cultural Map Entries:

• Local communities could use social media to call for support in a disaster situation

• "Angry groups" and empowerment processes

• Power relations in empowerment contexts

• Strength of local authorities in empowerment contexts

• Citizen cooperation for developing software solutions

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