The Role of Risk Perception and Community Networks in Preparing for and Responding to Landslides

Pedoth, Lydia; Taylor, Richard; Kofler, Christian; Stawinoga, Agnieszka Elzbieta; Forrester, John; Matin, Nilufar; Schneiderbauer, Stefan

doi:10.1002/9781119166047.ch13

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Consequently, a substantial number of events are recorded only if they are causing actual or potential losses. Secondly, peripheral municipalities and their inhabitants can be considered to be more resilient towards NH since they have learned to cope with them 43 . This implies that events occurring in these areas often are not reported to the regional authorities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in climate patterns and their association to natural hazard distribution in South Tyrol (Eastern Italian Alps)

Schlögel

Kofler

Gariano

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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In Alpine regions changes in seasonal climatic parameters, such as temperature, rainfall, and snow amount have already been observed. Specifically, in the South Tyrol area, meteorological observations indicate that temperatures are increasing and the number of snow days has generally diminished over time with perennial snow line now observed at higher elevations. Changes in rainfall have also been observed with more events associated with higher temperatures in the summer season. Natural hazards-mainly debris and mud flows, landslides, avalanches, rock falls, and (flash) floods-that affect this area every year, damaging population and infrastructures, are either weather or cryosphere-related. While these events have been recorded sporadically since the beginning of the 20th century, a systematic approach of their inventory has been done by local authorities since the 1990s. So far, Earth observation data has not been exploited to complete or complement existing inventories nor have they been used to investigate the influence of climate perturbation on potentially dangerous natural phenomena. The research presented here thus has three objectives: (i) analyse long time series of climate data and hazard occurrence in South Tyrol to examine if these records exhibit a coherent response of hazards to changes in climate; (ii) measure the spatio-temporal evolution of climatic and natural hazard events recorded, and (iii) explore potential relations between meteorological conditions and the hazard occurrence. In this context, in-situ and satellite-based climate data are exploited to study natural hazard triggers while the potential of Earth observation data is evaluated as a complement to the existing historical records of natural hazards. Specifically, Copernicus Sentinel-1 images are used to detect the spatio-temporal distribution of slow earth surface deformations and the results used for checking the completeness of the actual slow-moving landslide inventories. Hazard-related changes in the South tyrolian landscape have also been analysed in relation to particular meteorological events at a regional scale, assessing trends and anomalies. Results show that: (i) satellite data are very useful to complement the existing natural hazard inventories; (ii) in-situ and satellite-based climate records show similar patterns but differ due to regional versus local variability; (iii) even in a data-rich region such as the analysed area, the overall response of natural hazard occurrence, magnitude, and frequency to change in climate variables is difficult to decipher due to the presence of multiple triggers and locally driven ground responses. However, an increase in the average annual duration of rainfall events and debris flow occurrence can be observed. Mountains have been acknowledged as "sentinels of environmental change" because they have physical dynamics that are readily identifiable and respond more rapidly than other geographical entities to environmental change 1 .

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in climate patterns and their association to natural hazard distribution in South Tyrol (Eastern Italian Alps)

Schlögel

Kofler

Gariano

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

Self Cite

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“…Initially, a population survey was conducted, asking residents, which organisations they would contact in case of a landslide happening. The answers of all respondents (n = 1074) were visualised in a social network map, which showed significant complexity but also clearly indicated who the key actors were in the minds of the affected population (Pedoth et al, 2019).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structured output methods and environmental issues: perspectives on co-created bottom-up and ‘sideways’ science

Taylor

Forrester

Pedoth

et al. 2022

Humanit Soc Sci Commun

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Participatory methods for researching human–environmental interactions seek detailed inputs on all manner of issues, but the outputs are often only understandable to the technically literate. On the other hand, participatory methods that involve the co-design of structured outputs (maps, models, games, stories, etc.) can be used to represent and integrate the knowledge and views of participants authentically and can be interpretable to both ‘scientist’ and ‘non-scientist’ alike, thereby creating ‘sideways’ rather than top-down or bottom-up perspectives. This paper is both a methodological paper and a treatise that looks at some of the theory underpinning such approaches, drawing on the theory of citizen or ‘bottom-up’ stakeholder engagement in science but also co-created engagement, emphasising the learning and trust-building benefits of this ‘sideways’ engagement. It describes how some established and novel methods (participatory agent-based modelling; co-constructing computer games; and participatory social network mapping), can be used to engage stakeholders in iterative, constructivist communication, allowing researchers and stakeholders to co-create a structured ‘reality’ separate from the reality it represents. We discuss how such approaches support and contribute to scientific outputs that better represent participants’ reality. Our findings show that, when applied to ecosystem services, agricultural adaptation and disaster risk management, such representations provide communication opportunities and spaces for reflection and constructivist learning. The structured outputs allow stakeholders—both participant and researcher—to ‘mirror’ their human-environmental system to collaboratively think about gaps and problems in understanding.

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“…The presence of risk awareness, thus, enhances the responsible handling of the natural domain. However, time‐wise, risk perception is strongly related to disturbing events (e.g., an avalanche, flood, or landslide) (Pedoth et al, 2014). It is a cognitive process that functions both individually and on a community level (Altarawneh et al, 2018; Wachinger et al, 2013) and leads to human agency.…”

Section: Theory Of Social Representationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mountain communities, however, have shown to be highly resilient in the past, constantly adapting and innovating to develop over long periods of time (Wyss et al, 2022). It is especially important for these areas to have strong community resilience in order to cope with current changes and disturbances (Bruley et al, 2021; Pedoth et al, 2014). However, the social dimension of resilience, as well as socially embedded constraints to the strengthening of resilience, have thus far been neglected in the research (Imperiale & Vanclay, 2021), even though social and cultural capital are considered “cornerstones of resilience” for mountain communities (Wyss et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The natural domain and its social representation in the community resilience concept

Stotten

2023

Sustainable Development

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Mountain communities in Alpine areas are prone to natural hazard events and sensitive to climate change. In these areas, where communities are complex human‐environmental entanglements, strong community resilience is essential. Community resilience is shaped by a set of interacting domains that provide insights into a community's resilience level and highlights the proactive human agency the domains contain. The relevance of human agency for the natural, economic, social, cultural, and political domains has not yet been revealed. This study explores the interdependencies of the community resilience domains, particularly the natural domain, through the lens of social representation theory. Qualitative data from two remote mountain villages in the Upper Ötztal Valley in Tyrol, Austria, were analyzed. The research reveals that the natural domain is shaped through its social representation. Understanding this social representation contributes to a broader understanding of community resilience and can empower communities to harness the capacities that enhance it.

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The Role of Risk Perception and Community Networks in Preparing for and Responding to Landslides

Cited by 8 publications

References 16 publications

Changes in climate patterns and their association to natural hazard distribution in South Tyrol (Eastern Italian Alps)

Changes in climate patterns and their association to natural hazard distribution in South Tyrol (Eastern Italian Alps)

Structured output methods and environmental issues: perspectives on co-created bottom-up and ‘sideways’ science

The natural domain and its social representation in the community resilience concept

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