Community Risk Perception Research Articles

Community risk perception for flood management: A structural equation modelling approach

The importance of considering risk perception for the support of flood risk management is widely recognised. Therefore, evaluating citizens' risk perception is essential to understand the elements belonging to the social sphere that can affect the increase of risk. This knowledge can support policy makers and disaster managers in establishing more effective management strategies, priority setting, resource allocation and prevention activities. The presence of urban areas exposed to flood risks poses complex decision-making problems for the planning and management of future organisations of local territories and communities.This work provides an assessment of citizens' perception of flood risk through the construction of a Structural Equation Model (SEM) to identify useful elements to support flood management in a new type of vulnerable areas which have 'episodic streams’ called lame. This was achieved by investigating the citizens’ risk perception and knowledge in the city of Bari. The data was collected using a online survey. Based on the data from 752 respondents, our modelling results provide insights and suggestions to support flood management decision-making as they highlight the heterogeneity of the sample involved, bringing out the categories of citizens most exposed to risk, to which specific measures can be addressed.

Community satisfaction and risk perception of local devastation due to climate change

Community satisfaction and risk perception of local devastation due to climate change

Housing market dynamics of the post-Sandy Hudson estuary, Long Island Sound, and New Jersey coastline are explained by NFIP participation

How flooding affects home values can determine the path of economic recovery for communities and have lasting impacts on national and global financial systems. Yet, our understanding of how flood insurance, community risk perception, and past flooding events shape future housing prices (HPs) remains limited. To explore this, we used a socio-environmental (SE) model and studied the temporal impacts of flooding on mean housing values across 496 coastal census tracts of New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, US, from 1970 to 2021. The modeling exercise demonstrated that the initial economic impact of Hurricane Sandy was largely absorbed by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); however, the region then exhibited a long-term decline in home values, which was well described by an interrupted time series model. We found significant correlations between SE model parameters describing HP change and those describing tract-scale behaviors and perceptions, suggesting that the salience of past flooding events and NFIP participation may be important regional drivers of HPs. Tracts with greater post-flood change in active insurance policies exhibited larger decreases in mean home values than those with more stable NFIP participation. An improved understanding of relationships between HPs, flood insurance, and community perceptions could support more equitable distributions of resources and improved policy interventions to reduce flooding risk.

Risk perception—A lens for understanding adaptive behaviour in the age of climate change? Narratives from the Global South

Risk perception, a judgment of how risk is perceived individually and communicated scientifically, helps clarify local knowledge, know-how, and experience. However, community disaster preparedness and DRR planning have often overlooked community risk perception. This study investigates how risk perception at the community level influences and facilitates local DRR initiatives. It explores southwest Bangladesh as a case study, an area highly vulnerable to climatic impacts such as tropical storms, floods, and rising sea-level. This study analyses media and local narratives, in-depth interviews, and field observations. We find that community risk perception (a) tends to be ignored in local adaptation planning and (b) is shaped by four influential factors relating to local residents: their varied interests; socio-economic opportunities; attachment to place and community; and risk-tolerance capacity. The study advances theory in revealing a dynamic relationship among perception of risk, adaptive behaviour, and tolerance of risk. Practically, it helps local authorities in southwest Bangladesh and similar locales enhance DRR practices by considering community experiences and perceptions of risk. Though oft challenged by the contemporary socio-political dynamics of the Global South, transferring knowledge of risk perception to inform decision-making is critical to strategic planning in the face of disasters.

Learning to live with smoke: characterizing wildland fire and prescribed fire smoke risk communication in rural Washington

