Bottleneck Analysis of Disaster Risk Communication Problems Based on Post-disaster Field Surveys --- Case Studies of Two Typhoon Disasters in Japan

Abstract

Identifying and overcoming various bottlenecks of disaster risk communication is considered an essential problem for the betterment of disaster early warning and quick response. In this paper, a systematic method of formalizing and analyzing these bottlenecks is proposed. Two typhoon disasters are focused on and field surveys are conducted. Several conceptual models have been proposed. The C-E-D model can be used to analyze the bottlenecks of information processing within one agent. It can also be extended to analyze inter-organizational information problems among different agents and organizations. To explicitly examine information-sharing devices for the different agents involved, the proposed hierarchical and sharing model can be used. The three-layer risk communication model associated with the pagoda model helps us position the level of bottlenecks in disaster risk communication. Policy implications are also derived from the proposed approach. Our methodological approach (if further improved) will also serve to systematically guide field investigations during and after a particular disaster if we intend to analyze a diverse spectrum of disaster risk communication problems.