Awareness, Perception and Communication of Earthquake Risk in Portugal: Public Survey

Abstract

Risks are associated to dangerous events that have an estimable probability of occurring and some potentially severe consequences. A risk is the potential to cause crisis, an emergency, a disaster and/or a catastrophe. The definition of risk acceptability is not technical but value driven. This definition is determined at two levels: at the individual level and at the state level. Every citizen decides what kind of risk he is willing to take in his daily life (his choice of transportation, his choice to smoke or to drink alcohol, etc.). The government, on the other side, is setting risk acceptability limits on a societal level (example: speed limits, laws regulating construction areas and density, etc.). The historical experience of a society will affect the way that it view risks and crisis. This article deals with seismic risk perception and communication in Portugal. A survey carried out resourcing to a questionnaire was developed to assess the knowledge on seismic risk perception and awareness in the Algarve region. Two questionnaires were developed: i) General Public, ii) Professional and Technical (engineers and architects). Results were treated statistically and thoroughly analysed and commented. Risk communication can influence communities to become aware of risks and it has a powerful influence on people's risk decision-making and behaviour. Risk communication has several objectives. It has the role to prevent risks, to reduce them and to make communities aware of the risks in order to develop their capacities, enhance communication and resilience to respond to crisis events.