Extreme smoke events from wildland fires are increasing in frequency and intensity across the country. Risk communication around wildland and prescribed fires is an essential component of both smoke-readiness and resilience. To date, little research has been conducted on how smoke exposure risks can be communicated effectively, especially within the context of rural and tribal communities, who experience a disproportionate burden of smoke risks and impacts. This qualitative study analyzed how tribal and non-tribal communities in the Okanogan River Airshed Emphasis Area (ORAEA) receive and share information about smoke exposure to highlight gaps and communication opportunities for smoke risk communication. The ORAEA is a region of north-central Washington that is frequently blanketed with smoke year-round from wildland fire in the summer, prescribed fire in the fall and spring, and wood burning stoves in the winter. This study was the result of a partnership between the Okanogan River Airshed Partnership, the Natural Resource Division for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Colville Environmental Trust Air Quality Program, and the University of Washington. The study team conducted seventeen key informant interviews and six focus groups to identify community perceptions of smoke exposure and describe its impact. A thematic analysis of interview and focus group data identified five themes around wildfire smoke risk communication: (1) perception of the health risks of smoke; (2) current ways of sharing information about smoke; (3) trusted sources of information; (4) gaps and communication opportunities; and (5) perceptions of prescribed fire. Based on these themes, we developed a set of six recommended actions. To create effective smoke risk communication that may be applicable to smoke-impacted regions across the country, messaging must address barriers to action, be rooted in community perceptions of risk, and be delivered through trusted channels.

Income and Residence related Disparities of Information and Knowledge about COVID-19 and Behavioral response: Evidence from COVID-19 Community Risk Perception and Behavioral Response survey in Ethiopia

Introduction: The Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has caused enormous stress among the public in China initially and then after the whole world. This study aims to examine the income and residence-related disparities in information and knowledge about COVID-19 in Ethiopia. Methods: The data for this study was extracted from the community risk perception and behavioral response toward the COVID-19 survey data set. Out of 8005 survey participants, 7970 participants were used for the current study. Results of this study were presented by frequency, percent, concentration curve, tables and p-values used to indicate the significance level. Result: The concentration index of Knowledge of COVID-19 causes, COVID-19 transmission, COVID-19 symptoms, and its prevention across income status was (0.08, 0.02, 0.02, and 0.01), respectively. Indicating that participants of the highest income level had better knowledge than participants of the lowest income level. Similarly, the concentration index of information about COVID-19 from multimedia, print media, and social media across income status was (0.05, 0.37, and 0.07) respectively. The concentration index information about COVID-19 from health care professionals and community networks across residences was (-0.10) and (-0.07) respectively. Implying that participants of the rural resident had better access to information about COVID-19 from health care professionals and community networks than participants of the urban resident. Conclusion: COVID-19 causes, spread, symptoms, and prevention strategies were disproportionately more known to those with the highest income levels and those who lived in urban areas. Also, those with the highest income and those who live in urban areas have disproportionately more access to COVID-19 information from multimedia, print media, and social media than those with the lowest income level, and rural residents have disproportionately more access to COVID-19 information from health care professionals and community networks than urban residents.

Validity of Self-Reported Mosquito Bites to Assess Household Mosquito Abundance in Six Communities of Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador.

Mosquito-borne diseases are a global burden; however, current methods of evaluating human-mosquito contact rates are expensive and time consuming. Validated surveys of self-reported mosquito bites may be an inexpensive way to determine mosquito presence and bite exposure level in an area, but this remains untested. In this study, a survey of self-reported mosquito bites was validated against household mosquito abundance from six communities in Esmeraldas, Ecuador. From February 2021 to July 2022, households were interviewed monthly, and five questions were used to ask participants how often they were bitten by mosquitoes at different times during the day. At the same time, adult mosquitoes were collected using a Prokopack aspirator. Species were identified and counted. Survey responses were compared with the total number of mosquitoes found in the home using negative binomial regression. More frequent self-reported mosquito bites were significantly associated with higher numbers of collected adult mosquitoes. These associations were driven by the prevalence of the dominant genera, Culex. These results suggest that surveys of perceived mosquito bites relate to actual mosquito presence, making them a potentially useful tool for determining the impact of vector-control interventions on community perceptions of risk but less useful for assessing the risk of nondominant species such as Aedes aegypti. Further work is needed to examine the robustness of these results in other contexts.

