Community Response and Engagement During Extreme Water Events in Saskatchewan, Canada and Queensland, Australia

Dena W Mcmartin,Alison J Sammel,Katherine Arbuthnott

doi:10.1007/s00267-017-0944-y

Dena W Mcmartin, Alison J Sammel + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-017-0944-y

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Abstract

Technology alone cannot address the challenges of how societies, communities, and individuals understand water accessibility, water management, and water consumption, particularly under extreme conditions like floods and droughts. At the community level, people are increasingly aware challenges related to responses to and impacts of extreme water events. This research begins with an assessment of social and political capacities of communities in two Commonwealth jurisdictions, Queensland, Australia and Saskatchewan, Canada, in response to major flooding events. The research further reviews how such capacities impact community engagement to address and mitigate risks associated with extreme water events and provides evidence of key gaps in skills, understanding, and agency for addressing impacts at the community level. Secondary data were collected using template analysis to elucidate challenges associated with education (formal and informal), social and political capacity, community ability to respond appropriately, and formal government responses to extreme water events in these two jurisdictions. The results indicate that enhanced community engagement alongside elements of an empowerment model can provide avenues for identifying and addressing community vulnerability to negative impacts of flood and drought.

Highlights

Each Saskatchewan, Canada and Queensland, Australia are Commonwealth jurisdictions that have experienced, and continue to experience, significant impacts due to largely unanticipated extreme water events (EWE), such as floods and droughts
This paper identifies key factors that inform and limit community engagement in response to EWE, especially in ways that necessitate personal responsibility
In the communication and recognition of risk, few people would choose to live in a home that has an annual risk of 1% of burning down, but these same people will choose to build a home in an area with an annual risk of 1% of being damaged by flooding (Vallero and Letcher 2012; Murphy 2012)

Summary

Introduction

Each Saskatchewan, Canada and Queensland, Australia are Commonwealth jurisdictions that have experienced, and continue to experience, significant impacts due to largely unanticipated extreme water events (EWE), such as floods and droughts. There are challenges on several fronts around this including communications of risk within and to communities of citizens and decision-makers, changes in climate that affect the utility and applicability of the historical data used to predict EWE, and perceptions of risk to life and property in response to flood and drought (Morgan et al 2002; Slovic 2000). There is clear value in the literature, understandings of limitations, and best practices for template analysis methods related to the types of information and communication reports essential for EWE research including environmental, risk management, and structural reviews and governance assessments (King 2012). The template was responsive to findings across the full data set, with concepts added or dropped as fit and contextual quality were focused to the research objectives

Key Findings and Emerging Patterns

Findings

Conclusions