Risk communication and worried publics in an imminent rockslide and tsunami situation

Abstract

In this paper determinants of adequate worry were studied in the case of an impending rockslide and tsunami in the fjords around Åknes on the west coast of Norway. Approximately 3000 people live in this danger zone. A rockslide may cause up to 54 million cubic metres (1.9 billion cubic feet) of rock to slide into the fjord below, causing a major tsunami. In relation to risk communication, the study sought insights into the determinants of adequate worry in this certain, but time-indeterminate, natural disaster. A questionnaire designed to measure the public’s ‘otte’, a parochial Norwegian expression translated as a nagging worry about the rockslide, was mailed to all 875 inhabitants aged 18 years and older in the four small communities along the fjord; 382 responded (43.6%). The results indicated that members of the public who had trust in the experts and engaged in dialogue with them tended to worry more than others. Those who reported concerns about issues unrelated to the disaster tended to worry less about a possible rockslide. Analyses also revealed that those who lived in a community with extraordinary assets worried the most. Compliance with the evacuation procedures and trust in the experts were positively correlated with the level of worry. In order to address the needs of the public, this study suggests that not only are facts and figures about risk important but also issues that address the worries of the public. Implications for risk communication are discussed.