Assessing the effectiveness of landslide slope stability by analysing structural mitigation measures and community risk perception

Rainfall-induced landslides seriously threaten hilly environments, leading local authorities to implement various mitigation measures to decrease disaster risk. However, there is a significant gap in the current literature regarding evaluating their effectiveness and the associated community risk perception. To address this gap, we used an interdisciplinary and innovative approach to analyse the slope stability of landslides, evaluate the effectiveness of existing structural mitigation measures, and assess the risk perception of those living in danger zones. Our case study focused on the Kutupalong Rohingya Camp (KRC) in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, which is home to over one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Although various structural and non-structural countermeasures were implemented in the KRC to mitigate the impact of landslides, many of them failed to prevent landslides from occurring. We utilised a variety of methods from the physical sciences, including the infinite slope, limit equilibrium (LEM), and finite element (FEM) approaches, to calculate the factor of safety (FoS) for specific slopes. Additionally, in the social sciences domain, we conducted a questionnaire survey of approximately 400 Rohingya participants to assess the community’s perception of the interventions and the degree of disaster risk. Our findings indicated that slopes with a gradient greater than 40° were unstable (FoS < 1), which was present throughout the entire KRC area. The effectiveness of the LEM and FEM methods was evaluated for four dominant slope angles (40°, 45°, 50°, and 55°) under varying loads (0, 50, and 100 kN/m2). The slopes were found to be stable for lower slope angles but unstable for higher slope angles (> 50°) and increased overburden loads (50–100 kN/m2). Different mitigation measures were tested on the identified unstable slopes to assess their effectiveness, but the results showed that the countermeasures only provided marginal protection against landslides. Survey results revealed that at least 70% of respondents believed that concrete retaining walls are more effective in reducing landslide occurrence compared to other measures. Additionally, about 60% of the respondents questioned the reliability of the existing structural mitigation measures. The study also found that the cohesion and friction angle of lower sandstone and the cohesion of upper soil layers are important factors to consider when designing and implementing slope protection countermeasures in the KRC area.

The Association Between Korean American Nurse and Primary Care Provider Burnout, Areas of Worklife, and Perceptions of Pandemic Experience: Cross-sectional Study

Korean immigrants are among the fastest-growing ethnic minority groups and make up the fifth-largest Asian group in the United States. A better understanding of the work environment factors and its impact on Korean American nurse and primary care provider (PCP) burnout may guide the development of targeted strategies to help mitigate burnout and workplace stressors, which is critical for the retention of Korean American nurses and PCPs to promote better alignment of national demographic trends and meet patients' preference for cultural congruence with their health care providers (HCPs). Although there is a growing number of studies on HCP burnout, a limited number of studies specifically focus on the experience of ethnic minority HCPs, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of these gaps in literature, the aim of this study was to assess burnout among Korean American HCPs and to identify work conditions during a pandemic that may be associated with Korean American nurse and PCP burnout. A total of 184 Korean American HCPs (registered nurses [RNs]: n=97; PCPs: n=87) practicing in Southern California responded to a web-based survey between February and April 2021. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, Areas of Worklife Survey, and Pandemic Experience & Perceptions Survey were used to measure burnout and work environment factors during the pandemic. A multivariate linear regression analysis was used to assess work environment factors associated with the 3 subcategories of burnout. No significant differences were found in the level of burnout experienced by Korean American nurses and PCPs. For RNs, greater workload (P<.001), lower resource availability (P=.04), and higher risk perception (P=.02) were associated with higher emotional exhaustion. Greater workload was also associated with higher depersonalization (P=.003), whereas a greater (professional) community (P=.03) and higher risk perception (P=.006) were associated with higher personal accomplishment. For PCPs, greater workload and poor work-life balance were associated with higher emotional exhaustion (workload: P<.001; worklife: P=.005) and depersonalization (workload: P=.01; worklife: P<.001), whereas only reward was associated with personal accomplishment (P=.006). Findings from this study underscore the importance of strategies to promote a healthy work environment across multiple levels that recognize demographic variation among Korean American RNs and PCPs, potentially influencing their burnout mitigation needs. A growing recognition of identity-informed burnout experiences across frontline Korean American RNs and PCPs argues for future explorations that capture nuance both across and within this and other ethnic minority nurse and PCP groups. By recognizing and capturing these variations, we may better support the creation of targeted, burnout-mitigating strategies for all.

