Social network efficiency of multiple stakeholders on agricultural drought risk governance — A southern China case study

Abstract

Social network research in respect of multi-stakeholders in the field of disaster risk governance is receiving increasing attention. Analyzing connection efficiency helps each stakeholder to coordinate relationships for disaster governance. Based on questionnaire and multi-indicator analysis, the study constructs a M-S-S-P-I (Multi-Scale-multi-Stakeholder-multi-Process-multi-Indicator) system and establishes a social network encompassing the government, village committee, household, and enterprise in drought risk governance. The results are as follows. (1) In the process of drought risk governance, the households are not sufficiently motivated to be adequately prepared and the government does not provide adequate instructions in the recovery. (2) From each stakeholder’s perspective, the averages of the connection proportion show a trend of enterprise (0.91) > government (0.65) > village committee (0.58) > household (0.12), and the ranges of the proportion are quite large. The social network of households displays features of closure and unbalance. (3) Considering the soft factors in efficiency evaluation, from the “quantity” view, the value of the village stakeholders is low and from the “quality” view, it presents a trend of the trust degree < communication convenience degree ≈ function understanding degree ≈ assistance effectiveness degree. The trust between stakeholders and the connection efficiencies of households and enterprises in the social network need to be strengthened. The purpose of this study is to provide references for enhancing cooperation efficiency among multiple stakeholders so that they are able to form a consilience of drought risk governance.