Indonesian Community Risk Perception of COVID-19 in 2022

Introduction: In line with the increasing number of COVID-19 cases from July to early August 2022, this paper aimed to analyze the perception of COVID-19 among Indonesians. Methods: A cross-sectional online study on COVID-19 risk perception was conducted in the first week of July 2022. A questionnaire adapted from ECOM (Effective Communication in Outbreak Management for Europe) was distributed online through social media to obtain information about the respondents’ knowledge, behavior, and risk perceptions on COVID-19. Results: There were 775 respondents. Most of them were female (61.3%), lived in the eight most targeted areas (84.1%), were unmarried (52.5%), held a bachelor’s degree (38.5%), and were Muslims (80.8%). The percentages of respondents who had been infected with COVID-19 were (43.8%). Most participants believed that their knowledge level of the disease was average and above average (&gt;91%). Of the respondents, 83.6% perceived the seriousness of COVID-19 as serious and very serious. However, the anxiety level among these respondents was moderate (slightly and quite anxious). This indicates that even though most respondents still see COVID-19 as a serious disease, their level of fear is decreasing. Compared to a previous study, most respondents in the current study were more confident of their ability to control the risks associated with the transmission of the virus. Nevertheless, they still believe that outdoor activity and not using a face mask can significantly increase the probability of getting infected. Conclusion: The risk perception of COVID-19 in Indonesian community among our study population was appropriate.

Risk Perception and COVID-19 Transmission Experiences in Indonesia 2022

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia has not officially ended, and due to the apparent underestimation of protective behavior, it is imperative to continuously promote public awareness and implement health protocols to control its spread. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the community's risk perception and experiences of COVID-19 transmission in Indonesia. Method: This study was conducted in 2022 using an online survey. The questionnaire was developed based on a standard questionnaire (ECOM, 2015) on the risk perception of an infectious disease outbreak. It was then distributed through various social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. Result: According to all ten risk perception distribution data, the majority of respondents considered COVID-19 a threat. This showed that most respondents had intense COVID-19 transmission directly or indirectly. This study also revealed that there were more female respondents than men. Conclusion: Individuals who had contracted COVID-19 might have different perceptions compared to those who had not been infected. Furthermore, experiences such as the COVID-19 transmission involving relatives and friends might also shape an individual’s risk perception, particularly in implementing protective behavior, in this case, health protocol. Control measures based on gender should also be considered to ensure the effectiveness of the COVID-19 risk management.

A Culture of Fire: Identifying Community Risk Perceptions Surrounding Prescribed Burning in the Flint Hills, Kansas

In the Flint Hills region of eastern Kansas, there is a long tradition of spring prescribed burns. However, air quality concerns in downwind communities have sparked conversation regarding the environmental and social impacts of these burns. This study aimed to identify the risk perceptions associated with prescribed burns using two theoretical frameworks: the social amplification of risk framework and the protective action decision model. In April 2022, we conducted 18 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Flint Hills community members from different social stations. Participants identified several benefits of prescribed burns: cattle production gains, invasive species management, prairie ecological health maintenance, and wildfire prevention. Some participants viewed prescribed burning as a protective response. However, risk perceptions differed between rural and urban participants: rural community members were primarily concerned with prescribed fires that went out of control, while those in downwind cities were primarily concerned with smoke exposure. Participants sometimes used protective actions to mitigate their risks, but also explained the complexities of changing burn practices that are integral to the local culture, economies, and greater society. Additionally, formal communication of health and safety risks from prescribed burns is not uniform across Kansas counties. We therefore recommend systematic county and statewide communication of burn practices and protective behaviors. Understanding community perceptions of the risks and effects of prescribed burns, and any protective actions taken, can inform how professional communicators approach burning in similar agricultural and ranching communities.

Strengthening Namibia’s Flood Early Warning System through a Critical Gap Analysis

Floods are considered leading hydrometeorological disasters, which are increasing in frequency, intensity and complexity with the evolution of climate change. Their associated impacts have detrimental and often prolonged implications for humankind, especially communities heavily reliant on the natural environment. The development and implementation of effective flood early warning systems (FEWSs) can serve to enhance coping strategies and strengthen the adaptive capacities of target communities while simultaneously minimising flood risks. However, shortcomings related to the lack of information on the operationalisation of these systems, the technical and financial requirements, the challenges faced and the directives related to their implementation have persisted, subverting risk reduction efforts at the grassroots level. Using data from key informant interviews and focus group discussions, this study employed a systematic analysis of the official Namibian flood early warning system based on the system’s implementation in Kabbe, Namibia. The study results revealed a need for significant changes across all system components as the FEWS follows a top-down, disintegrated and response-driven approach. Roles are undefined among institutions; funding is inadequate; and community risk perceptions, coping capacities and participation are disregarded. Based on the study findings, the researchers recommend significant changes in the design and application of the system, urging practitioners to recognise FEWSs as the continuous and integrated tools that they are.

Risk perception from the consumption of untreated drinking water in a small island community.

A small island community in Malaysia uses gravity-fed drinking water, and rejected water treatment by the authorities. This study was conducted to evaluate the community's risk perception towards their untreated water supply by interviewing one adult per household in four out of eight villages on the island. The survey asked questions on risk perception, socioeconomic characteristics, and perception of water supply quality. Water samples were collected from a total of 24 sampling locations across the four villages, and 91.7% of them were positive for E.coli. The study surveyed 218 households and found that 61.5% of respondents agreed to some degree that the water is safe to drink without treatment, while 67.9% of respondents disagreed to some degree that drinking tap water is associated with health risks, and 73.3% of respondents agreed to some degree that it is safe to drink directly from taps that are fitted with water filters. Using factor analysis to group the risk perception questions and multivariable GLM to explore relationships with underlying factors, the study found that older respondents, lower income level, positive water odour perception and positive water supply reliability perception lowers risk perception. The village of residence also significantly affects the risk perception level in the model.

Warwick Blood (1947–2022): a journey in communication research

Warwick Blood (1947–2022) was a leading Australian researcher in the field of Communication and Media Studies whose research focused on the role of the news media in framing public understanding of major social issues such as fear of crime, suicide and mental illness and community perceptions of risk. This article traverses Warwick's research career from his 1981 PhD on agenda setting to his later qualitative research using news frame analysis and ethnomethodology. Warwick's research is positioned within the history of Communication and Media Studies in Australia. We argue his work had a major impact on the practice of journalism and more generally on the study of health communication. His legacy was to forge a path in impactful, collaborative social research that has enabled the flowering of applied media studies and health communication research at a time of critical urgency in both public health and the media industries.

Environmental justice is exhausting: five decades of air pollution and community advocacy at Ezra Prentice Homes in Albany, New York

ABSTRACT This narrative case study used semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and archival research to document the ongoing environmental injustices faced by the predominately Black residents of Ezra Prentice Homes, a public housing complex adjacent to the Port of Albany in the South End of Albany, New York. We highlighted the context of the relocation of minorities to this public housing complex for the construction of the Empire State Plaza, and impacts to residents from polluting port industrial activities and heavy-duty diesel trucks. Using a social justice Theory of Change framework, we evaluated the diversity of outcomes and relevance of an innovative suite of advocacy tools employed by policy activists and discussed the factors constraining the resolution of continued environmental injustices. We observed a complex legacy of environmental racism, power struggles, and an ongoing mindset of expendability of marginalised public housing residents targeting this community for hosting locally unwanted land uses and delayed long-term solutions. While policy activists employed a diversity of advocacy tools instrumental in winning lawsuits, expanding their base of support, attracting media, and bringing widespread state and national visibility to the struggles and necessary solutions for protecting residents, this “middle coalition” facilitated successful yet temporary policy outcomes in terms of long-term protections for residents. This research fills an important gap in the environmental justice literature that explores the phenomenon of public housing complexes inappropriately sited adjacent to polluting port facilities. Future research is needed to better understand community risk perceptions related to public housing and long-term public policy responses.

Community Disaster Resilience and Risk Perception in Earthquake-Stricken Areas of China.

The purpose of this study is to further deepen our understanding of the relationship between community resilience and disaster risk perception of residents, so as to provide beneficial enlightenment for the construction of community resilience disaster prevention system and disaster risk management. This study surveyed 327 rural households in four counties of Sichuan Province, China, that were affected by the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes. Community disaster resilience was divided into five dimensions: connection and caring, resources, transformative potential, disaster management, and information and communication. Residents' disaster risk perception was divided into three dimensions: possibility, threat, and worry. This study analyzed the characteristics of community disaster resilience and residents' disaster risk perceptions. Ordinary least squares (OLS) methods were used to explore the correlations between these factors. The results show that (1) Residents' overall disaster risk perception was at a moderate level, and the community's overall disaster resilience were above the moderate level. (2) Community connection and caring has a positive significant correlation with the possibility perception of disaster occurrence; transformative potential has a negative significant correlation with the possibility perception of disaster occurrence; the overall community disaster resilience has negative significant correlations with the possibility and the overall residents' perception of disaster risk occurrence. The implication for the local government is that the government should appropriately increase its contact with external institutions/organizations, especially some Non-Governmental Organization, to strengthen the resilience and disaster prevention capacity of the community. Establish and improve information and communication networks to ensure the timely and effective transmission of effective disaster information, and strengthen the supervision of the dissemination of false information to reduce the losses caused by false information to residents. Attention should be paid to psychological counseling for people in disaster-hit areas to reduce the psychological trauma of the disaster.

How does COVID-19 differ from previous crises? A comparative study of health-related crisis research in the tourism and hospitality context

The importance of the risk to tourism and hospitality operations from pandemic-related crises has increased. Therefore, the current study offers a literature review targeting tourism and hospitality stakeholders’ perceptions of past diseases and has three objectives: (1) Explore major topics from previous research on infectious diseases using topic modeling; (2) compare non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 crises; (3) investigate research topics in the tourism and hospitality industries. To meet our research objectives, we reviewed published pandemic-related articles in the tourism and hospitality literature since the year 2000. Based on the results, we first identified nine key topics related to infectious diseases (i.e., policy, human resources, branding, resilience, technology, global or community change, risk perception, disease impact, and lifestyle). Second, we suggest the application of different topic weights in non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 research. Third, we found that it is appropriate to apply different topic weights in tourism and hospitality research.

Community coalition and key stakeholder perceptions of the community opioid epidemic before an intensive community-level intervention

IntroductionOpioid overdoses are a major public health emergency in the United States. Despite effective treatments that can save lives, access to and utilization of such treatments are limited. Community context plays an important role in addressing treatment barriers and increasing access. The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) is a multisite community-level cluster-randomized trial that will study implementation and outcomes of a community coalition-based intervention (Communities that HEAL [CTH]) that implements evidence-based practices (EBPs) to reduce opioid overdose deaths in four states. To examine contextual factors critical to understanding implementation, we assessed the perspectives of community members about their communities, current substance use–related services, and other important issues that could impact intervention implementation. MethodsResearchers conducted 382 semi-structured qualitative interviews in the HCS communities. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed; researchers subsequently analyzed data using directed content analysis based on the constructs of the RE-AIM/PRISM implementation science framework to identify key themes within the external community context. ResultsDespite the diversity in states and communities, four similar themes related to the external community context emerged across communities: These themes included the importance of understanding: 1) community risk perceptions, 2) levels of stigma, 3) the health services environment and the availability of substance use services, and 4) funding for substance use services. ConclusionUnderstanding and addressing the external community context in which the CTH intervention and EBPs are implemented are crucial for successful health services-related and community engaged interventions. While implementing EBPs is a challenging undertaking, doing so will help us to understand if and how a community-based intervention can successfully reduce opioid overdose deaths and influence both community beliefs and the community treatment landscape.

Neighbourhood bushfire hazard, community risk perception and preparedness in peri-urban Hobart, Australia

Background Information campaigns about bushfire preparedness are often based on the assumption that residents of bushfire-prone neighbourhoods underestimate their risk. However, there are complex relationships between bushfire hazard, perceived risk and adaptive action. Aims We investigate how residents’ understanding of bushfire risk relates to biophysical risk in the City of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia’s most fire-prone state capital. Methods A transdisciplinary case study using a survey of 406 residents living close to the wildland–urban interface, focus groups in four bushfire-prone neighbourhoods, and geospatial fire risk assessment. Key results Neighbourhood concern about bushfire is statistically associated with biophysical measurement of local bushfire risk. This awareness does not necessarily translate into adaptive action, in part because residents underestimate the risk to their homes from fuels on their own property and overestimate the risk from bushland and neighbouring properties, leading to a common response that preparing for bushfire is futile if your neighbours do not also prepare. Neighbourhoods with high levels of positive community interaction, however, are more likely to access preparedness information, and develop fire-adaptive behaviours. Conclusions/Implications Our findings highlight the need for social adaptation pathways using local communication interventions to build the neighbourhood knowledge, networks and capacities that enable community-led bushfire preparedness.